Dec 26, 2023
Seneca, On the Brevity of Life 1.3-4a, From Ryan Holliday’s book, “The Daily Stoic”.
“It’s not at all that we have too short a time to live, but that we squander a great deal of it. Life is long enough, and it’s given in sufficient measure to do many great things if we spend it well. But when it’s poured down the drain of luxury and neglect, when it’s employed to no good end, we’re finally driven to see that it has passed by before we even recognized it passing. And so it is—we don’t receive a short life, we make it so.“
My thoughts?
Humans are interesting because we get to choose who we can trust. Animals and insects make it simple, they either trust no one or they trust family. Occasionally they will let an outsider in, but only if the circumstances allow it.
Yet humans won’t always be rational. They choose based on looks and color. Then, if they overcome that, they look at religion. Then they break it down even more, if you’re the same religion, well, which part of the religion? Remember Irish Catholics and English Protestants killed each other? They had so much in common, yet they fought and killed each other. Same God, different beliefs.
Then, if the religion is the same, it goes down to the family or clan or tribe you’re from. We have learned to trust and hate based on that. Can we count on them or will they be just like their parents?
Then, even in families, brothers and sisters turn on each other.
Even based on sex, men and women think they can trust each other.
Wives, husbands, kids, cousins, aunts, and uncles find things to fight over, sometimes they hate each other.
In the end, life is short. Is it pride, prejudice, or stupidity? Maybe it’s all three.
Why are we like this? We blame religion, upbringing, education, and others. Sometimes we even blame ourselves.
Do we want to change? Not all of us, but some of us. I want to keep learning, improving, and becoming a better person.
Or do I? Sometimes I feel I can’t change or that I am good the way I am.
Is life short, or am I wasting my time?
Where do I begin and other’s influence end?
I think I can do better, but better at what?
All I can do is try and be open. I think that will be my goal going forward. To be tolerant, but not too tolerant, after all, we have values to live by. To help people, but try to be duped, because that has happened a lot in my life.
So here I am, doing the best that I can to be a good person.