I have a simple way to assess the soundness of #philosophers and gurus. I just need to ask them one question: What is your formula for happiness? If they fail to give a convincing answer, I will immediately lose any interest in their doctrines. #seneca placed #peaceofmind at the centre of his philosophy. He considered serenity a top priority because it makes human beings immune to setbacks and disappointments. If we can achieve happiness, that’s great, but Seneca chose to focus on the worst case. In his lifetime, he had witnessed too much violence, arbitrariness and abuse. He knew that anyone, without any fault of his own, could be affected by disaster. It is easy to stay happy when things are going our way, but can we remain #balanced and effective in times of crisis? Can we keep a cool head when things are falling apart? Seneca’s formula for #happiness can be summarised in four words, namely: use your time optimally. In other words, if we make the best of each moment, we will automatically achieve the highest possible level of happiness. I find Seneca’s formula remarkably insightful because, in just a few words, it is condensing crucial teachings of ethics, psychology, ethics, epistemology and history. We can even put his formula to work in the field of business and investments. Seneca’s philosophical works, that is, his Letters to Lucilius and his essays, revolve around time management. What is the best course of action in times of crises? How should we react to failure and defeat? What habits should we embrace? In the 50th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca applies this principle to irritating situations. He asks himself, how should we deal with events and people that make us angry? Seneca gives a straightforward answer: refrain from harsh, automatic reactions because they will only make things worse. Instead, we should do something that helps us calm down and organise our thoughts. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/senecas-simple-formula-for-happiness/