Seneca Moral essays
Seneca: The next step is to see whether an alteration in…
The next step is to see whether an alteration in their amount will be of service. If neither alteration of the order or of the amount is of use, he cuts off some and reduces others. If even this does not answer, he forbids food, and disburdens the body by fasting.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Seneca’s moral essays. The reading beside it is ours.
A wise doctor does not keep applying the same treatment when it is not working. They adjust the amount, change the order, remove what is making the condition worse, and sometimes prescribe a period of abstinence. Seneca offers this as a model for self-correction. When your life feels overloaded, adding another productivity tool may not help. You may need to reduce commitments. When your attention is scattered, a more ambitious schedule may not be the cure; a break from notifications may be. We often try to solve excess with a better system for managing excess. Sometimes the answer is subtraction. Today, look at one area where you feel chronically depleted—news, spending, meetings, alcohol, social media, obligations. Experiment with a smaller dose or a temporary fast. Do not make it a punishment. Make it a clear test of what returns when you remove the thing that has been crowding out your health and judgment.
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