Seneca
Archetype: Ascetic of Destiny
c. 4 BC to 65 · Rome, Roman Empire
“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it.”
Do you think like Seneca? Answer 44 to 132 statements and find out who, among 130 thinkers, has the way of thinking closest to yours.
Who was Seneca
Born in Córdoba, in Hispania, Seneca was a writer, senator and adviser to Emperor Nero, who eventually ordered his death. In letters and essays, he spoke in practical terms about anger, grief, time and death. He is one of the most widely read Stoic authors today, precisely because he deals with everyday problems.
Core ideas
- Life is not short: we are the ones who waste much of our time
- We should prepare for adversity by imagining it before it happens
- Wealth is not an evil, as long as the sage does not depend on it
The tradition: Stoic
A Stoic seeks to live according to reason and nature, accepting what is not up to us. Seneca represents Roman Stoicism turned toward practical life.
In the same tradition: Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius
Learn more: Wikipedia
Books by Seneca
Three ways in. Start with the first.
Where Seneca stands on the 11 axes
Each axis runs from the first pole (−1) to the second (+1). These are the positions the test compares with your answers.
