Da tranquilidade da alma

by Seneca

El De tranquillitate animi (conocido en español con el título traducido de varias maneras: Sobre la tranquilidad del espíritu, De la serenidad del alma, Acerca de la tranquilidad del ánimo, etc.) es el séptimo de los diálogos de Lucio Anneo Séneca, que trata sobre la ataraxia.

La obra forma parte de una larga tradición de literatura filosófica sobre la ausencia de toda pena o turbación, desde Demócrito a los estoicos y de los epicúreos a Pirrón.

Consta de dos partes: "In sapientem non cadere injuriam" es la primera; la segunda es "De constantia sapientis".

Fue dedicado a Anneo Sereno, prefecto de la guardia nocturna de Nerón.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Classics, Self Help, Psychology, Essays, Ancient

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 60

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Catherine Vamianaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Περι της Πνευματικής Γαλήνης. Ενα καταπληκτικο βιβλίο του Σενέκα. Διαβάζοντας το μαθαίνουμε πως να παραμενουμε ήρεμοι σε όποιο εμπόδιο στεναχώρια εμφανιστεί και τρόπους διαχείρισης. Αναφερει" Στο πνευμα πρέπει να δίνεται η ευκαιρία για χαλάρωση"
Σε αλλο σημειο λεει "τα μεγαλύτερα επιτεύγματα του ανθρώπου έχουν δημιουργηθεί όταν ακριβώς εκείνος βρίσκεται σε απομόνωση ". Αξίζει να το διαβάσετε.

[Bloodhound_omega · Rating 5 out of 5]

A timeless jewel that descibes in non-scientific terms where the origins to many of mankind's troubles lie. A pholosphical approach for self-healing long before something like psycho-therapy was invented. Also it is somehow comforting to know that people already had trouble finding inner piece 100 AD and that it's not only a modern time dilemma. Several of Seneca's suggestions seems "too much" at first, like turning your back on cravings, the desire to get more and mostly to embrace death, but the other points are all helpful and valid and will surely improve one's lifestyle, once administered.

[Bogdan Raț · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Multe persoane ar fi putut ajunge la intelepciune, daca nu ar fi crezut ca au atins-o deja, daca nu s-ar fi prefacut a nu vedea in ei anumite trasaturi, sau daca nu ar fi trecut peste unele cu ochii inchisi."

"Trebuie sa ii acordam mintii un repaus: o data odihnita, mintea se va trezi mai buna si mai ascutita. Asa cum nu trebuie sa le dam porunci aspre campurilor fertile - pentru ca fertilitatea neintrerupta le va secatui imediat - tot la fel o incordare continua va frange mintea: daca este insa destinsa cat de putin si relaxata, isi va recapata fortele [...] o folosire prea mare ii va rapi mintii toata greutatea si toata forta: de fapt si somnul este necesar pentru refacere, dar daca il vei continua totusi zi si noapte, va fi moarte. Este o mare diferenta intre a destinde o coarda si a o desface de tot."

"Sunt mai respectati si mai aparati in fata dusmanilor cei care se predau cu armele in maini."

"Omul este mult prea muritor pentru a ajunge la cunoasterea lucrurilor nemuritoare."

"Virtutea care tinde spre o viata de tihna, fara actiune, reprezinta un bine imperfect si fara vlaga, care nu scoate la lumina niciodata ceea ce a invatat."

[Kirsten Gorter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Géweldig mooi werk van de Romeins schrijver en stoïcijns filosoof Seneca. (4 v. Chr.- 65 n. Chr.) Wát een wijsheden, voor mezelf én anderen. Ik heb met potlood een hoop onderstreept en een aantal foto’s gemaakt en naar vrienden gestuurd. Maar eigenlijk hoop ik dat ieder die mij hier volgt zichzelf dit boekje cadeau doet (en daarna ook aan een ander geeft of tipt) Dit zou iedereen moeten lezen! Het is in ieder geval een perfect cadeau voor mij, op deze 1 januari van 2024. 💫

[Edgar Trevizo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo malo del libro (aunque no es su culpa en absoluto, sino nuestra), es que ni memorizándolo podríamos aprender a vivir así, en este contexto que tanto nos exige, tanto nos seduce y fuerza a vivir exactamente en el sentido opuesto a lo que es efectivo para la tranquilidad del ánimo. Lo magnífico del libro (y esto sí le es atribuible), es que nos persuade a intentarlo.

[Annika Unterberger]

As I’m officially finished with school and am now free to do what I want with my time, I made it my mission to actually read the whole works which we had talked about in class whether it was German, English or Latin!

Yeah, somehow that made sense in my head… but whatever, next up is Of peace of mind.

There are a lot of self-help books out there. However, if there is one by Seneca, of course I will choose that one (even though, his technically is a philosophy book). And since Of peace of mind was published in the first century it’s basically the og.

Seneca was part of the philosophy group of the Stoic and their teaching concentrated itself around Apatheia through which they thought peace of mind could be obtained.

So, in Of peace of mind Seneca talks about how one can acquire Apatheia. He goes into all aspects of life and details every step. For example, you won’t find happiness by doing nothing all day long. However, burying yourself in mindless work will get you the same result. Overall, you have to find a middle ground.

As I said before, I am fascinated by Seneca as a person and his mind was (at times) simply genius, so I enjoyed Of peace of mind and found it helpful as well. At least it gets you thinking.

[Vaishali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wondering if the actual Latin treatise is as wonderfully sarcastic as this English translation :)

Quotes:
------

"Long acquaintance with both good and bad people leads one to esteem them all alike."

"I have to confess the greatest possible love of thrift. I do not care for... clothes brought out of a chest, or pressed under weights and made glossy by frequent manglings..."

"For food I do not want what needs whole troops of servants to prepare it and admire it... to be had in every part of the world... not likely to go out of the body by the same path by which it came in."

"I think of houses too, where one treads on precious stones, and where valuables lie about in every corner, where the very roof is brilliantly painted, and a whole nation attends and accompanies an inheritance on the road to ruin."

"I follow the advice of Zeno, Cleanthes, and Chrysippus, all of whom bid one take part in public affairs, though none of them ever did so himself."

"... A silent death is the least wretched."

"... Many men would have arrived at wisdom had they not believed themselves to have arrived there already..."

"An unhappy sloth favours the growth of envy, and men who cannot succeed themselves wish everyone else to be ruined."

"... The foul itch enjoys anything that scratches it."

"... Innocence is hardly safe among such furious ambitions."

"Often a man who is very old in years has nothing beyond his age by which he can prove that he has lived a long time."

"If I am not mistaken, it is a royal attribute among so many misers, sharpers, and robbers, to be the one man who cannot be injured."

"Look upon the universe: you will see the gods quite bare of property, and possessing nothing though they give everything. Do you think that this man who has stripped himself of all fortuitous accessories is a pauper, or one like to the immortal gods ?"

"We shall be pleased with this measure of wealth if we have previously taken pleasure in thrift..."

[July · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite inspiring and worth reading.

[Omer Karagoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

"... Birçoklarının yaşamı böyledir, sahte ve gösteriş için hazırlanmıştır; nitekim böyle biri için kendini sürekli gözetmesi eziyet vericidir zira alışılmışın dışında biri olarak yakalanmaktan korkar." (XVII)

Ritmini yakalaması biraz sürüyor, ama yakaladı mı hem insanın kendisiyle ilişkisi hem de ruhunun dinginliği için önemli çok güzel şeyler söylüyor.

Bu eserini ederim👌

[Prabidhik KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

thought-provoking philosophical piece addressing various aspects of human existence including acceptance of death, seeking moderation, taking short breaks and retreats, authentic living for a meaningful life, and guidance on achieving tranquility in the face of life's complexities

[João · Rating 2 out of 5]

De Tranquillitate Animi is a latin essay from the Imperial Period. The book, written by The Young, is addressed to Serenus, and it's about maintain yourself tranquil even when all the odds are against you. Today it could be considered as a self-help book (which are quite popular). Nothing deep here, all pretty obvious stuff (just as in all self-help books). Anyway, very interesting reading because of the historical and sociopolitical context (Nero's reign).
By the way, Nero will eventually order The Young to kill himself because of his paranoia that he was one of the conspirators during the attempt of coup-d'état. The Young ends up committing suicide, and dies among 40 others, who are also considered members of what is remembered today as the Pisonian conspiracy. This is all quite ironic, because during his life The Young also wrote 2 other essays titled De Brevitate Vitæ (On the shortness of life) and De Clementia (On Clemency; written to Nero on the need for clemency as a virtue in an emperor). Well, but Nero doesn't seem the guy to take advice, he probably burnt the second one (lol)... Those were really crazy times!

[Richard Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that I am done with Seneca. Last week I read On the Shortness of Life, and didn't think much of it, but thought that I'd give Seneca another chance with Of Peace of Mind. There wasn't a lot to disagree with here, but not a lot of deep insight either. I felt that Seneca was lecturing me, and that always gets my back up. I'd rather read something that I thought was horribly wrong, but that got me thinking, or something that was cryptic that I couldn't quite figure out. That would be more challenging and less irritating. Give me Plato or Kant, but no more of this Roman Stoic stuff.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there is nothing new or earth shattering in this paper (be mature & level headed), I have to say that L.A.S. is right up my alley. The translation I have by Aubrey Stewart reads like poetry. Beautiful.

[Ralph N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything stoicism will get 5 stars from me.

[Markus · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[David Lieffering · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toch handig om te lezen op een dag van winterse treinvertragingen.

[Denisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Când am nevoie să mă liniștesc citind, să simt că vorbesc cu un prieten care îmi vrea binele, Seneca e mereu acolo pentru mine.
Deși nu rezonez cu unele idei sau fapte, scrisorile lui ma îndeamnă la o viață liniștită.
Multe dintre sfaturile sale le cunoaștem deja, sunt chiar evidente dar o aducere aminte e bine venită. Uneori uit propriile mele principii si Seneca ma face sa zic “da măi, așa e, de ce ma stresez atât?” :))

Câteva dintre ideile care mi-au plăcut:
- “dragostea de moderație”, a găsi un echilibru în toate
- “a nu fi zdruncinat… o dorință apropiată divinității”
- “preferă să fie mort decât să trăiască ca un om mort”
- “orice efort trebuie sa aibă un scop”
- importanța încrederii in sine, a curajului, avem chiar și soluții pentru Burnout-ul modern “ înainte de toate, este nevoie ca un om să se cântărească pe sine însuși, pentru că de obicei ni se pare că suntem capabili de mai mult decât putem în realitate” etc
Un “influencer” al altor vremuri

[silvia]

Odium turbae sanabit solitudo, taedium solitudinis turba.

La solitudine guarirà l'insofferenza della folla, la folla la noia della solitudine.

[m. · Rating 4 out of 5]

«[...] Tendono con ogni mezzo al soddisfacimento dei loro desideri, e si addestrano e si costringono a obiettivi disonorevoli e ardui, e quando la loro fatica è priva di premio, li tormenta il disonore che non ha dato frutto, non si rammaricano di aver teso a obiettivi ingiusti, ma di averlo fatto invano. Allora li prende sia il pentimento di quello che hanno intrapreso sia il timore di intraprendere altro e s'insinua in loro quell'irrequietezza dell'animo che non trova vie d'uscita, poiché non possono né dominare i loro desideri né assecondarli, e l'irresolutezza di una vita che non riesce a realizzarsi e l'inerzia dell'animo che s'intorpidisce tra desideri frustrati.»


«Quello stato d'animo di quanti detestano il loro ozio, lamentano di non aver nulla da fare e la terribile invidia verso i successi altrui. Infatti l'inerzia infelice alimenta il livore e desiderano che tutti cadano in rovina, perché loro non hanno potuto progredire.»


«Se saprai richiamarti agli studi, fuggirai ogni forma di fastidio della vita e e non desidererai che venga la notte per noia della luce, non sarai di peso a te stesso né di troppo per gli altri; attrarrai molti nella tua amicizia e tutti i migliori verranno da te. Infatti la virtù non resta mai in incognito, per quanto nascosta, ma manda segni di sé: chiunque ne sarà degno la recupererà dalle tracce.»


«In qualsiasi genere di vita troverai divertimenti, distensioni e piaceri, se vorrai giudicare lievi i mali piuttosto di renderteli odiosi. [...] Occorre dunque assuefarsi alla propria condizione e lamentarsi il meno possibile di essa e afferrare tutto ciò di buono che ha intorno a sé: non c'è nulla di così aspro in cui un animo obiettivo non sappia trovare un conforto. [...] Usa la ragione di fronte alle difficoltà: le durezze possono addolcirsi, le strettoie allentarsi, le situazioni gravi opprimere di meno chi le sopporta con accortezza. I desideri non vanno indirizzati a obiettivi lontani, ma dobbiamo permettere loro uno sbocco vicino, dal momento che non sopportano di essere del tutto bloccati. [...] Non invidiamo quelli che stanno più in alto: quelle che sembravano vette si sono rivelate dirupi.»


«A questo dunque dobbiamo rivolgerci, a che tutti i vizi della gente ci sembrino non odiosi ma ridicoli e ad imitare piuttosto Democrito che Eraclito. Costui infatti, ogni volta che era stato in pubblico piangeva, quello invece rideva, a costui tutto ciò che facciamo sembravano disgrazie, a quello sciocchezze. Occorre dunque saper sdrammatizzare ogni cosa e sopportarla con animo indulgente: è più degno di un uomo ridere della vita che piangerne. Tuttavia è meglio accettare le abitudini comuni e i difetti umani serenamente senza cadere né nel riso né nelle lacrime; infatti tormentarsi per le disgrazie altrui significa infelicità infinita, provar piacere delle disgrazie altrui un piacere disumano, così come quell'inutile atto di compassione che è piangere perché qualcuno porta a seppellire il figlio, e adattare a questa circostanza la propria espressione. Anche nelle proprie disgrazie occorre comportarsi in modo da concedere al dolore solo quanto la natura richiede, non quanto le convenzioni; molti infatti versano lacrime per ostentazione e hanno gli occhi asciutti ogni volta che manca il pubblico, poiché giudicano vergognoso non piangere quando lo fanno tutti: tanto profondamente si è consolidato questo vizio, quello di dipendere dall'opinione altrui, che diventa finzione anche un sentimento tra i più naturali, il dolore.»


«Se tu ti affatichi a darti una posa e non ti mostri a nessuno nella tua schiettezza, così come fanno molti, la cui vita è finta e costruita per l'esibizione; infatti è fonte di tormento la continua osservazione di se stessi, e alimenta il timore di essere scoperti diversi da come si è soliti presentarsi. Né mai ci liberiamo dall'ansietà, se pensiamo di essere giudicati ogni volta che siamo guardati; infatti, da una parte accadono molte cose che contro la nostra volontà ci mettono a nudo, dall'altra, per quanto abbia successo tanta cura di sé, tuttavia non è piacevole o sicura una vita che si nasconde sempre sotto la maschera. Al contrario, quanto piacere possiede quella schiettezza sincera e di per sé priva di ornamenti, che non si serve di nulla per coprire la propria indole!»


«[...] Una volta che ha disprezzato le cose usuali e comuni e per divina ispirazione si è elevata più in alto, allora infine suole cantare qualcosa di più grande delle capacità umane. Non può attingere qualcosa di sublime e di elevato finché rimane in sé: è necessario si stacchi dal consueto e scarti verso l'alto e morda i freni e trascini il suo auriga e lo conduca là dove da solo avrebbe avuto paura di salire.»

[Mingus Kramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seneca weet what is up

[Aukje · Rating 3 out of 5]

Levensadviezen van Seneca die vaak verrassend modern zijn. Zijn essay zou tegenwoordig als een zelfhulpboek worden beschouwd; bijzonder als je bedenkt dat dit werk al zo oud is, maar zijn wijsheden nog altijd actueel zijn.

[Sotiris Makrygiannis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im a Platonist, thus romantic; stoics are a bit too rational and cynical for my taste, but anyhow they do offer wisdom. What did I learn from Peace of Mind by Seneca?

Rich and poor are equal when it comes to pain and misery; it's of different forms.
That blessed is the one that has lost it all becouse he has nothing more to lose; thus, why worry? :)

Yes, Stoics have a bit of British wit hidden in their saying, but the best advice from Seneca was to conserve energy and be frugal. That life best lived is of servitude, giving to others and serving them. There also lies the secret of leadership, to lift others so they can lift you. Works oppositely, of course, but then it is not called leadership but something else.

Life is not a marathon; the runner dies at the end, and it is not even a sprint, so think carefully about what Seneca said about conserving energy and applying it daily for long life.

[Fală Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nu sunt totalmente pentru stoicism, dar pe Seneca îl citesc cu mare plăcere, și l-aș fi ascultat cu mare drag, cine mă aruncă în timp cu trei milenii în urmă? Ham?!
Un text extrem de bine selectat, foarte frumoase gânduri, de citit și meditat - citit și meditat.
Și o ediție atât de frumoasă, că îți vine să rupi fiecare a treia pagină și să le pui în rame pe perete, pentru că pe fiecare a treia pagină (pe unde și mai des) sunt niște schițe atât de profunde, atât de bine gândite, talentate... pentru ele le mulțumesc celor ce au lucrat la ea, le mulțumesc sincer .
Și ție Seneca, și ție îți mulțumesc frăieraș, și ție omule frumos.

[Mirela · Rating 3 out of 5]

C'est un classique de la pensée stoïcienne, je suis pas forcément d'accord avec la morale stoïcienne mais je trouve assez intéressante l'idée que l'homme sera toujours déchiré entre le désir de plaisir et la culpabilité provoqué par ce désir et que seule la participation dans les affaires de l'Etat peut rendre cet ame humaine tourmentée tranquille.
Aussi j'ai trouvé assez rigolo le fait que d'apr!s Sénèque, un homme modeste n'a que deux esclaves :)
Le livre est toujours intéressant de point de vue socio-historique. C'est aussi un incontournable de l'histoire de la philosophie

[Piuma D'Acciaio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Che dire se non che siamo in presenza di un capolavoro, sono quasi (altrimenti non scriverei questo commento 😋 ) senza parole: beato chi allora "praticava", o meglio sottolineo il poteva permettersi, l'otium studiorum a proprio piacimento con vitto e alloggio garantito, io direi Seneca precettore di imperatori a gogò ☮️👍😋😉😎😄

[Michele]

Un giorno colmerò questa mia grande lacuna nella filosofia e la sua storia.
Btw Seneca un grande, é un po' fissato con la virtù, ma ci sta considerando la sua corrente.
Bellissima soprattutto la lettera iniziale di Sereno, quanto può essere attuale una sensazione di venti secoli fa.
Libro consigliato da Margherita Lerda. Grazie.

[Raquel Bastos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very straight-to-the-point slap in your face. Seneca brings diverse sensibility whilst addressing the conditions of the mind. It is filled with easy analogies that simply just say it all. No words for this book, incredible!

[Malola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good enough.

It was interesting enough (not particularly 'deep'). Especially if you're into classics or philosophy.
The concept of euthymia is worth revising.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kontentan är: för att må bra ska man göra vardagen moralisk. Valet av lunch är moral: ät det som är praktiskt och billigt - att begära krånglig och dyr mat är dumt. Varje timme är moral: gör något som utvecklar och som du kan göra utan att lida. Ta tag i livet, var ambitiös i allt du gör, och lär dig begära att vara mer dygdig

Några citat att spara

"WHEN I examine myself, Seneca, some vices appear on the surface, and so that I can lay my hands upon them, while others are less distinct and harder to reach, and some are not always present, but recur at intervals: and these I should call the most troublesome, being like a roving enemy that assails one when he sees his opportunity, and who will neither let one stand on one's guard as in war, nor yet take one's rest without fear as in peace."


“apply yourself to something which you can finish, or at any rate can hope to finish.”
“no good is done by forcing one’s mind to engage in uncongenial work: it is vain to struggle against Nature.”
“one is never so cut off from all pursuits as to find no room left for honourable action.”

Alltså: varje ögonblick finns något produktivt att göra som är i samklang med ditt sinnestillstånd, något som inte är en börda. T.ex. i detta ögonblick är det ingen börda för mig att läsa Seneca det krävs dock mental närvaro och övning för att finna det som passar stunden.

Romare vill inte vara snälla utan användbara: " would obtain office and become consul, not because the purple robe and lictor's axes attract me, but in order that I may be able to be of use to my friends, my relatives, to all my countrymen, and indeed to all mankind."

Kognitiv mångfald: "at times we ought to drink even to intoxication, not so as to drown, but merely to dip ourselves in wine: for wine washes away troubles and dislodges them from the depths of the mind, and acts as a remedy to sorrow as it does to some diseases.”

"As, therefore, in times of pestilence we have to be careful not to sit near people who are infected and in whom the disease is raging, because by so doing, we shall run into danger and catch the plague from their very breath; so, too, in choosing our friends' dispositions, we must take care to select those who are as far as may be unspotted by the world; for the way to breed disease is to mix what is sound with what is rotten." Gör någon i världen på detta vis?

[Ryan]

This short read is an insight in the practical effects of Stoic philosophy. It encourages a detachment from all the anxieties of life (anxieties that sound awfully similar to our modern problems). The solution seems to be an indifferent involvement with the ebbs and flows of the world and society, a neutral moderation of emotions, and a retreating into one’s thinking life. I’m not so convinced this is a good solution, but it is oddly comforting to know the problems of anxiety are nothing new.