Was Seneca's philosophy too pessimistic?
Some might perceive my focus on the brevity of life and the inevitability of misfortune as pessimistic. However, my intention was the opposite. By acknowledging our mortality and the precariousness of fortune, we are compelled to value our present time more deeply. This awareness is not meant to inspire despair, but to spur us toward living deliberately and virtuously, making the most of the life we have.