Choosing a Mentor – Seneca Letter

The letters of Seneca to Lucilius is a fascinating glimpse involving Stoic philosophy. Interestingly the Stoics were willing to pull from other schools of thought if they found them beneficial. We see Seneca commenting more than once of Epicureanism, another school during the time, ran by Epicurus. The constant desire to better ourselves should be desired by all. This same ideology is not new. In fact, the passage in the letter stood out to me as I read it last night. It involves acquiring a good mentor.

We need to set our affections on some good man and keep him constantly before our eyes, so that we may live as if he were watching us and do everything as if he saw what we were doing. This my dear Lucilius is Epicurus advice, and in giving it he has given us a guardian and a moral tutor-and not without reason, either: misdeeds are greatly diminished if a witness is always standing near intending doers. The personality should be provided with someone it can revere, someone whose influence can make even its private, inner life more pure. Happy the man who improves other people not merely when he is in their presence but even when he is in their thoughts! And happy, too is the person who can so revere another as to adjust and shape his own personality in the light of recollections, even of that other.

Seneca

This same principle, finding a mentor, exists today. Those wishing to better themselves seek leadership and guidance. Seneca went as far as to have the role model in your mind’s eye, watching over you, observing not only your actions but thoughts. I find this interesting because those with strong religious beliefs also keep in mind nothing is hidden. This technique is used (hopefully) to maintain goodness and strength.

While Epicurus emphasis the use of his followers to have his portrait or rings bearing his image, Seneca conveys to Lucilius mentally project. Seneca also comments later to choose a mentor more to Lucilius liking.

A person able to revere another thus will soon deserve to be revered himself. So choose yourself a Cato – or, if Cato seems too severe for you, a Laelius, a man whose character is not quite so strict. Choose someone whose way of life as well as words, and whose very face as mirroring the character that lies behind it, have own your approval

Seneca

The emphasis is choosing a mentor that not only speaks well but more importantly acts according to his words. Meaning, they do what they say. We should be very careful who we choose as a role model. Cato (Marcus Porcius Cato) was a conservative Roman senator and Stoic. He was known to be stubborn and had tenacity, immune to bribes, having moral integrity, and distaste for the corruption. Laelius (Gaius Laelius) was a Roman general and statesmen. He was known by the nickname ‘Sapiens’ (wise) due to his reputation as an orator.

Consider also, by personally striving to be better, you are also enhancing culture and society as a whole. By taking on personal responsibility, pursuing better, you provide a healthy influence with those around you and your environment. Personally, I think there is a lack of individuals having self-drive and worthy ambitions. They crave guidance for something to attain, greater than themselves. This would be one adventure each of us can take, with a little economic cost.

See also Decline Reading Proficiency Continues in America.

Do you have a healthy mentor? I would be curious to hear about it.

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#KnowledgeShare | Matt Cole | #infobyMattCole