Wednesday 11 November 2026

Philosophy Column

Seneca on being busy: we waste time, we do not lack it

Seneca argued that life is long enough and that we lose a great deal of it. The strongest objection is his own fortune at Nero's court, and the test is a week of honest bookkeeping.

3 min read
Marble double herm in the Antikensammlung Berlin, with the bearded face of Seneca, inscribed SENECA, in front of the face of Socrates.
Double herm of Socrates and Seneca, Roman, 3rd century CE, Antikensammlung Berlin (Neues Museum); the Seneca face is shown. Photo: Mark Landon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0).

Produced by the PhiloCrux newsroom with AI-assisted research and drafting; every claim is checked against the sources linked and a person is accountable for what we publish. How we work.

Filed under Philosophy

More from Philosophy