Moral Letters

Moral Letters

This is a modern take on Seneca's Moral Letters to Lucilius. I use them as tools in the ongoing search for what it means to live a good life. Although Seneca's words have been mined for centuries, each generation keeps turning up gemstones. I seek to polish old stones to show them in a new light.
Dec
16
Forested mountainous region - Moral Letters to Lucilius

050 - On Those Who Will Not See - Moral Letters for Modern Times

Many people are the architects of their own misery, never realizing that with similar effort and much less worry they could just as easily be about the building of a personal paradise.
4 min read
Dec
13
Forested mountain in Swiss alps - Moral Letters to Lucilius

049 - On How All Things End - Moral Letters for Modern Times

Now I am aged myself, though I did not note time’s magic as it worked upon me. I woke up one day to see some potion had taken its effect, and wizened my face before I’ve managed to bring wisdom to my eyes.
4 min read
Dec
09
Bridge over rocky river - Moral Letters to Lucilius

048 - On Word Games And Worthy Matters - Moral Letters for Modern Times

People spend their time in want and worry, and their earnest efforts are destined to futility because they are working towards ends that can never make them happy. They want possessions, promotions, and power, and worry that what they have obtained will be taken from them.
3 min read
Dec
06
Path and hut in Swiss alps - Moral Letters to Lucilius

047 - On Bosses And Underlings - Moral Letters for Modern Times

It betrays real cruelty to knowingly treat another as beneath you simply because they serve you. But to do so out of ignorance of their inherent worth is an even worse offense to your own worth.
4 min read
Dec
02
Hiking path with Swiss alps - Moral Letters to Lucilius

046 - On Your New Blog - Moral Letters for Modern Times

Acquire new knowledge while thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher of others.
2 min read
Nov
29
Hiking path in Swiss alps - Moral Letters to Lucilius

045 - On Words And Meaning - Moral Letters for Modern Times

A gifted thinker turns words into more than words by adding meaning. This particular alchemy comes about when we go beyond the surface and address what is of lasting value.
3 min read
Nov
25
Rustic farmhouse in Swiss alps - Moral Letters to Lucilius

044 - On Class And Philosophy - Moral Letters for Modern Times

Philosophy holds out to us the exact same opportunity, regardless of birth, gender, class, or wealth. Truly the way is open to all.
3 min read
Nov
22
Meadows in Swiss alps - Moral Letters to Lucilius

043 - On Rumor And Fact - Moral Letters for Modern Times

When we look at others, our views of reality are shaded by the tint of our own minds: our prejudices, our fears, and our faults.
2 min read
Nov
18
Rocky path in Swiss alps - Moral Letters to Lucilius

042 - On The Meaning Of Life - Moral Letters for Modern Times

How do we find meaning? By learning to identify all those things that are meaningless, and serve only to weigh us down: public opinion and trends; fashion, fame, and fortune; anger, envy, and longing.
3 min read
Nov
15
Forest path in Swiss alps - Moral Letters to Lucilius

041 - On Looking Within - Moral Letters for Modern Times

For us to know the true worth of something, we must look beyond the packaging. And this takes time.
3 min read