I Am Given a Beautiful Cup

My sticky notes from How to Live Like a Stoic, by Tom Hodgkinson: On staying out of politics: Seneca is well aware of the conventional Stoic view that people should engage in public service ... However he then argues that by retiring from the hurly-burly -- in other words becoming an idler -- is itself a form of service. ... "When we [Stoics] enjoin service to the state, we not not mean just any state nor that one must serve at all times or without ending. Besides, we assign to the wise man a state worthy of him, that is, the whole world. This he is not outside the state even if he does retire." Seneca on retirement: Even if we try no other medicine, withdrawal in itself will be beneficial: we will be better when alone. Moreover, then we may withdraw among the best men and choose some example towards which we may turn our lives. This only comes about in leisure. On loss: I am given a beautiful cup. I drop it onto the kitchen floor and it smashes into a million tiny pieces. This makes…