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On the Shortness of Life by Seneca - Watch BEFORE Buying!George Vlasyev

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On the Shortness of Life: Life Is Long if You Know How to Use It (Penguin Great Ideas) Paperback – September 6, 2005

by Seneca (Author), C. D. N. Costa (Translator)

4.5 2,176 ratings

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Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves—and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives—and destroyed them.

Now, Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization, and helped make us who we are. Penguin's Great Ideas series features twelve groundbreaking works by some of history's most prodigious thinkers, and each volume is beautifully packaged with a unique type-drive design that highlights the bookmaker's art. Offering great literature in great packages at great prices, this series is ideal for those readers who want to explore and savor the Great Ideas that have shaped the world.

The Stoic writings of the philosopher Seneca, who lived from c. 5 BC to AD 65, offer powerful insights into the art of living, the importance of reason and morality, and continue to provide profound guidance to many through their eloquence, lucidity and timeless wisdom. This selection of Seneca's orks was taken from the Penguin Classics edition of Dialogues and Letters, translated by C.D.N. Costa, and includes the essays On the Shortness of Life, Consolation to Helvia, and On Tranquility of Mind.

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About the Author

Lucius Annaeus Seneca, statesman, philosopher, advocate and man of letters, was born at Cordoba in Spain around 4 BC. He rose to prominence in Rome, pursuing a career in the courts and political life, for which he had been trained, while also acquiring celebrity as an author of tragedies and essays. Falling foul of successive emperors (Caligula in AD 39 and Claudius in AD 41), he spent eight years in exile, allegedly for an affair with Caligula’s sister. Recalled in AD 49, he was made praetor and was appointed tutor to the boy who was to become, in AD 54, the emperor Nero. On Nero’s succession, Seneca acted for some eight years as an unofficial chief minister. The early part of this reign was remembered as a period of sound government, for which the main credit seems due to Seneca. His control over Nero declined as enemies turned the emperor against him with representations that his popularity made him a danger, or with accusations of immorality or excessive wealth. Retiring from public life he devoted his last three years to philosophy and writing, particularly the Letters to Lucilius. In AD 65 following the discovery of a plot against the emperor, in which he was thought to be implicated, he and many others were compelled by Nero to commit suicide. His fame as an essayist and dramatist lasted until two or three centuries ago, when he passed into literary oblivion, from which the twentieth century has seen a considerable recovery.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

On the Shortness of Life

Most human beings, Paulinus,* complain about the meanness of nature, because we are born for a brief span of life, and because this spell of time that has been given to us rushes by so swiftly and rapidly that with very few exceptions life ceases for the rest of us just when we are getting ready for it. Nor is it just the man in the street and the unthinking mass of people who groan over this - as they see it - universal evil: the same feeling lies behind complaints from even distinguished men. Hence the dictum of the greatest of doctors:† 'Life is short, art is long.' Hence too the grievance, most improper to a wise man, which Aristotle expressed when he was taking nature to task for indulging animals with such long existences that they can live through five or ten human lifetimes, while a far shorter limit is set for men who are born to a great and extensive destiny. It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if it were all well invested.

* A friend of Seneca’s.
† Hippocrates

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; 1st edition (September 6, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 105 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0143036327
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143036326
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.21 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.09 x 6.14 x 9.21 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #52,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #47 in Individual Philosophers (Books)
- #142 in Ancient Greek & Roman Philosophy
- #214 in Philosophy of Ethics & Morality

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4.5 2,176 ratings

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Seneca

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Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC – AD 65), also known as Seneca the Younger, was a Hispano-Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman and dramatist.

Fabulous wealth, literary fame, exile, an amazing come back to the height of political power and a tragic ending the life of Seneca is one of the great untold stories of Ancient Rome.

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Customers find the book insightful and a good resource. They find the philosophy refreshing and compelling. The writing is concise and to the point, making it an easy read. Many readers consider the book worth its price and say the philosophy is practical and useful. However, some feel the content lacks enlightenment and is boring at times. Opinions differ on the life span, with some finding it long enough while others think it can be extended.

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Readability Philosophy Pacing Value for money Functionality Ease of use Life span Enlightened content

80 customers mention "Readability"80 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and insightful. They describe it as a quick read and perfect for beginners in philosophy. The insights are considered worth the price.

"...Very powerful insight. It's like we're waiting and waiting and hoping whatever we want comes our way, but in doing that, we lose the time at hand...." Read more

"...This will naturally lead to a great appreciation for the time we have which will lead to taking more purposefully action instead of filling up the..." Read more

"...Anyway, there is much more within. Definitely grab a copy, and get a good read in." Read more

"Very good. Very short read" Read more

63 customers mention "Philosophy"63 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's philosophy interesting and refreshing. They say it gives them plenty to think about, with gems about living. The wisdom is compelling today as it was during the author's time. Readers mention the book touches on Seneca's teachings and puts life in perspective.

"...Overall, there is some timeless wisdom in his essay and I believe it is worth your time to read it." Read more

"...The entire module was such a refreshing take on philosophy since it was designed for entrepreneurial-minded young people and therefore emphasized..." Read more

"...this book - and anything regarding the Stoics; for this philosophy is practical and functioning - not the round-about word-games of contemporary..." Read more

"Book touches on senecas teachings but I would highly recommend letters from a stoic by Seneca if you are looking for something deeper" Read more

35 customers mention "Pacing"32 positive3 negative

Customers find the book concise and easy to read. They appreciate the simple translation and clear message. The advice is actionable and serves today as it did in ancient times.

"...Essay 3: Peace of mind, and having confidence in the path one is leading based on introspection and action..." Read more

"...values a code of ethics that focus on living the present, without fear of pain and sorrow, and without attributing much importance to joyful, yet..." Read more

"Very good. Very short read" Read more

"...This work can be read in a short amount of time. It makes sense, but no more to me than other works or authors...." Read more

10 customers mention "Value for money"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book offers good value for money. They say financial success is attainable for everyone, though it may be hard to maintain.

"...financial success is attainable by everyone; though the life that accompanies it will be throttled..." Read more

"...It's an affordable book, pick one up." Read more

"Its a good book and definitely worth its price. You could see the view of a philosopher from our old world!..." Read more

"a nice book at a nice price. stop frittering your life away you jack sampsons" Read more

7 customers mention "Functionality"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the philosophy practical and useful. They describe the book as short yet powerful.

"...anything regarding the Stoics; for this philosophy is practical and functioning - not the round-about word-games of contemporary philosophy...." Read more

"The first part of the book was great and very useful. The 2nd part was all over the place and the final chapter brang it back to life." Read more

"I like the book and the cover. The book is short, readable, and powerful. The cover is simple and rich to touch." Read more

"short yet powerful" Read more

5 customers mention "Ease of use"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and understand. The core takeaway is simple, and the presentation is clear.

"...The core takeaway is simple. Be mindful of and purposeful with your time...." Read more

"...It was well presented and easily understood. I will look for many more on this subject." Read more

"...Seneca with great clarity and makes this book an easy read and an easy favorite...." Read more

"Interesting book and philosophy. Easy to get into, This series is really a nice look at different philosophers." Read more

7 customers mention "Life span"4 positive3 negative

Customers have different views on life span. Some say it's not short, but we waste it. Others mention the book illustrates how to extend your allotted lifetime.

"...Life is not short, we just waste it. Good book to read and came undamaged" Read more

"...3. Present time is very brief, so brief, indeed, that to some there seems to be none;..." Read more

"...sweet philosophical book on exactly what the title says - the shortness of life. A big takeaway is that if you waste your time, life will be short...." Read more

"Shortness of life is classic time management--Seneca puts the vanity of life as the foremost reason we waste time and opportunities to do better." Read more

5 customers mention "Enlightened content"0 positive5 negative

Customers find the book's content unengaging and short. They feel it's not as enlightening as expected, with an uninteresting middle section and poor binding quality.

"The book is short only 60 pages, found it boring and thought it was going to be more insightful." Read more

"...I found the middle part to be uninteresting. But overall the insights are worth the read and price...." Read more

"The book is okay but not as enlightening as what I expected." Read more

"Great book, terrible binding..." Read more

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Max Seigel
For $7, definitely worth it. But the better question is, is it worth your time?
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2015
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I just started getting into reading philosophy and self help books. It's quite amazing how these people were so ahead of their time in terms of thinking. Seneca makes some great points. I like how he brings up the preoccupied people who are only concerned with the present, who don't realize how long they have until it's too late because they never realize how much time has passed and the uncertainty of the future. It's like pouring water in a cup with no bottom. How can you know how much water was poured when it isn't filling up but instead going right through the cup? At the same time, how do you know when the water will cease to flow? That's why it's so important to keep perspective of time. Don't just live in the moment. Understand the context of the moment. He stresses the importance of examining your past because it is solidified and unchangeable. There, you are able to observe those things you did well and those you didn't do well, so that you can make changes in the present to live a more productive and efficient life. He sums it up very astutely and simplistically with the little poem, "Life's finest day for wretched mortals here Is always first to flee."
I also liked the quote from page 27 when he says "we lose the day in waiting for the night and the night in fearing for the dawn." He is saying we are waiting for the perfect moment, or the moment of joy and pleasure. But in waiting we lose all the time preceding that moment. And as soon as the moment comes we fear it's end. It's a constant vicious cycle and we can never win.
Another great quote is on page 5 when he says "the greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today. Very powerful insight. It's like we're waiting and waiting and hoping whatever we want comes our way, but in doing that, we lose the time at hand. Plus, waiting and hoping something works out is putting your money on the future which is uncertain. That's why expecting something to happen is not enough, because you're betting on luck instead of making it happen through the action you take. As Abraham Lincoln said, "the best way to predict the future is to create it."
There are many great quotes but the last one I will share is on page 56 when he says "No man is despised by another unless he is first despised by himself. An object and debased mind is susceptible to such insult; but if a man stirs himself to face the worst of disasters and defeats the evils which overwhelm others, then he wears those very sorrows like a sacred badge. For we are naturally disposed to admire more than anything else the man who shows fortitude in adversity." I think what he's basically saying is that you need to love yourself before anyone else can love you. People will show you the amount of love in proportion to the amount of love you give yourself. The two quotes that come to mind that relate are "those who stand for nothing will fall for anything" and "if there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do no harm." If you conquer the worst of your fears, the same fears that destroys others, then you will take pride in the very thing that you feared, and people will admire and respect that you had the guts to face it, instead of chastising and scorning you. So you should feel no shame in your problems for they are the very thing that will earn you the admiration of others if you are able to conquer them, but more importantly, it will strengthen you and help you grow as a person. His other quote that piggy backs off that is "If a great man falls and remains great as he lies, people no more despise him than they stamp on a fallen temple, which the devout still warship as much as when it was standing." In other words, it's not about what happens to you or how you fall, but about how your react and carry yourself, and your character, that will resonate with others. Anyway these are just some examples of the bits of wisdom Seneca offers. Overall, there is some timeless wisdom in his essay and I believe it is worth your time to read it.

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Cameron
teach us how to live better lives. On the Shortness of Life is my ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2017
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I was first introduced to Seneca and Stoicism through the Philosophy Module as part of the curriculum for Praxis, a startup apprenticeship program. The entire module was such a refreshing take on philosophy since it was designed for entrepreneurial-minded young people and therefore emphasized learning philosophy in a practical manner. Once I discovered Seneca, I immediately sought out his content which led me to On the Shortness of Life, which I now try to pick back up at least once a year. Usually at the end of the year when I tend to be more reflective.

Philosophy is supposed to, more than anything else, teach us how to live better lives. On the Shortness of Life is my favorite introductory material to figuring out how to do just that.

The core takeaway is simple. Be mindful of and purposeful with your time.

Time is our most precious commodity and it is too easy to lose sight of it while we go through our daily routines of work, family, and social life plus all the little distractions that tend to fill up the day up. We become preoccupied with interpersonal drama and day-to-day stresses that our lives quickly go by and before you know it we end up old men with much regret.

Seneca's suggested fixes are 1. Awareness and 2. Acceptance.

We need to be aware of how we spend our time and ideally anticipate how best to spend it in the present and future. Again, most of us spend it unwisely as if it's more plentiful than it actually is.

Acceptance is key to how we think about death. We tend to avoid confronting the fact that we're going to die, which builds up a lot of anxiety about it. Seneca discusses how learning how to die is just as important as learning how to live. We die well by accepting the fact we're going to die and not hiding from it. This will naturally lead to a great appreciation for the time we have which will lead to taking more purposefully action instead of filling up the day with too much idle preoccupation.

There's plenty more to think through in the book. I highly recommend picking it up. I can't think of a person who could not benefit from reading it. I'll leave you with a few of my favorite quotes from it.

"Life is short, art is long."

"But you never deign to look at yourself or listen to yourself. So you have no reason to claim credit from anyone for those attentions, since you showed them not because you wanted someone else's company but because you could not bear your own."

"But learning how to live takes a whole life, and, which may surprise you more, it takes a whole life to learn how to die."

"Just as it is no use pouring any amount of liquid into a container without a bottom to catch and hold it, so it does not matter how much time we are given if there is nowhere for it to settle;"

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D. I. Ivanova
Best time-management book!
Reviewed in Canada on February 19, 2023
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If you have probs with procrastination you might find this book helpful.

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Jean Pablo Sciacca
An interesting, light, but not easy to read artwork
Reviewed in Spain on May 10, 2023
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I find this topic very interesting, and I appreciate greatly the work behind this works of art, pieces of knowledge that everybody should consider reading, to reinterpret and reflect upon life. It is quite a challenge for me, its unique old-fashioned writing style can make you read twice before comprehending, so I advice everyone to do it with an online dictionary in front of them, not only you are going to read a complete masterpiece that will make you question in what you aim for in life but among the journey you will discover new, enrichened vocabulary.

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Little problem with tracking but this company contacted me quickly, Thank You I Recommend this business.
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Reviewed in the Netherlands on April 6, 2023
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Good book but ordered a new version. This one is old English.

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A reader
Simply one of the most profound books I’ve ever read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 5, 2022
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Despite being written nearly 2000 years ago, Seneca feels as fresh and as relevant as any modern or recent philosopher, and a good deal more practical. Every page is studded with gems that defy expectation, and give the lie to any notions one might have about the ancients being somehow primitive (an easy intuition to fall into).

This is the book that, above all others, has marked, and continues to mark my life and thinking. Seneca is right, “the life we receive is not short, but we make it so, nor do we have any lack of it, but are wasteful of it”, and that many people are far too engrossed in others’ realities to do much of what one might truly call living.

Read this, and preferably while you are as young as possible, or else it will likely be painful when you do.

This is the best translation in my option, and the more modern ones lose some of the poetic beauty of his prose.

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Tu Papá
Buen libro
Reviewed in Mexico on November 11, 2018
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Excelente libro, exagero un poco en las historias pero creo que son parte de la lección que se busca dar

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5.0 out of 5 stars For $7, definitely worth it. But the better question is, is it worth your time?

5.0 out of 5 stars teach us how to live better lives. On the Shortness of Life is my ...

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Best time-management book!

5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting, light, but not easy to read artwork

4.0 out of 5 stars Goodbook

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply one of the most profound books I’ve ever read

5.0 out of 5 stars Buen libro

For $7, definitely worth it. But the better question is, is it worth your time?

teach us how to live better lives. On the Shortness of Life is my ...

Best time-management book!

An interesting, light, but not easy to read artwork

Goodbook

Simply one of the most profound books I’ve ever read

Buen libro