Seneca's Fear of Death

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For a young person, Seneca would say it seems like death is immeasurably far off and not something that you have to think about. For him, removing fear of death had a very tangible benefit: It enabled you to choose to do the right thing. Maybe the emperor will have you arrested and executed; so what? That shouldn't prevent you from speaking your mind or taking the right action.

Many listeners have written in expressing difficulty in accepting death and reframing it as the Stoics framed it. So, in today's episode, I speak with Professor of Classics at Bard University and author of "How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life" and "Dying Every Day, Seneca at the Court of Nero." During our conversation, James shares much about Seneca's life with me, and much about why overcoming death is critical to living a good life. We also discuss the concept of "dying well."

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