Pleasure belongs to both good and bad people 

What are we to make of this: ‘Pleasure belongs to good and bad people alike. Bad people take as much delight in their shame as good people in noble things’? That’s why ancient people asked us to lead a noble life rather than a pleasurable one. Pleasure is a companion and not a guide of a right-thinking and honourable mind. Rather, nature should be our guide. Our reason should watch her and be advised by her. To live happily, then, is the same as living according to nature. What does this mean? I will explain. If we: 

• protect our body’s gifts and nature’s benefits carefully and fearlessly as though they are given to us only for a day and will be gone soon; 
• are not dominated by them; 
• do not become slaves to what is no part of our own being; and 
• consider all bodily pleasures and external delights the way we would think of auxiliaries and light armed troops in a camp, that is, make them our servants, not our masters; 

then and only then are they of value to our minds. 

Be balanced and not be defeated by external things 

Be balanced and not be defeated by external things. Respect only your self, feel confident in your spirit and order your life as to be ready for good or bad luck. Let not your confidence be without knowledge and your knowledge without commitment. Once you have decided, stand by it and do not erase your principles. Even though I don’t say it, you will be calm and collected in your appearance, high-minded and courteous in your actions. Let your senses encourage reason to look for the truth and draw its first principles from it. It has no other base or place from which it can pursue truth. It must fall back upon itself. 

Even god, the guide of the all-embracing universe, extends himself into external things, but returns to himself from all sides. Let our mind do the same thing. When it follows bodily senses, it has not sent itself into external things. Let it remain on its own and be its master. This way we will get the strength and ability, united and bound together. We shall derive from this that reason, which is never undecided between two opinions, is not dull in forming perceptions, beliefs or convictions. 

A mind attains the highest good when it orders itself 

Such a mind attains the highest good when it orders itself, makes its various parts in tune with one another, and harmonizes them. Nothing evil or dangerous is left, nothing to shake it or make it stumble. It will guide itself and nothing unexpected will happen to it. Whatever it does will turn out well, readily and easily without being deceitful. Slow and hesitating actions are signs of conflict and unclear purpose. 

You may then boldly say that the highest good is single-mindedness. Where agreement and unity are, there must the virtues be. It is the vices that are at war with one another. 

Think about this 

Be balanced and not be defeated by external things. Respect only your self, feel confident in your spirit, and order your life as to be ready for good or bad luck. 

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In the EIGHTH chapter of his discourse ON THE HAPPY LIFE, Seneca tells us that, to be happy, we should stop pursuing pleasure, but instead pursue virtue. This is an excerpt from Stoic Happiness, a plain English version of Seneca’s On the Happy Life, published by The Stoic Gym. https://amzn.to/2I0mbVW

 

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