đď¸ Sundays with Seneca
Sundays with Seneca is a weekly series exploring the writings (and Stoic philosophy) of Lucius Annaeus Seneca. Each meditation delivers a contemporary interpretation of one of Senecaâs letters, accompanied by a reflection exercise. *** This series is exclusive to members.
Why We Struggle Against Ourselves
Letter 52, On Choosing Our Teachers
What is this force, Lucilius, that pulls us one way when we intend to go another? What drives us toward the very place we were trying to avoid?
Something inside us wrestles with our own will.
We cannot desire anything firmly or once and for all.
Our plans shift. Our resolutions dissolve. We move from one decision to another. Nothing we want seems steady, clear, or lasting.
You may say that this belongs to foolsâthat only the foolish are inconsistent. But tell me: how do we escape this condition? And when?
No one has enough strength to rise above this confusion entirely on his own. We need help. We need someone to steady us and pull us free.
Three Ways People Reach Wisdom
Epicurus once observed that people arrive at truth in different ways.
Some discover it entirely on their own. Their impulse comes from within. Without guides or teachers they carve their own path forward. These rare individuals deserve great praise.
Others cannot progress without guidance but will follow faithfully once someone leads the way. Metrodorus, one of Epicurusâ companions, belonged to this group. This type of student is also admirable, though not quite like the first.
As for us, Lucilius, we should be grateful if we belong to the second group. There is no shame in needing help. The simple desire to improveâto be saved from our own confusionâalready counts for much.
There is also a third kind of person. These people do not move forward even with guidance unless they are pushed along. They need encouragement, pressure, sometimes even force to keep them on the right path. Epicurus said that Hermarchus belonged to this group.
Interestingly, Epicurus said he felt the greatest respect for this third type. Both the second and third arrive at the same destination, but the one who begins with more difficulty deserves greater credit for overcoming it.
The Hidden Work of Character
Imagine two buildings equal in height and beauty. One stands on firm ground. Its construction is easy and straightforward.
The other must be built on unstable soil. The builders must dig deep, exhausting their strength just to reach solid rock before the real building can begin.
When we look at the finished structures, we see their equal height. But the greater laborâthe deeper struggleâremains hidden beneath the surface.
The same is true of human character.
