Real joy is a serious matter, wrote Seneca to Lucilius. Thinking about death might not be a cheerful activity, but it does bring joy. It’s the joy that comes from truly understanding our nature as human beings and the nature of the world in which we find ourselves – momentary, changeable, uncertain.
Pierre Hadot wrote that the ‘thought of imminent death … transforms our way of acting in a radical way, forcing us to become aware of the infinite value of each instant.’
The ancient Stoic philosophers practised brief contemplations of death. This had a profound impact on their experience of life and their preparedness for death, including their own personal death.
If you’d like to practice Stoic death contemplating, join Kathryn Koromilas and The Stoic Salon for 28 Days of Joyful Death Writing, an email course with a daily death contemplation accompanied by gentle, guided writing prompts inspired by the Stoics. The next course begins on Saturday 6th May 2023.
Paths to Flourishing 