We all know what it’s like to sit in a library or classroom or some other public space and try to concentrate there. We all know the people who turn their heads at every noise, who lift their eyes from their books whenever someone talks, whenever a mere pin drops. Maybe that is ourselves. And so, too, do we know the ones who stand through all the public chaos unruffled, undisturbed, capable of focusing on their tasks without being pulled this way and that by mere distractions. What can be said about this? Seneca, the Roman stoic philosopher, had much to say indeed, and it is worth sharing in this present day–for most of us are the former, unsettled by every sound.
“The temperament that starts at the sound of a voice or chance noises in general–the mind that loses focus due to mere sounds around it–is an unstable one and one that has yet to attain inward detachment. It has an element of uneasiness in it, and an element of the rooted fear that makes a man a prey to anxiety.”
In this day and age the majority of people are ruled by fear and anxiety and never truly possess a mind that can focus and detach itself from its environment–a mind that can, no matter the circumstances, achieve higher focus and productivity. Furthermore, it is simply the mind that is at peace with itself that is rare and valuable. Seneca points out that it is not our surroundings that truly matter, but what’s in our minds–for that is what determines everything.
“It is a matter of having a sound mind–there is no good to having silence when one’s emotions and thoughts are in turmoil. To be able to focus, for noises and things not to unmount you, is to possess a sound mind.”
It is something worthy to strive for, a sound mind that is calm amidst the storms of life. We can all do it too. Human beings are incredible in their abilities–if only they should realize what they are capable of, and believe in their own ability to achieve it. I can, you can, so let’s go do it.
Cultivate a sound mind. It will make calm waters out of a tumultuous sea.
True silence . . .