Books On the Shortness of Life: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader (Harris Classics) by Lucius Seneca (Author)

On the Shortness of Life by Lucius Seneca is a Stoic moral essay that argues life is not inherently short but is often wasted by people through distractions and poor management of time. Seneca asserts that life is sufficiently long to accomplish great things if used wisely. The majority of humans fail to live fully because they are preoccupied with trivial pursuits, luxury, ambition, and endless distractions.

Seneca addresses Paulinus, urging him to stop focusing on external duties and to reclaim his time by dedicating it to meaningful activities such as philosophical reflection and purposeful living. He warns that life quickly slips away unnoticed until death arrives, leaving many with regret for not having truly lived. The wise, in contrast, invest their time judiciously and embrace mortality without fear, living fully in the present.