I was re-reading Seneca’s On Providence this morning. I’ve read it a bunch of times before, but it hit hard again.
Every time I feel complacent or start complaining too much, I go back to the Stoics. They remind me of something I’ve always felt: Hardship is good.
Most people think happiness comes from comfort. From eliminating struggle. From making life as easy as possible.
But comfort is overrated. Life without challenges is not life at all. It’s an early death.
Most people try to fix their focus with productivity tactics and hacks. New apps. New timers. Another note-taking system.
If you’ve tried that in the past, you know the tactics never last. You read about the latest productivity advice, try it, feel a boost in focus, but after a few days, you’re back to where you started.
That’s because your productivity and ability to focus are byproducts of how you live.
The moment you expect the world to care about your inner life, you set yourself up to be angry, confused, and stuck.
Most of life is a trade. Time for money. Skill for opportunity. Trust for results.
Many things in life are not like that because people are evil, but because incentives drive us as human beings.
And when people don’t get what they want, they often get nasty. The Stoic philosopher Epictetus explained why that is:
“When any person harms you or speaks badly of you, remember that he acts from a supposition of its being his duty.”
People always think they are doing the right thing… in their perspective of course. If someone feels like you wronged them, it’s because they really believe that.
You can just sense it in people’s behavior, actions, and words.
Over the last 3 years, I’ve spent a lot of time in the south of Spain, around Marbella. You can just smell the desperation in the air. Everyone wants to look rich. Luxury cars, designer clothes, Instagram-perfect lives. It’s all about appearances.
But it’s not only in places like Marbella. Even in my hometown of Leeuwarden, a place that’s never been rich or glamorous, I’m noticing the same trends.