Although #seneca (4 BC-65 AD) never developed a solidly integrated #philosophy of happiness, he did gain some insights that we can apply today. Those #insights are based on #commonsense and have been proven true by the experience of twenty one centuries. Seneca noted that low-key, down-to-earth individuals tend to be happier than ultra-ambitious, bombastic, aggressive ones. He underlined this point in his 67th Letter to Lucilius. His recommendation of #equanimity brings to our attention a major component of happiness. When Seneca mentions that Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis (95-46 BC) used to increase his stamina by walking barefoot in the snow, we should not take the recommendation literally. The anecdote should not prompt us to walk barefoot in the snow, but to accept that life is occasionally going to deliver us a bad hand. If we keep our expectations down-to-earth, we’ll react faster and more effectively. Let me nonetheless emphasise that coping effectively with adversity isn’t a synonym for happiness. It is a prerequisite, not a synonym. Seneca is not saying that Cato enjoyed walking on the snow barefoot, but that Cato would not complain if he had to do so for a little while due to adverse circumstances. Seneca gives numerous examples of individuals who made the best of their lives by adopting a down-to-earth attitude; one of my favourite examples is the Roman military officer Gaius Fabricius Luscinus, a contemporary of #zeno of Citium. We can find Fabricius’ example in Seneca’s 73rd Letter to Lucilius. Fabricius had adopted a #frugal lifestyle, eating simple food that he could cook himself. His low-key lifestyle had enabled him to withstand political pressures and refuse bribes. Despite those difficulties, he kept trudging ahead undisturbed. A lesser man would have broken down under the pressure or succumbed to the temptations. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/senecas-best-advice-on-happiness/