Notes on “The Tranquility of the Soul”.

“The Tranquility of the Soul” was written by Sêneca. Below are some statements made in that book. They are not citations. Questions can be asked in the comments.

1. If you feel temptation, that’s because you are giving effort into resisting.
2. Good intentions can stand between you and virtue.
3. Tranquility is the feeling of having nothing to worry about.
4. To seek tranquility is to seek a state of having no pain, nor strong emotions.
5. You shouldn’t have many aspirations and desires.
6. If you have many desires, you are likely to be frustrated many times.
7. You won’t be able to reach happiness wihtout feeling satisfied with yourself first.
8. Learn to endure, when such is needed.
9. Be useful to yourself and others.
10. The universe is your nation.
11. You need to balance activity and good rest.
12. We can still be role models, even when mute.
13. Get a job at something you like to do.
14. Never try to do something without wondering if you actually can do it.
15. The evils of the wealth are the worst kind of evil.
16. It’s better to have never been rich than losing your fortune.
17. If money was that good, God would have some.
18. You should only be in debt with yourself.
19. Don’t be crazy for money, but that doesn’t imply having no money.
20. You should spend on useful things, not “cool” things.
21. You should eat when hungry, not for mere pleasure.
22. Don’t buy books if you aren’t going to read them.
23. It’s immoral to use a full bookshelf as decoration.
24. The excess is what turns a behavior into a vice.
25. Bad things happen, they are part of life.
26. You can’t fall in despair without wanting it.
27. Avoid being too ambitious, or you may end up too disappointed.
28. Try to stay calm despite having bad luck.
29. If you accept that you are going to die, then you can accept anything.
30. It’s useless to worry about things that do not depend on us.
31. If you try something, but don’t nurture high hopes about it working, you won’t be disappointed if you fail, but, if it works, the success is sweetened with surprise.
32. Never forget that what happens to others may happen to you.
33. Don’t try to do something that isn’t worth it or that likely won’t work.
34. It’s sad when someone wants to do something, but doesn’t know exactly what they want to do.
35. Gossip is a vice.
36. Don’t make promises.
37. There’s a good side in everything.
38. You can poke fun at the problems you face.
39. When a tragedy happens, you don’t need to react like everyone else.
40. You needn’t to feel bad for someone who isn’t suffering.
41. Omitting isn’t the same as lying.
42. Being alone restores our energy.
43. You should work, but you should also have fun.
44. Working too much harms productivity.
45. Finish what you started.