Seneca on finding joy in solitude

Compared to Ancient Greece and Rome, people nowadays can easily choose to be as lonely or as gregarious as they wish. Our ability to give shape to our lifestyle is much larger than in the times of Aristotle (384-322 BC) or Seneca. However, the benefits that we can draw from solitude have not changed through the centuries. I find Seneca’s observations in this respect particularly insightful. In his own life, Seneca went through periods of solitude and periods of gregariousness. Those periods were long, protracted, and overwhelming, in the sense that they were driven by forces over which Seneca had little control. We can benefit from Seneca’s sharp observations and advice because he made the effort to put them in writing. His essay “On the Happy Life” contains reflections on daily habits that contribute to our peace of mind. It does not refer to solitude, which is a theme handled in some Letters to Lucilius. Seneca regarded solitude as beneficial if we use it to raise our serenity and self-reliance. To a great extent, he affirmed, happiness is equivalent to self-sufficiency. If we learn to enjoy life on our own, without depending on other people for support or comfort, we’ll be able to experience joy every day. If we have friendly, loving individuals around us and they make our lives pleasant, great. If not, we’ll be able to enjoy our days anyway. In his 98th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca defines a happy person as someone who is not anxious about the future. Solitude, if we employ it wisely, allows us to increase our self-sufficiency and serenity, removing all worry, preoccupation and anxiety. As a practical illustration, Seneca points to the philosopher Stilbo, a contemporary of Aristotle. He recounts that Stilbo had grown immensely self-sufficient and serene through reflection. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/seneca-on-finding-joy-in-solitude/