Carpe Diem with Seneca: The Stoic Philosophy of Seizing the Day

Once upon a time, Seneca, a wise old Roman philosopher, had a message he felt was so vital that he penned it down for generations to come: Time is the most valuable thing you have; don’t squander it. It’s like an ever-flowing river, and once it passes, you can never get it back.

Seneca warned us, like a wise elder might, that people obsess over protecting their possessions, but carelessly let time slip through their fingers. If we saw a wealthy man throwing his money in the air, we’d think he’s gone mad. Yet, we’re all guilty of throwing away something even more precious: time.

It’s like we’re all preparing for some grand future, putting off happiness for “one day” when all the stars align. Seneca shakes his head at us, urging that the future isn’t guaranteed for anyone. Instead, live your life in the here and now. If you found a stream in the desert and didn’t know when it might run dry, wouldn’t you drink as much as you could? Seneca nudges us to do just the same with the present moment.

At the end of the day, what Seneca is really telling us is to make sure that when we do reach those later years, we don’t look back with regret. Life isn’t measured by the wrinkles on our skin or the whiteness of our hair, but how we used the time given to us. The message is clear: Stop preparing to…