Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher who lived during 4 BC – AD 65. He was a tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero, and was forced to commit suicide for alleged involvement in the conspiracy to assassinate Nero (though some sources state that he may have been innocent).
During the last two years of his life, Seneca spent his time in travelling, composing essays on natural history and incorrespondence with his friend Lucilius. In these letters, 124 of which are available, he covered a wide variety of topics, including true and false friendship, sharing knowledge, old age, retirement, and death.
Here is what Seneca wrote in his second letter to Lucilius – On Discursiveness in Reading – which I am posting as it is here, and which contains the answer to the dilemma most of us face on what to read as investors (by the way, ‘discursiveness’ means moving from topic to topic without order) –
Over to Seneca.
On Discursiveness in Reading
Seneca wrote to Lucilius –
The primary indication, to my thinking, of a well-ordered mind is a man’s ability to remain in one place and linger in his own company.
<!–more–>
Want to Read More? This content is exclusive for members of Value Investing Almanack. Login to read if you are a member. Else, click here to subscribe.
Benefits to VIA MembersBecome a VIA Member. Click to Subscribe
- Spotlight: Big ideas from Value Investing and why applying them in your investment decision making will be a great deal
- InvestorInsights: Interviews with experienced value investors, learners, and deep thinkers
- StockTalk: Thorough analysis of business models of companies (without any recommendations)
- Behaviouronomics: Deep analysis of human behaviour and how it impacts investment decision making
- BookWorm: Reviews of the best books on Value Investing and related subjects
- Free Course – Financial Statement Analysis for Smart People (otherwise priced at Rs 5,900)
- Archives: Instant access to our huge archive from the past three years