Seneca was a very strong man. Reading his Letters to Lucilius is truly a transformative experience, even after reading them ten or twenty times. At different stages of life, the principles he discusses with his friend Lucilius become relevant in different ways.

Dealing with imaginary fears

The most helpful principle Seneca taught me appears early in his letters ( Letter 13 ) which deals with our imaginary fears and the Stoic exercise of premeditatio malorum, which is a complete method for dealing with fear, worry, and anxiety.

Let’s first clarify what we mean by fear. Sometimes, when we read about fear, it doesn’t feel relatable. We think: “Well, my life is kinda good. I don’t feel fear. I have no reason to be scared.” But if we look back on our lives, we realize that there are always small worries here and there, punctuating each day—blurry, unclear—combined with deeper anxieties about the future or different aspects of our lives. Career risks. Career choices. Relationships. Family conflicts. Physical symptoms. Financial risks. The fear of losing loved ones. Etcetera, etcetera.

Of course, we accept that it’s normal to carry some level of stress, and that we must “soldier on.” We think: “I’m a bit worried about X, Y, and Z, but I can’t let anxiety bring me down. I’ll push forward. I’ll choose to be happy for now. I’ll keep working on solutions, and things will clear up someday.”

That’s often the subconscious script we follow. The “normal” life path—where we don’t take time to reflect deeply on life as a whole.

But where does that “normal” path lead us?

Anxiety is a pandemic in the 21st century, especially post-COVID. And it’s going to keep spreading. In Canada and the US, anxiety is substantially more prevalent in Generation Z than in any of the past three generations.

Managing vs. transcending anxiety

What are the modern solutions? We hear about “stress management.” Relaxation techniques. Breathing exercises. Better time management. Psychotherapy. Medication. Are these the real solutions for fear?

Seneca offers a different approach.

What if the way to deal with fear is not just learning to “manage” it? What if we could eliminate most worries instead of accepting them? What if we could neutralize the causes instead of treating the symptoms?

Subtle, subconscious worries have already stolen too much of our lives. The way to freedom is through fear, not around it— that’s what Seneca taught me in Letter 13.

Fears: How they arise, how they grow

When you actually take time to sit with your fear, face it, and dissect it, here’s what you find:

1. Imagination: worry about a problem that won’t happen;
2. Exaggeration: worry about impacts that won’t be that significant;
3. Anticipation: worry about the arrival of a problem instead of using the present to find a solution—if it’s in your control—or letting go if it’s 0% under your control.

Investigate. Even if it seems likely that something bad is coming, that doesn’t mean it will. So many things we feared never happened. So many things we never saw coming hit us out of nowhere. So even if the worst is coming — why suffer early? When the pain comes, you’ll deal with it. In the meantime, give yourself a break. There’s no glory in living in fear. At best, you waste time. At worst, you make your life miserable for nothing. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 13

How to eliminate fears

But how do we truly neutralize fear?

After the dissection, we force ourselves to fully face it—and make peace with the worst possible outcome. That is the Stoic shortcut to freedom. That is premeditatio malorum, the “rehearsal of hardships." Here’s how Seneca puts it: “Imagine the worst-case scenario. Look it in the eye. And say: ‘Let’s see who wins.’ Maybe it even happens for you. Maybe the loss gives you dignity. Maybe death makes your life great.

That poison made Socrates legendary. That blade made Cato a symbol of liberty. Take away the blade from Cato, and you strip half his glory. Refine your courage. This is your path, brother—the path of Stoic mental toughness.”

Vale. Take good care, Stoic friends.

Philippe Belanger MD is a practicing physician with a passion for Stoicism. He is a translator of Stoic Classics, including the best-seller Seneca – Letters from a Stoic Master: Complete Letters to Lucilius Adapted for Modern Readers.

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