Seneca

14. How not be bullied ?

/ StoicTaoist (Always Be Confident) / Leave a comment

Be wise & shun those who might hurt you, You must not seen to be avoiding them; as what one avoids, one condemns; When we choose not to stamp others down, we let them think that they can stomp us.

The wise ones regard reason for all their actions, though not the results; The beginning is in our own power; fortune decides the issue.

On Reasons for Withdrawing from the World

I confess that we all have an inborn affection for our body; I confess that we are entrusted with its guardianship.

I do not maintain that the body is not to be indulged at all; though I maintain that we must not be slaves to it; One will have many rulers who makes their body it’s ruler, who is over-fearful on its behalf, who judges everything according to the body.

We should conduct ourselves not as if we ought to live for the body, but as if we could not live without it; Our great love for it makes us restless with fears, burdens us with cares, & exposes us to insults.

Virtue is held too cheap by those who counts their body too dear; We should cherish the body with greatest care; but we should also be prepared, when reason, & duty demand sacrifice, to deliver it to the flames.

Let us however, in so far as we can, avoid discomforts as well as dangers, & withdraw to safe ground, by thinking continually how we may repel all objects of fear.

If I am not mistaken, there are three main classes of these: we fear want, we fear sickness, & we fear troubles which result from violence of the stronger.

Of all these, that which shakes us most is the dread which hangs over us from our neighbour’s ascendancy; for it is accompanied by great outcry & uproar.

Natural evils which I have mentioned, – want & sickness, – steal upon us silently with no shock of terror to eye or to ear; The other kind of evil comes, so to speak, in the form of a huge parade.

Picture to yourself under this head, the prison, the cross, the rack & the stake which they drive straight through a person until it protrudes from their throat; Think of human limbs torn apart by chariots driven in opposite directions.

It is not surprising then, if our greatest terror is of such a fate; for it comes in many shapes & its paraphernalia are terrifying; For just as the torturer accomplishes more in proportion to the number of instruments which it displays, – indeed, the spectacle overcomes those who would have patiently withstood the suffering, – similarly, of all agencies which coerce & rule our minds, most effective are those which can make a display.

Those other troubles are of course not less serious; I mean hunger, thirst & fever that parches our very bowels; They are, however, secret; they have no bluster & no heralding; but these, like huge arrays of war, prevail by virtue of their display & their equipment.

Let us therefore, see to it that we abstain from giving offence; It is sometimes, people that we ought to fear; or sometimes a body of influential oligarchs; & sometimes individuals equipped with power by the people & against the people.

It is burdensome to keep friendship of all such persons; it is enough not to make enemies of them; So the wise ones will never provoke anger of those in power; nay, they will even turn their course, precisely as one would turn from a storm if they were steering a ship.

When you crossed the Straits, The reckless pilot scorned the wind which roughens the Sea & forces it into choppy currents; the pilot sought not the shore on the left, but strand hard by the place where Charybdis throws the seas into confusion.

Your more careful pilot, however, questions those who know the locality as to tides & meaning of clouds; the pilot holds its course far from that region notorious for its swirling waters.

Our wise ones does the same; they shun a strong person who may be injurious to them, making a point of not seeming to avoid them, because an important part of one’s safety lies in not seeking safety openly; for what one avoids, one condemns.

We should therefore look about us, & see how we may protect ourselves from the mob; First of all, we should have no cravings like theirs; for rivalry results in strife.

Again, let us possess nothing that can be snatched from us to great profit of a plotting foe; Let there be as little booty as possible on your person; No one sets out to shed blood of others for the sake of bloodshed, – at any rate very few.

Next, we must follow the old adage & avoid three things with special care: hatred, jealousy, & scorn. Wisdom alone can show you how this may be done.

It is hard to observe a mean; we must be chary of letting fear of jealousy lead us into becoming objects of scorn, lest, when we choose not to stamp others down, we let them think that they can stomp us.

Power to inspire fear has caused many to be in fear; Let us withdraw ourselves in every way; for it is as harmful to be scorned as to be admired.

For speechmaking at the bar, or any other pursuit that claims people’s attention, wins enemies for oneself; but philosophy is peaceful & minds its own business; We cannot scorn it; it is honoured by every profession, even vilest among them.

Evil can never grow so strong, & nobility of character can never be so plotted against, that the name of philosophy shall cease to be worshipful & sacred.

Philosophy itself, however, should be practised with calmness & moderation.

It is not now a question of freedom; long since has freedom gone to rack & ruin; Question not, whether it is Caesar or Pompey who controls the State, why, should you take sides in that dispute?, It is no business of yours; a tyrant is being selected; What does it concern you who conquers?, The better person may win; but the winner is bound to be the worse person.”

However, we shall consider later whether the wise persons ought to give their attention to politics; meanwhile, I beg you to consider those Stoics who, shut out from public life, have withdrawn into privacy for purpose of improving peoples existence & framing laws for human race without incurring displeasure of those in power.

The wise ones will not upset customs of people, nor will it invite attention of the populace by any novel ways of living.

“What then?, Can one who follows out this plan be safe in any case?”, I cannot guarantee you this any more than I can guarantee good health in the case of a person who observes moderation; although, as a matter of fact, good health results from such moderation.

Sometimes a vessel perishes in harbour; but what do you think happens on the open sea?, how much more beset with danger that people would be, who even in their leisure is not secure, if they were busily working at many things!

Innocent people sometimes perish; who would deny that?, although the guilty perish more frequently.

Finally, the wise ones regards reason for all their actions, but not the results.

The beginning is in our own power; fortune decides the issue, yet I do not allow it to pass sentence upon myself; You may say: “But it can inflict a measure of suffering & of trouble.”

Golden indeed will be the gift with which I shall load you; &, in as much as we have mentioned gold, let me tell you how its use & enjoyment may bring you greater pleasure; “One who needs riches least, enjoys riches most.”

One who craves riches feels fear on their account, No one, however, enjoys a blessing that brings anxiety; one is always trying to add a little more, While one puzzles over increasing their wealth, one forgets how to use it, those that collect their accounts, & turns over their ledger, – in short,

One ceases to be master & becomes a steward.

Farewell.

Seneca, StoicTaoist.

13. Why we suffer Fear !

/ StoicTaoist (Always Be Confident) / Leave a comment

The touchstone of a true spirit; must be tested & as often as they fall, rises again with greater strength; For boldness, gains much strength by being challenged.

We suffer more often in imagination than in reality; It is likely that some troubles will befall us; Even bad fortune is fickle, perhaps it will come, perhaps not; in the meantime it is not; So look forward to better things.

On Groundless Fears

For our powers can never inspire in us implicit faith in ourselves, except when many difficulties have confronted us, & have occasionally, even come to close quarters with us.

It is only in this way that the true spirit can be tested, – the spirit that will never consent to come under the jurisdiction of things, external to ourselves.

This is the touchstone of such a spirit; no prizefighter can go with high spirits into strife, if they have never been beaten black & blue; the only contestant who can confidently enter the lists, is the person who has seen their own blood, who has felt their teeth rattle beneath their opponent’s fist, who has been tripped & felt the full force, of their adversary’s charge, who has been downed in body, but not in spirit, one who as often as they fall, rises again with greater defiance than ever.

Fortune has often in the past got the upper hand of you, & yet you have not surrendered, but have leaped up & stood your ground still more eagerly.

For boldness, gains much strength by being challenged; nevertheless, if you approve, allow me to offer some additional safeguards by which you may fortify yourself.

There are more things, Lucilius, likely to frighten us than there are to crush us;

we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.

What I advise you to do is, not to be unhappy before the crisis comes; since it may be that the dangers before which you paled, as if they were threatening you will never come upon you; they certainly have not yet come.

Accordingly, some things torment us more than they ought; some torment us before they ought; & some torment us when they ought not to torment us at all; We are in the habit of exaggerating, or imagining, or anticipating sorrow.

Do me the favour, when people surround you, & try to talk you into believing that you are unhappy, to consider not what you hear, but what you yourself feel, & to take counsel with your feelings & question yourself independently, because you know your own affairs, better than anyone else does.

Ask: “Is there any reason why, these persons should condole with me?, Why should they be worried, or even fear some infection from me, as if troubles could be transmitted?, Is there any evil involved, or is it a matter merely of ill report, rather than an evil?”

Put the question voluntarily to yourself: “Am I tormented, without sufficient reason, am I morose, & do I convert what is not an evil, into what is an evil?”

You may retort with the question: “How am I to know whether my sufferings, are real or imaginary?”

Here is the rule for such matters: We are tormented either by things present, or by things to come, or by both.

As to things present, the decision is easy; Suppose that you enjoy freedom & health, & that you do not suffer from any external injury.

As to what may happen to it in the future, we shall see later on; To-day there is nothing wrong with it.

You say, “something will happen to it.”, First of all, consider whether your proofs, of future trouble are sure.

For it is more often the case, that we are troubled by our apprehensions, & that we are mocked by that mocker, rumour, which is wont to settle wars, but much more often settles individuals.

Yes, my dear Lucilius; we agree too quickly with what people say.

We do not put to the test those things which cause our fear; we do not examine into them; we blench & retreat just like soldiers, who are forced to abandon their camp, because of a dust-cloud raised by stampeding cattle, or are thrown into a panic, by the spreading of some unauthenticated rumour, & somehow or other, it is the idle report that disturbs us most.

For truth has its own definite boundaries, but that which arises from uncertainty, is delivered over to guesswork, & the irresponsible license, of a frightened mind.

That is why no fear, is so ruinous, & so uncontrollable, as panic fear; For other fears are groundless, but this fear, is witless.

Let us then look carefully into the matter; It is likely, that some troubles, will befall us; but it is not, a present fact.

How often has, the unexpected happened!, How often has, the expected never come to pass!

Even though it is ordained to be, what does it avail to run out to meet your suffering?

You will suffer soon enough, when it arrives; so look forward meanwhile to better things.

What shall you gain by doing this? Time.

There will be many happenings meanwhile, which will serve to postpone, or end or pass on to another person, the trials which are near or even in your very presence.

Even bad fortune is fickle;

Perhaps it will come, perhaps not; in the meantime it is not;

So look forward to better things.

The mind at times fashions for itself, false shapes of evil, when there are no signs that point to any evil; it twists into the worst construction, some word of doubtful meaning; or it fancies some personal grudge, to be more serious than it really is, considering not how angry the enemy is, but to what lengths, they may go, if they be angry.

Life is not worth living, & there is no limit to our sorrows, if we indulge our fears to the greatest possible extent; in this matter, let prudence help you, & contemn with a resolute spirit even when it is in plain sight.

If you cannot do this, counter one weakness, with another, & temper your fear, with hope.

Accordingly, weigh carefully your hopes, as well as your fears, & whenever all the elements are in doubt, decide in your own favour; believe what you prefer.

If fear wins a majority of the votes, incline in the other direction anyhow, & cease to harass your soul, reflecting continually, that most mortals even when no troubles, are actually at hand or are certainly to be expected, in the future, become excited & disquieted.

We let ourselves drift, with every breeze; we are frightened, at uncertainties, just as if they were certain.

We observe no moderation; The slightest thing turns the scales, & throws us forthwith into a panic.

Let another say: “Perhaps the worst, will not happen.”

You, yourself, must say: “Well, what if it does happen?

Let us see who wins!, Perhaps it happens for my best interests; it may be that such a death will shed credit, upon my life.”

Now, to close my letter, I have only to stamp the usual seal upon it, in other words, to commit thereto some noble message to be delivered to you:

“The fool, with all his other faults, has this also,

– he is always getting ready to live.”

Reflect, my esteemed Lucilius, what this saying means, & you will see how revolting is the fickleness of people, who lay down every day, new foundations of life, & begin to build up fresh hopes, even at the brink of the grave.

Look within your own mind, for individual instances; you will think of old men who are preparing themselves, at that very hour, for a political career, or for travel, or for business.

What is baser, than getting ready to live, when you are already, old?

Farewell.

Seneca, StoicTaoist.