I am sceptical of remedies that cure all types of sickness; and when it comes to #philosophy , I’m sceptical of prescriptions that can assuage profound suffering. In the case of #seneca , #resilience was the universal prescription. What did Seneca get wrong about resilience? Is it not true that resilience can help anyone deal with #setbacks and reduce suffering? If thousands of individuals have embraced resilience across the centuries, how do I dare criticise its #effectiveness ? Indeed, many positive things can be said about resilience. It can help people deal with illness, #disappointment and setbacks, but my point is that resilience is not enough. I must clarify that the fact that Seneca placed resilience at the centre of his philosophy does not mean that life is a valley of tears. It does not mean that we cannot achieve #happiness nor that all joyful experiences will inevitably end up in disaster. In his 100th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca affirms that the goal of philosophy is to prepare us for #poverty , suffering and death, but we should not interpret it as Seneca saying that he did not expect life to offer #joy and happiness. Seneca’s emphasis on resilience is consistent with his views of the universe. If all we could expect is misery, it makes sense to train ourselves to cope with misery. If all we could hope for is to suffer and die, it makes sense to regard philosophy as a form of #consolation . From reading Seneca, I come to a #balanced assessment of reality. If we look around, we can see negative elements, but also plenty of #opportunities for improvement. It’s obvious that individuals who pursue #ambitiousgoals and work hard, are likely to build a better life for themselves than those who spend their days complaining and doing nothing. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/what-seneca-got-wrong-about-resilience/