Seneca on the meaning of life

I find it unfortunate that most people will only inquire about the #meaningoflife when they are out of time. After making all sorts of mistakes and finding oneself in lethal danger, it doesn’t make a lot of difference whether you know the meaning of life. When the time is over, it is too late for thoughtfulness. #seneca didn’t wait until the last minute to ask about the meaning of life. In fact, he did something worse: He pretended that the last minute had arrived and then rationalised that acceptance is the equivalent of wisdom. Let me illustrate Seneca’s philosophy with an example from the 14th century: John VI Kantakouzenos, a Byzantine emperor. During his period as emperor, his interest in #philosophy did not go beyond reciting the pieties of the Orthodox Church. He was too busy enjoying his power and his lavish lifestyle. Eventually, his rule came abruptly to an end in 1347, when he was forced to abdicate in favour of John V Palaiologos. The #lifeexpectancy of deposed Byzantine emperors was very short. Normally, they were executed right away by the new emperor, or blinded and maimed, left to die slowly in darkness. When John VI Kantakouzenos saw that his life was about to end, he made a proposal to the new emperor. Instead of being executed, John VI Kantakouzenos declared his willingness to become a monk and retire to a secluded monastery for the rest of his life. The new emperor hesitated before accepting the proposal. If he allowed John VI Kantakouzenos to stay alive, he might face a revolt later on. It would not be the first time for a Byzantine emperor to return from exile and kill his successor. However, after giving some thought to the matter, the new emperor accepted the proposal from John VI Kantakouzenos. The only prerequisite was that John VI Kantakouzenos would have to make a solemn promise to stay in the monastery for the rest of his life, and never again engage in politics. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/seneca-on-the-meaning-of-life/