Letters from a Stoic
by Seneca · first published 2015
77% recommend21% neutral2% critical
Why HN recommends it
Approachable, directly worded letters on living well, mastering yourself and valuing time over money; often suggested as a starting point in Stoicism, easier to apply to modern life than Meditations.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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"People fright at the concept of losing their money, yet they slave away their time without a second thought." -Seneca the Younger, from Letters from a Stoic (highly recommended) I think slaving away doing something you hate is far more harmful than "wasting" time having fun. I get more out of playing hacky sack and/or listening to podcasts than any homework…
on “How to lose time and money” ↗…parse and is packed full of very practical knowledge. It is one hundred percent the place to start. Following that, read Seneca's letters to Lucilius, which are titled either Moral Letters to Lucilius or Letters from a Stoic. These are very straight forward teachings in very direct language. Beyond that there's a whole canon of writing. The only extant writing from Stoic philosophers are from Epictetus and Seneca. There…
on ““Study Death Always”: Seneca’s advice for living centered on dying” ↗Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Letters from a Stoic by Seneca. I guess you could say any book on Stoicism, really, as the others I would mention also fit that bill.
on “Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?” ↗Been asking myself this question for a while, and have found the following reading to be very enlightening: - Letters from a Stoic, Seneca - On the Shortness of Life, Seneca - Walden, Henry David Thoreau - Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
on “What Is a Minimally Good Life?” ↗…hefty tome (in the longer editions, I can't speak for the ~100-200 page versions) and incredibly repetitive, which is no surprise given it's essentially his personal journal. I'd much sooner recommend "Letters from a Stoic", a compilation of Seneca's letters to his friend Lucilius. It's much more conversational but still covers all the important ground of Stoicism.
on “So You Want to Study Philosophy” ↗Learn Stoicism. My favorite classic is Enchiridion by Epictetus and Letters from a Stoic by Seneca. For a more modern approach: The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Burkman PD:I compiled a list of quotes from the best books http://arandomquote.com/categories/stoic/
on “Ask HN: How do you guys develop mental toughness?” ↗I've seen Meditations being mentioned a lot on this thread but for me, 'letters from a stoic' (or 'moral letters to lucillius' ) by Seneca has been more approachable than Meditations.
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?” ↗As someone who successfully overcome depression, I would humbly suggest to read "letters from a stoic" by Seneca. After that you may think twice before taking some time off as a way of fighting you depression. You can also try to travel to places where people's living conditions are way below those you…
on “Ask HN: I am a depressed student, looking to travel + just be, please advice.” ↗Eh, a lot of it was kind of crappy stoner-speak and cosmic stipulations. You're better off reading Seneca - "Letters from a Stoic" is a good place to start.
on “The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius” ↗The Black Swan (anything by Taleb really), Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Letters from a Stoic by Seneca, Epictetus' Discourses, Fish that ate the whale by Rich Cohen, Man's Search for Meaning, Titan, Principles by Ray Dalio (not really a book, but really worth reading, plus it's free), 4HW by…
on “Ask: Read a book that changed your life? Title?” ↗"Letters from a Stoic" by Seneca "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins "Deep Work" by Cal Newport "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" by Jared Diamond
on “Ask HN: Which books do you wish you'd read earlier in life?” ↗…required, and that can be a large undertaking for some people. What that helped me: - Fitness (starting with simple yoga to learn appreciation for my body, then progressing with weights) - Stoicism, Letters from a Stoic Seneca, Meditations Marcus Aurelius - Committing to memory basic social skills and nuances, The Charisma Myth - Hypnosis and self affirmations Also I think I prefer "Onward" rather than "Suck it up".…
on “The outsize influence of middle-school friends” ↗If you’re just now finding your way to Seneca; I would recommend reading “Letters from a stoic”. Not terse, easy to pick up and read in parts unsequentially.
on “Life Is Short (2016)” ↗Here you go: For stoicism: - "Enchiridion" of Epictetus. - "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius (my personal favorite that I keep reading over and over). - "Letters from a stoic" from Seneca. It's not a lot of authors but they're pretty dense and should keep you busy for a long time. For buddhism, it's a very vast subject, but I'd start with: - "Siddhartha", this is a novel…
on “Ask HN: How do you deal with getting old and feeling lost?” ↗…The people who you've exceeded, who you have done better than. It's an important part of motivation that's often overlooked. (This and a bunch of other really excellent advice I got from Seneca in Letters from a Stoic.) Also, don't give up. You've only truly failed when you quit learning or give up.
on “Never mind talent: Practice, practice, practice” ↗