Reading Response:

Thesis:
Seneca gives his friend practical advice, based on his philosophy of stoicism, on how to
achieve peace of mind (tranquillity) through a letter citing many examples and methods.

Insight:
What I found interesting was that some of his advice - such as pursuing activities that we
enjoy and suit our character and not being too attached to materialistic things - can be quite
relevant for many people today who get so caught up in chasing financial excellence to
impress others.

Question:
A question that I would ask Seneca would be: Don’t you think that people can learn more
about how to manage emotions to achieve tranquillity when they go through emotional
distress in bad situations rather than to learn to not be emotionally affected in these
circumstances?

Dialogues & Letters: On Tranquillity of Mind

Seneca receives a letter from his friend Serenus asking for advice as his mind is not at
peace.

Serenus’ letter to Seneca:

Serenus writes that there are some deeper issues (that he cannot control) that are causing
his mind to not be at peace. He feels that his judgement about his affairs is biased as he
takes a “too intimate view” of his own characteristics. He uses a metaphor to describe his
situation: “I am not harried (harassed) by a tempest (storm) but by sea-sickness.” He ends
by asking Seneca to root out his evil and help him.

Seneca’s Reply:

Introduction:
Seneca starts off by assuring Serenus that what he is after is a state that he calls
tranquillity (peace of mind) - when the mind can remain peaceful with no ups and downs.
He then gives examples of men who do not achieve tranquillity of mind: some form
fickleness, some from dullness living because of inertia, and lastly those who try to beat their
fickleness by travelling far and wide (only to bring their problems with them). The introduction
ends by suggesting that we think about what we do and why so we don’t end up feeling sick
of life.

Advice on how to achieve tranquillity of mind:

First advice against boredom he gets from Athenodorus: to occupy oneself with political
involvement and civic duties. That is because to be of service to the nation and to others is
both to be occupied with an activity and to do good at the same time. He also says that one
should retire slowly, holding on to their standards and honour.

He then says that we should appraise ourselves (know our limitations and strengths) and
only commit to tasks that we “can finish, or at least hope to finish”. We must also be careful
when choosing people, “deciding whether they are worth devoting part of our lives to them,
whether the sacrifice of our time makes a difference to them”. Furthermore, we should
consider whether we are suited for “physical activity or quiet study” and pursue activities that
we enjoy instead of labouring “in vain against nature’s desposition”.

Next, he gives his opinion on private possessions, “the greatest source of human misery”.
His point here is to not be attached to material goods, and to reduce the amounts of our
possessions to reduce the likelihood that we get too attached to them. He warns Serenus
that both the poor and the rich suffer equally when experiencing the loss of money.

He then gives advice on how to adjust to new situations: everything happens for a reason
and we should not be too emotionally affected; look at the good in bad situations rather than
to hate them.

Don’t do anything just for the sake of doing something. Whatever we do, it is safest not to
tempt Fortune, but “keep her always in mind and trust her in nothing”. Always expect
obstacles when setting a goal so you can cope with distress more easily: “I shall set sail
unless something happens; My business will be successful unless something interferes”.