"Nothing can be of such great benefit to you, in your quest for moderation in all things, that to frequently contemplate the brevity of one's life span, and its uncertainty. Whatever you undertake, cast your eyes on death." Accepting that death is an inevitable part of the process and preparing for the end of life (and that it could happen any time) is key.

I. Prepare yourself

"Life is granted with death as its limitation; it's the universal endpoint. To fear it is madness, since fear is for things we're unsure of; certainties are merely awaited." When we fear or worry about something, we are living through it twice. So, why fear something that's inevitable?

II. Have no fear

"There's only one way we can say that the life we live is long: if it's enough." "I look upon (my life) as though it could be my last." Don't delay the things you want to do when you retire or when you think you will have the time to do it. Live immediately.

III. Have no regrets

"Death is as near as it can be...The thing we call dying, the moment when the soul leaves the body, is too quick for the speed of its exit to be felt. You fear for so long that which takes only a short time!" Just being aware of how quick death is can help break the shackles of our fear.

IV. Set yourself free

"There is nothing that does not grow old...Whatever is, will no longer be; it won't die, but will be undone." "It is a great comfort that the earth too is mortal."

V. Become a part of the whole

Timeless wisdom on death and dying from the celebrated Stoic philosopher Seneca "It takes an entire lifetime to learn how to die," wrote the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD). He counseled readers to "study death always," and took his own advice, returning to the subject again and again in all his writings, yet he never treated it in a complete work. How to Die gathers in one volume, for the first time, Seneca's remarkable meditations on death and dying. Edited and translated by James S. Romm, How to Die reveals a provocative thinker and dazzling writer who speaks with a startling frankness about the need to accept death or even, under certain conditions, to seek it out. Seneca believed that life is only a journey toward death and that one must rehearse for death throughout life. Here, he tells us how to practice for death, how to die well, and how to understand the role of a good death in a good life. He stresses the universality of death, its importance as life's final rite of passage, and its ability to liberate us from pain, slavery, or political oppression. Featuring beautifully rendered new translations, How to Die also includes an enlightening introduction, notes, the original Latin texts, and an epilogue presenting Tacitus's description of Seneca's grim suicide.

philosophy

Philosophy

Timeless wisdom on death and dying from the celebrated Stoic philosopher Seneca"It takes an entire lifetime to learn how to die," wrote the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD). He counseled readers to "study death always," and took his own advice, returning to the subject again and again in all his writings, yet he never treated it in a complete work. How to Die gathers in one volume, for the first time, Seneca's remarkable meditations on death and dying. Edited and translated by James S. Romm, How to Die reveals a provocative thinker and dazzling writer who speaks with a startling frankness about the need to accept death or even, under certain conditions, to seek it out. Seneca believed that life is only a journey toward death and that one must rehearse for death throughout life. Here, he tells us how to practice for death, how to die well, and how to understand the role of a good death in a good life. He stresses the universality of death, its importance as life's final rite of passage, and its ability to liberate us from pain, slavery, or political oppression. Featuring beautifully rendered new translations, How to Die also includes an enlightening introduction, notes, the original Latin texts, and an epilogue presenting Tacitus's description of Seneca's grim suicide.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (often known simply as Seneca or Seneca the Younger); ca. 4 BC – 65 AD) was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero, who later forced him to commit suicide for alleged complicity in the Pisonian conspiracy to have him assassinated.

How to Die

I. Prepare yourself

II. Have no fear

III. Have no regrets

IV. Set yourself free

V. Become a part of the whole

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