(독서) Daily Stoic-12월26일 LIFE IS LONG-IF YOU KNOW HOW TO USE IT

"The mind must be given relaxation-it will rise improved and sharper after a good break. Just as rich fields must not be forced- for they will quickly lose their fertility if never given a break-so constant work on the anvil will fracture the force of the mind. But it regains its powers if it is set free and relaxed for a while. Constant work gives rise to a certain kind of dullness and feebleness in the rational soul."-SENECA, ON TRANQUILITY OF MIND, 17.5 ("마음은 휴식을 가져야 합니다. 좋은 휴식 후에는 더욱 향상되고 예리해질 것입니다. 비옥한 들판도 강제로 경작하면 안 됩니다. 끊임없이 사용되면 비옥함을 빨리 잃을 것이기 때문입니다. 마찬가지로, 마음도 끊임없이 단련하면 힘이 약해지고 맙니다. 그러나 잠시 자유롭고 이완되면 다시 힘을 되찾습니다. 끊임없는 작업은 이성적인 영혼에 어떤 종류의 둔함과 약화를 가져옵니다."– 세네카, 『마음의 평정에 관하여』, 17.5)   One can't read Marcus Aurelius and Seneca and not be struck by the difference between these two radically different personalities. Each had his own strengths and weaknesses. Which would you rather have entrusted with the immense responsibility of an empire? Probably Marcus. But who would you rather be as a person? Probably Seneca.   One of the reasons is that Seneca seems to have had what we would now refer to as work/life balance. Whereas Marcus can read as though he's worn down and tired, ...

"You know what wine and liqueur tastes like. It makes no difference whether a hundred or a thousand bottles pass through your bladder-you are nothing more than a filter."-SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 77.16 ("당신은 와인과 독한 술이 어떤 맛인지 이미 알고 있습니다. 백 병이든 천 병이든 그것들이 당신의 방광을 지나가는 것은 아무런 차이가 없습니다. 당신은 단지 하나의 필터에 불과할 뿐입니다." - 세네카, 도덕적 서신, 77.16 )   Here ere we have another contemptuous expression, this time from Seneca, who, given his reputation for opulence, probably enjoyed a nice drink from time to ...

"You are afraid of dying. But, come now, how is this life of yours anything but death?"-SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 77.18 ("당신은 죽음을 두려워합니다. 하지만, 가만히 생각해보십시오. 지금의 당신의 삶이 죽음과 무엇이 다릅니까?"-세네카, 도덕적 편지 77.18)   Seneca tells an amazing story about an obscenely wealthy Roman Senec who was carried around by slaves on a litter. On one occasion, after being lifted out of a bath, the Roman asked, "Am I sitting down yet?" Seneca's point was essentially: What kind of sad ...

"For it's disgraceful for an old person, or one in sight of old age, to have only the knowledge carried in their notebooks. Zeno said this... what do you say? Cleanthes said that... what do you say? How long will you be compelled by the claims of another? Take charge and stake your own claim-something posterity will carry in its notebook."-SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 33.7 (“노년이 되었거나 노년이 가까운 사람이 자기 필기장에 적힌 지식만 가지고 있다면 그것은 수치스러운 일이다. 제노는 이렇게 말했다고 한다… 클레안테스는 저렇게 말했다고 한다… 그렇다면 당신은 무엇을 말할 것인가? 언제까지 남의 말에 의존할 것인가? 주도권을 잡고 당신만의 주장을 세워라. 후세 사람들이 그들의 필기장에 남길 그런 주장을 말이다.” - 세네카, 도덕 서한 33.7) Musing in his notebook ...

"Many times an old man has no other evidence besides his age to prove he has lived a long time."-SENECA, ON TRANQUILITY OF MIND, 3.8b (“많은 경우에, 나이 든 사람이 자신이 오래 살았다는 증거로 제시할 수 있는 것은 나이밖에 없다.”- 세네카, 《마음의 평정에 관하여》, 3.8b) How long have you been alive? Take the years, multiply them by 365, and then by 24. How many hours have you lived? What do you have to show for all of them? The answer for many people is: not enough. We had so many hours that we took them for granted. All we have to show for our time on this planet are rounds of golf, years spent at the office, time spent watching mediocre movies, a stack of mindless books we hardly remember reading, and maybe a garage full of toys. We're like the character in Ray- mond Chandler's The Long Goodbye: "Mostly, I just kill time," he says, "and it dies hard." One day, our hours will begin to run out. It would be nice ...