Plain
Seneca — The Senator

You will see that you haven't really lived as many years as you can count. Look back and remember: How often did you stick to your plans? How many days went exactly as you wanted when you had control over them? How often did you stay calm and confident? How much real work have you actually accomplished in all this time? How many people have stolen pieces of your life without you even noticing? How much have you lost? How much time did you waste on pointless sadness, empty pleasures, desperate wants, or small talk? How little of your real self is left? When you add it all up, you'll realize you're dying before you've truly lived.

On the Shortness of Life, Section 3 11 of 87
Death & Mortality What Matters Most
Seneca — The Senator Original

you will see that you have not lived as many years as you count. Look back in your memory and see how often you have been consistent in your projects, how many days passed as you intended them to do when you were at your own disposal, how often you did not change colour and your spirit did not quail, how much work you have done in so long a time, how many people have without your knowledge stolen parts of your life from you, how much you have lost, how large a part has been taken up by useless grief, foolish gladness, greedy desire, or polite conversation; how little of yourself is left to you: you will then perceive that you will die prematurely."

On the Shortness of Life, Section 3 11 of 87
Seneca — The Senator

Let's pick one of the old men and say to him: "We see you've reached the very end of human life. You're a hundred years old, or maybe even older. Now sit down and add up your whole life. Tell us how much time you spent dealing with people you owed money to. How much time on your lover. How much time serving your king. How much time with your clients. How much time fighting with your wife. How much time managing your slaves. How much time running around the city on errands. Add in the diseases we bring on ourselves, and all the time that just sat there unused."

On the Shortness of Life, Section 3 10 of 87
Death & Mortality What Matters Most
Seneca — The Senator Original

Let us take one of the elders, and say to him, "We perceive that you have arrived at the extreme limits of human life: you are in your hundredth year, or even older. Come now, reckon up your whole life in black and white: tell us how much of your time has been spent upon your creditors, how much on your mistress, how much on your king, how much on your clients, how much in quarrelling with your wife, how much in keeping your slaves in order, how much in running up and down the city on business. Add to this the diseases which we bring upon us with our own hands, and the time which has laid idle without any use having been made of it;

On the Shortness of Life, Section 3 10 of 87
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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