Can a Life Be Wasted?

“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.”
- Seneca

Most of us, at some point, have the feeling that time is slipping by faster than we expected. We get caught up in routines, distractions, obligations, ambitions, or simply trying to keep up with life, and before we know it months or years have passed. In his essay On the Shortness of Life**, Seneca argues that life is not necessarily short, but that we often waste much of it without really noticing. This month’s discussion starts with a simple but uncomfortable question: can a life actually be wasted?**

From there, the conversation could go in all sorts of directions. What does it mean to spend our time well? Can a comfortable or successful life still feel empty? Is “wasting time” something we only recognise in hindsight? Are meaning and fulfilment things we discover, create, or just drift into? Seneca’s essay gives us a starting point, but as always the discussion will go wherever the group takes it.

As always, this discussion is open to everyone, whether you’ve studied Stoicism for years or have only recently come across it. You don’t need any background knowledge or familiarity with the text to take part, just a willingness to think, listen, and join the conversation.

• Suggested reading for anyone interested, though absolutely not required, is Seneca’s essay On the Shortness of Life**. Even a short excerpt is enough to get a feel for some of the ideas and questions it raises.**

Note: If the meeting shows as full, please don’t let that put you off coming along. Meetup limits us to 10 RSVPs, but the group itself is open to many more people and there is plenty of room.