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Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers
How to Grow Old: Ancient Wisdom for the Second Half of Life
Timeless wisdom on growing old gracefully from one of ancient Rome's greatest philosophersWorried that old age will inevitably mean losing your libido, your health, and possibly your marbles too? Well, Cicero has some good news for you. In How to Grow Old, the great Roman orator and statesman eloquently describes how you can make the second half of life the best part of all—and why you might discover that reading and gardening are actually far more pleasurable than sex ever was.Filled with timeless wisdom and practical guidance, Cicero's brief, charming classic—written in 44 BC and originally titled On Old Age—has delighted and inspired readers, from Saint Augustine to Thomas Jefferson, for more than two thousand years. Presented here in a lively new translation with an informative new introduction and the original Latin on facing pages, the book directly addresses the greatest fears of growing older and persuasively argues why these worries are greatly exaggerated—or altogether mistaken.Montaigne said Cicero's book "gives one an appetite for growing old." The American founding father John Adams read it repeatedly in his later years. And today its lessons are more relevant than ever in a world obsessed with the futile pursuit of youth.
215 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 45
About the author
Marcus Tullius Cicero
7,778 books1,834 followersMarcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. Cicero is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.
Alternate profiles:
Cicéron
Note: All editions should have Marcus Tullius Cicero as primary author. Editions with another name on the cover should have that name added as secondary author.
Alternate profiles:
Cicéron
Note: All editions should have Marcus Tullius Cicero as primary author. Editions with another name on the cover should have that name added as secondary author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
January 1, 2022
I just do not have enough superlatives to describe this book. I am 68 years old and just finished this book by Cicero. It is a book that I recommend to one and all because it contains so much wonderful instruction and philosophy on the second half of our lives. Let me first say that this is a great translation by Phillip Freeman in which the Latin is on one side of the page in the English on the other side of the page. For those who are trained in Latin this must be a true joy, for me it took me back to my 7th and 8th grade Latin classes and I realized how little I learned.
We go back almost 2000 years to the writings of Cicero in which he contemplated the end of life, and it's something that all of us should read and at a much earlier age than I did. There is wisdom for everyone from youth, to middle age, to retirement time. He goes through each stage of life and gives us wonderful insights, yes there are references to other Romans and Greeks who we might know nothing about but he uses them as examples. He is rarely derogatory and always complimentary. He looks for wisdom and how to live life and what to expect as you grow older and how some of the fervor and enthusiasm for life, now changes to a different type of living and a different type of enjoyment. Yes by the end Cicero was a farmer, and even shows how farming can parallel life and the enjoyment that we can get from the simple pleasures of watching a seed grow into maturity and harvesting. It is an analogy of life. This took me a little longer than I had expected to finish this book, It is not because the book is difficult to read or understand, but rather it's a book that makes you think, think about your life, and it is a book that allows you to put it down and pick it up a few weeks or a month later and not miss a beat. It is a book which I will probably read again next year, and maybe again after that because this short book contains much that can help us negotiate this second half of our lives. I particularly like when he points out that some of the traits of old age really are not due to old age, but rather are due to the character of that person's life. If you were sullen and grumpy during your first half of your life, you will continue that in the second half of your life. If you were happy, forward thinking and pleasant to one and all, then those traits will be amplified in senior citizens. He talks of life, death, pleasure, and the soul. I enjoyed this so much that I have gone out and purchased two other books on philosophy, and maybe it's too late for me to learn much about youth, but quite possibly I can continue learning so that I can instruct my children and younger people who may have questions and issues about life and what to expect. In a way I think this review has gotten rather philosophical, but that's what happens when you read Cicero or any other of the classic philosophers and thinkers of that ancient era. Too often, today, we get caught up in the current day-to-day issues in our life and don't think about how we can live the best possible life. How there are bigger and more important issues that surround us, and too much at the time we are mired in minutia instead of thinking about what will truly make our life better and how we can help others lead a better life. Just a marvelous book! A book I recommend to one and all.
We go back almost 2000 years to the writings of Cicero in which he contemplated the end of life, and it's something that all of us should read and at a much earlier age than I did. There is wisdom for everyone from youth, to middle age, to retirement time. He goes through each stage of life and gives us wonderful insights, yes there are references to other Romans and Greeks who we might know nothing about but he uses them as examples. He is rarely derogatory and always complimentary. He looks for wisdom and how to live life and what to expect as you grow older and how some of the fervor and enthusiasm for life, now changes to a different type of living and a different type of enjoyment. Yes by the end Cicero was a farmer, and even shows how farming can parallel life and the enjoyment that we can get from the simple pleasures of watching a seed grow into maturity and harvesting. It is an analogy of life. This took me a little longer than I had expected to finish this book, It is not because the book is difficult to read or understand, but rather it's a book that makes you think, think about your life, and it is a book that allows you to put it down and pick it up a few weeks or a month later and not miss a beat. It is a book which I will probably read again next year, and maybe again after that because this short book contains much that can help us negotiate this second half of our lives. I particularly like when he points out that some of the traits of old age really are not due to old age, but rather are due to the character of that person's life. If you were sullen and grumpy during your first half of your life, you will continue that in the second half of your life. If you were happy, forward thinking and pleasant to one and all, then those traits will be amplified in senior citizens. He talks of life, death, pleasure, and the soul. I enjoyed this so much that I have gone out and purchased two other books on philosophy, and maybe it's too late for me to learn much about youth, but quite possibly I can continue learning so that I can instruct my children and younger people who may have questions and issues about life and what to expect. In a way I think this review has gotten rather philosophical, but that's what happens when you read Cicero or any other of the classic philosophers and thinkers of that ancient era. Too often, today, we get caught up in the current day-to-day issues in our life and don't think about how we can live the best possible life. How there are bigger and more important issues that surround us, and too much at the time we are mired in minutia instead of thinking about what will truly make our life better and how we can help others lead a better life. Just a marvelous book! A book I recommend to one and all.
April 6, 2020
Addendum: First read in March 2017. Reread in April 2020. Even better the second time around. Posted a slightly emended version of this review at my blog.
Late last year I found grey in the stubble on my chin. This year I've started sprouting grey hairs at my temples. Time and age catch up to us all, and for modern people—to judge by a perennially fruitful field of advertising—the discovery of grey hair, or crow's feet, or a newly creaky joint, marks the beginning of a crisis. The same was apparently true in the ancient world, judging by the forceful arguments against bemoaning old age in Cicero's De Senectute, loosely rendered here as How to Grow Old.
Cicero wrote On Old Age in early 44 BC, as he entered his 60s. One would imagine Cicero had more to worry about than growing old—in the twenty years since saving the Republic from the Catiline conspiracy, he had found himself marginalized and finally ousted from the Roman political scene. His friends or allies in the Civil War fell one by one as Caesar, whom he steadfastly opposed, carried all before him in the Civil War. Finally, his beloved daughter Tullia had died the year before. Cicero devoted this time to philosophical reflection, completing this book—one in a rapidly appearing series of works—just before Caesar's assassination, which began a fresh round of strife that resulted in Cicero's murder.
Cicero set his dialogue in the illustrious past, before present troubles, which still intruded most notably in his choice of speaker: Cato the Elder, the revered great-grandfather of Cicero's sometime political ally Cato, who disemboweled himself in Utica in 46 BC rather than be captured, forgiven, and used as a human prop for Caesar's propaganda purposes. The elder Cato had fought in the Second Punic War alongside Scipio Africanus—whose adopted grandson is one of Cato's young conversation mates in the dialogue—and lived well into his eighties. He lived on as a Roman ideal to more than just his great-grandson, and Cicero here makes him a spokesman for wise and dignified old age.
Much of Cato's advice rotates around the Stoic poles of Nature and Reason (already giving this book a significant edge over most current self-help advice on growing older). The right use of Reason, Nature's great gift to man, brings man into alignment with Nature, and enables a life of virtue. This seemingly abstract idea helps make sense of much of the misery that the ageing experience, and points to the real truth about the challenge of growing older: it all comes back to character.
Cato tackles four major objections to ageing: the denial of an active life (both physical and mental), the weakening of the body, the deprivation of sensual pleasure (especially sex), and the big one, the ever nearing threat of death.
The answers to these objections stem from a deeply wise observation—ageing well begins in youth. A once athletic man who mourns himself as dead when he loses the spryness of youth has had his priorities wrong from the beginning. A person mourning the inability to fulfill all their appetites never really knew what those appetites were for, and allowed them to master him. And people who fear death will never really be happy in any age, because death can come at any time—it is simply harder to ignore in old age. "Since death threatens us at every hour," Cato asks, "how can anyone who is afraid of it have a steadfast soul?"
Cicero sprinkles imagery from nature (by way of Nature) liberally, particularly of the seasons. Granted that a person has lived virtuously as a youth and can approach ageing properly, he will see that old age is simply another season, a season with pleasures, duties, and honors of its own. Cicero may not use these words, but a lifestyle appropriate to or befitting old age—Reason corresponding to Nature—is key. If weakness of the body is appropriate to old age, so is the wisdom of accumulated years. The fretful elderly who keep Viagra in business are, in Cicero's mind, still mastered by an appetite appropriate to an earlier season, and create their own misery by their unwillingness to appreciate old age on its own terms.
Old age's honors include respect and wisdom, time for simply pleasurable work (for Cato, farming and learning Greek), study, thought, and conversation, and some much-appreciated stability after the stormy passions of youth. Of course, respect is not guaranteed—one thinks of the way the elderly are shunted to the side as quickly and efficiently as possible in our world—but a life well lived is its own reward, and will result in a person calm and content in the face of death. The approach of death—which is one of the things appropriate to old age, like the fall of ripe fruit from a tree—does not rob old age of its value, but rather gives it value by focusing one's priorities. Lust and greed should fall away ("What could be more ridiculous than for a traveler to add to his baggage at the end of a journey?") in favor of reflection on past blessings. (I was reminded of his assertion in an old legal case that gratitude "is not only the greatest, but is also the parent of all the other virtues.") Cato concludes his arguments with a really interesting and moving discourse on his belief in eternal life.
I wasn't really bothered to find grey hair on my head—on the contrary, I think it's really interesting to watch it spread—but a lot of people are, and as our culture values youth and vitality to an idolatrous extent, On Old Age is a refreshing celebration of age.
Philip Freeman's translation of De Senectute is free and brisk, a delight to read as I'm sure Cicero's original (which is presented on the facing page for one to pick through and compare) is in the Latin. His introduction is short and offers a simple breakdown of the main benefits of ageing Cato extols in the body of the dialogue. A few pages of succinct, helpful endnotes identify people or explain allusions within the dialogue.
Highly recommended.
Late last year I found grey in the stubble on my chin. This year I've started sprouting grey hairs at my temples. Time and age catch up to us all, and for modern people—to judge by a perennially fruitful field of advertising—the discovery of grey hair, or crow's feet, or a newly creaky joint, marks the beginning of a crisis. The same was apparently true in the ancient world, judging by the forceful arguments against bemoaning old age in Cicero's De Senectute, loosely rendered here as How to Grow Old.
Cicero wrote On Old Age in early 44 BC, as he entered his 60s. One would imagine Cicero had more to worry about than growing old—in the twenty years since saving the Republic from the Catiline conspiracy, he had found himself marginalized and finally ousted from the Roman political scene. His friends or allies in the Civil War fell one by one as Caesar, whom he steadfastly opposed, carried all before him in the Civil War. Finally, his beloved daughter Tullia had died the year before. Cicero devoted this time to philosophical reflection, completing this book—one in a rapidly appearing series of works—just before Caesar's assassination, which began a fresh round of strife that resulted in Cicero's murder.
Cicero set his dialogue in the illustrious past, before present troubles, which still intruded most notably in his choice of speaker: Cato the Elder, the revered great-grandfather of Cicero's sometime political ally Cato, who disemboweled himself in Utica in 46 BC rather than be captured, forgiven, and used as a human prop for Caesar's propaganda purposes. The elder Cato had fought in the Second Punic War alongside Scipio Africanus—whose adopted grandson is one of Cato's young conversation mates in the dialogue—and lived well into his eighties. He lived on as a Roman ideal to more than just his great-grandson, and Cicero here makes him a spokesman for wise and dignified old age.
Much of Cato's advice rotates around the Stoic poles of Nature and Reason (already giving this book a significant edge over most current self-help advice on growing older). The right use of Reason, Nature's great gift to man, brings man into alignment with Nature, and enables a life of virtue. This seemingly abstract idea helps make sense of much of the misery that the ageing experience, and points to the real truth about the challenge of growing older: it all comes back to character.
Cato tackles four major objections to ageing: the denial of an active life (both physical and mental), the weakening of the body, the deprivation of sensual pleasure (especially sex), and the big one, the ever nearing threat of death.
The answers to these objections stem from a deeply wise observation—ageing well begins in youth. A once athletic man who mourns himself as dead when he loses the spryness of youth has had his priorities wrong from the beginning. A person mourning the inability to fulfill all their appetites never really knew what those appetites were for, and allowed them to master him. And people who fear death will never really be happy in any age, because death can come at any time—it is simply harder to ignore in old age. "Since death threatens us at every hour," Cato asks, "how can anyone who is afraid of it have a steadfast soul?"
Cicero sprinkles imagery from nature (by way of Nature) liberally, particularly of the seasons. Granted that a person has lived virtuously as a youth and can approach ageing properly, he will see that old age is simply another season, a season with pleasures, duties, and honors of its own. Cicero may not use these words, but a lifestyle appropriate to or befitting old age—Reason corresponding to Nature—is key. If weakness of the body is appropriate to old age, so is the wisdom of accumulated years. The fretful elderly who keep Viagra in business are, in Cicero's mind, still mastered by an appetite appropriate to an earlier season, and create their own misery by their unwillingness to appreciate old age on its own terms.
Old age's honors include respect and wisdom, time for simply pleasurable work (for Cato, farming and learning Greek), study, thought, and conversation, and some much-appreciated stability after the stormy passions of youth. Of course, respect is not guaranteed—one thinks of the way the elderly are shunted to the side as quickly and efficiently as possible in our world—but a life well lived is its own reward, and will result in a person calm and content in the face of death. The approach of death—which is one of the things appropriate to old age, like the fall of ripe fruit from a tree—does not rob old age of its value, but rather gives it value by focusing one's priorities. Lust and greed should fall away ("What could be more ridiculous than for a traveler to add to his baggage at the end of a journey?") in favor of reflection on past blessings. (I was reminded of his assertion in an old legal case that gratitude "is not only the greatest, but is also the parent of all the other virtues.") Cato concludes his arguments with a really interesting and moving discourse on his belief in eternal life.
I wasn't really bothered to find grey hair on my head—on the contrary, I think it's really interesting to watch it spread—but a lot of people are, and as our culture values youth and vitality to an idolatrous extent, On Old Age is a refreshing celebration of age.
Philip Freeman's translation of De Senectute is free and brisk, a delight to read as I'm sure Cicero's original (which is presented on the facing page for one to pick through and compare) is in the Latin. His introduction is short and offers a simple breakdown of the main benefits of ageing Cato extols in the body of the dialogue. A few pages of succinct, helpful endnotes identify people or explain allusions within the dialogue.
Highly recommended.
November 21, 2021
چگونه پیر شویم ... البته اگر پیر شویم!ا
سیسرو، فیلسوف و واعظ رومی قبل از میلاد در این کتابچه سعی داره تا دید مثبتی نسبت به پیری برای مخاطبش به وجود بیاره و از این رو نکات مثبت پیری رو برای شما برمیشمره و معتقده پیری میتونه بهترین ایام زندگی شما باشه
کل حرف سیسرو رو از نظر من میشه تو چند مورد زیر خلاصه کرد:
*
پیری عمدتا با فراغت همراهه که میتونه فرصت فوقالعادهای برای تفکر و مطالعه باشه
*
تضعیف شدن قوای جنسی، موهبتیه که در ایام پیری حاصل میشه و این رهایی، شر خیلی چیزها رو از سر آدم کم میکنه
*
پیری با خودش احترام و مقبولیت عمومی به همراه داره
و برای خوب پیر شدن هم سیسرو معتقده
*
آدم باید در جوانی از مواهب و لذات بهره ببره. اونچه از لذات جسمانی در جوانی حاصل نشده باشه در پیری به دست نمیاد
*
انسان باید مسیر اعتدال رو پی بگیره و افراط نکنه تا سلامتش رو حفظ کنه
*
و در یک کلام اینکه خوب پیر شدن از دوران جوانی شروع میشه و باید از جوانی براش برنامه داشت
این حرفها همگی امیدبخش و خوبن اگرچه اکثرا یکجورایی توفیق اجباری هستن. با اینحال نکتهای که بنظرم جناب سیسرو ازش غافل مونده اینه که همه مردم شانس تجربه چنین پیری رو ندارن. خیلی بیماریها هستن که در ایام پیری به سراغ آدم میاد و آنچنان هم ربطی به سبک زندگی شما نداره. بسیاری از ما متحمل دردها و مشقتهایی میشیم که ارمغان بیماریهای ایام پیریه. لذا اگرچه البته همچنان با این حرف سیسرو موافقم که "خوب پیر شدن از جوانی شروع میشه" و آدم میتونه با ورزش و مراقبت از خودش، و داشتن برنامه شانس یک "پیری خوب" رو افزایش بده، اما امید زیاد داشتن به ایام پیری رو هم درست نمیدونم. واقعیت اینه که پیری برای خیلی از ما یادآور نزدیک شدن به مرگه و شاید عمده دلیلش نمایان شدن همون ضعفهای جسمانی باشه.
متاسفانه، سیسرو موقعی که بحث مقابله با مرگ میشه، دست به دامان "ایمان" میشه. سیسرو پیرو مکتب "رواقییون" بود و مرگ رو نوعی اضمحلال در طبیعت و یکی شدن با "اونچه از اون بوجود اومدیم" میدید. لذا "ایمان" داشت که چنین چیزی نمیتونه بد باشه و این موضوع رو بخشی از چرخه طبیعت میدید. سیسرو سعی داره این ایمان رو به خورد شما هم بده تا از مرگ نترسید و به استقبالش برید. اما بشخصه ترجیح میدم به چیزی ایمان نداشته باشم. من "ترس" و "اضطراب" واقعی رو به "ایمان" پرورشی و ساختگی ترجیح میدم. هرچند، کسی چه میدونه. شاید منم وقتی به پیری برسم، رواقی شدم. درک میکنم که موضوع کوچیکی نیست.
سیسرو، فیلسوف و واعظ رومی قبل از میلاد در این کتابچه سعی داره تا دید مثبتی نسبت به پیری برای مخاطبش به وجود بیاره و از این رو نکات مثبت پیری رو برای شما برمیشمره و معتقده پیری میتونه بهترین ایام زندگی شما باشه
کل حرف سیسرو رو از نظر من میشه تو چند مورد زیر خلاصه کرد:
*
پیری عمدتا با فراغت همراهه که میتونه فرصت فوقالعادهای برای تفکر و مطالعه باشه
*
تضعیف شدن قوای جنسی، موهبتیه که در ایام پیری حاصل میشه و این رهایی، شر خیلی چیزها رو از سر آدم کم میکنه
*
پیری با خودش احترام و مقبولیت عمومی به همراه داره
و برای خوب پیر شدن هم سیسرو معتقده
*
آدم باید در جوانی از مواهب و لذات بهره ببره. اونچه از لذات جسمانی در جوانی حاصل نشده باشه در پیری به دست نمیاد
*
انسان باید مسیر اعتدال رو پی بگیره و افراط نکنه تا سلامتش رو حفظ کنه
*
و در یک کلام اینکه خوب پیر شدن از دوران جوانی شروع میشه و باید از جوانی براش برنامه داشت
این حرفها همگی امیدبخش و خوبن اگرچه اکثرا یکجورایی توفیق اجباری هستن. با اینحال نکتهای که بنظرم جناب سیسرو ازش غافل مونده اینه که همه مردم شانس تجربه چنین پیری رو ندارن. خیلی بیماریها هستن که در ایام پیری به سراغ آدم میاد و آنچنان هم ربطی به سبک زندگی شما نداره. بسیاری از ما متحمل دردها و مشقتهایی میشیم که ارمغان بیماریهای ایام پیریه. لذا اگرچه البته همچنان با این حرف سیسرو موافقم که "خوب پیر شدن از جوانی شروع میشه" و آدم میتونه با ورزش و مراقبت از خودش، و داشتن برنامه شانس یک "پیری خوب" رو افزایش بده، اما امید زیاد داشتن به ایام پیری رو هم درست نمیدونم. واقعیت اینه که پیری برای خیلی از ما یادآور نزدیک شدن به مرگه و شاید عمده دلیلش نمایان شدن همون ضعفهای جسمانی باشه.
متاسفانه، سیسرو موقعی که بحث مقابله با مرگ میشه، دست به دامان "ایمان" میشه. سیسرو پیرو مکتب "رواقییون" بود و مرگ رو نوعی اضمحلال در طبیعت و یکی شدن با "اونچه از اون بوجود اومدیم" میدید. لذا "ایمان" داشت که چنین چیزی نمیتونه بد باشه و این موضوع رو بخشی از چرخه طبیعت میدید. سیسرو سعی داره این ایمان رو به خورد شما هم بده تا از مرگ نترسید و به استقبالش برید. اما بشخصه ترجیح میدم به چیزی ایمان نداشته باشم. من "ترس" و "اضطراب" واقعی رو به "ایمان" پرورشی و ساختگی ترجیح میدم. هرچند، کسی چه میدونه. شاید منم وقتی به پیری برسم، رواقی شدم. درک میکنم که موضوع کوچیکی نیست.
August 20, 2024
چگونه پیر شویم 👵🏻📜
نوشتهی فیلسوف، نویسنده و سیاستمدار رومی ، مارکوس تولیوس سیسرو، هستش
توی این کتاب به یکی از اضطرابهای کل مردم دنیا، یعنی پیر��، پرداخته.
خود نویسنده در دهه ۶ام زندگیش این کتاب رو نوشته .
قالب کتاب بصورت یک مکالمه و گفت و اندرز هستش . انگار که خود مارکوس به مردی جوان داره یاد میده که درسته که با پیری محدودیت هایی بوجود میاد اما سالخوردگی که آخرین پردهی نمایش هر انسان هستش هم مرحله مهمی هستش که باید به زیبایی اجرا و تمام بشه . باید یاد گرفت که به موقع صحنه رو ترک کرد.
من که لذت بردم و پیشنهاد میکنم ✨️
نوشتهی فیلسوف، نویسنده و سیاستمدار رومی ، مارکوس تولیوس سیسرو، هستش
توی این کتاب به یکی از اضطرابهای کل مردم دنیا، یعنی پیر��، پرداخته.
خود نویسنده در دهه ۶ام زندگیش این کتاب رو نوشته .
قالب کتاب بصورت یک مکالمه و گفت و اندرز هستش . انگار که خود مارکوس به مردی جوان داره یاد میده که درسته که با پیری محدودیت هایی بوجود میاد اما سالخوردگی که آخرین پردهی نمایش هر انسان هستش هم مرحله مهمی هستش که باید به زیبایی اجرا و تمام بشه . باید یاد گرفت که به موقع صحنه رو ترک کرد.
من که لذت بردم و پیشنهاد میکنم ✨️
August 8, 2024
اون قسمتش که گفت میل جنسی در پیری خیلی کم میشه خیلی تلخ بود؛ فااااک
April 5, 2019
ملتُ مؤخرًا لموضوع الشيخوخة وما يدور حولها، مثلًا طب الشيخوخة والذي يمكننا أن نعتبره فرعًا جديدًا إلى حدٍّ ما، وكذلك لهذا الموضوع نصيب خاصّ في كتب علم النفس الحديث الذي يحاول تفصيل مشاعر ونفسية كبار السنّ التي تعكس في كثيرٍ من الأحيان أفكارهم التي تدور في أذهانهم، من هنا جاءت قراءتي للكتاب والذي وجدته صدفة في إحدى صفحات الكتب الإلكترونيّة، لا يمكنني القول أنّ الكتاب ملمّ أو يحوي الكثير من التفصيلات حول الشيخوخة، ولكن هي محاولة لنسف الأفكار السلبية التي تجول داخل عقول هؤلاء الأشخاص، مثل الخوف من الموت، أو الحسرة على القوّة التي تلاشت من أجسادهم، أو حتى اعتقادهم أنّهم أصبحوا أشخاصًا مملين لا يهوى الشباب مجالستهم، الكتاب خفيف وجيّد ولا أكثر من ذلك، نقطة التقييم هنا متذبذبة لا ثابتة حسب كل قارئ، كذلك الأفكار تستحق الوقوف عليها وتأملها حتّى وإن كانت هذه الأفكار تربط بين الشيخوخة والشباب في كثير من الأحوال وهذا مالم أجد له داعيًا في الحقيقة، ربما سيتغير التقييم من قبلي مستقبًلا عندما تهم عجلة العمر بالسير مسرعةً، من يعلم :))
August 5, 2020
This is an admirable treatise on the art of aging well. You don't have to be getting on in years to glean some wisdom from this. After all, we should start preparing for the winter of our lives while we are still young, developing the internal qualities (like moderation, discretion, fortitude, etc.) and learning from the experiences that will later serve us in good stead. As Cicero wrote:
The book teaches us that old age is not synonymous to weakness or passivity. In the same way that judicious exercise and diet arrest the body's slide into decrepitude, so shall constant mental stimulation preserve our cerebral faculties.
It's also the best time to attend to our deepest passions. When lived correctly, one's golden years can be wonderfully productive (or sweetly serene - nothing wrong with that). I honestly don't have the maturity yet to look forward to it, but at least this book banished the vague horrors one usually associates with it.
I appreciate the generous notes. I didn't know that the term Senate or Senatus meant an assembly of leading senes or elders in Latin. The editor also doesn't shy from pointing out factual mistakes or inaccuracies on Cicero's part.
The only criticism I have here is that it only skims the surface of the very real negative concerns that beset old age since it focuses overwhelmingly on the advantages. Do you have a late-onset disease that so ravaged your body/intellect that you can't even perform at par with your peers? Just gotta tough it out, bud. That's stoicism for you.
In any case, it's the first book from antiquity that I read from start to finish. Admittedly, this is partially due to its brevity but really, if it's something this good and useful even if it's ten times as long I still would have devoured it. If this is any indication of how ancient classics are like, I'd definitely be stocking up on more. And yes this is literally a classic - written millenia ago and yet still very much relevant.
To sum it up: misery, existential or otherwise, is not a function of age but of character. As the author wrote:
8.5/10; 4 stars.
Wrinkles and gray hair cannot suddenly demand respect. Only when the earlier years of life have been well spent does old age at last gather the fruits of admiration.
The book teaches us that old age is not synonymous to weakness or passivity. In the same way that judicious exercise and diet arrest the body's slide into decrepitude, so shall constant mental stimulation preserve our cerebral faculties.
It's also the best time to attend to our deepest passions. When lived correctly, one's golden years can be wonderfully productive (or sweetly serene - nothing wrong with that). I honestly don't have the maturity yet to look forward to it, but at least this book banished the vague horrors one usually associates with it.
I appreciate the generous notes. I didn't know that the term Senate or Senatus meant an assembly of leading senes or elders in Latin. The editor also doesn't shy from pointing out factual mistakes or inaccuracies on Cicero's part.
The only criticism I have here is that it only skims the surface of the very real negative concerns that beset old age since it focuses overwhelmingly on the advantages. Do you have a late-onset disease that so ravaged your body/intellect that you can't even perform at par with your peers? Just gotta tough it out, bud. That's stoicism for you.
In any case, it's the first book from antiquity that I read from start to finish. Admittedly, this is partially due to its brevity but really, if it's something this good and useful even if it's ten times as long I still would have devoured it. If this is any indication of how ancient classics are like, I'd definitely be stocking up on more. And yes this is literally a classic - written millenia ago and yet still very much relevant.
To sum it up: misery, existential or otherwise, is not a function of age but of character. As the author wrote:
Those who lack within themselves the means for living a blessed and happy life will find any age painful. But for those who seek good things within themselves, nothing imposed on them by nature will seem troublesome.
8.5/10; 4 stars.
February 20, 2021
I bought this book as a gag gift for my wife’s 50th birthday before thankfully common sense prevailed. Having now read it I have to say it is a surprisingly enjoyable read. Cicero four easy pieces of advice.
1. Take up a hobby - he recommends gardening
2. Stop worrying about sex - no one misses it
3. Either there is an afterlife which would be a big plus or there isn’t and then you won’t miss it
4. I think it was something about moderation or exercise
All helpful stuff. Still not giving it to my wife.
1. Take up a hobby - he recommends gardening
2. Stop worrying about sex - no one misses it
3. Either there is an afterlife which would be a big plus or there isn’t and then you won’t miss it
4. I think it was something about moderation or exercise
All helpful stuff. Still not giving it to my wife.
April 7, 2023
Marcus Tullius Cicero's De Senectute, translated here by Philip Freeman as How to Grow Old, is one of the classics of antiquity, and a more than deserving entry in Princeton Press's Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series. The book takes the form of a dialogue between an old Cato the Elder (who lived between 234 and 149 BCE, about a century before Cicero) and two of his young friends, Scipio and Laelius. Cato says that there are typically four arguments put forth to defend the thesis that old age is problematic: (i) it takes away from an active life; (ii) it weakens the body; (iii) it deprives us of sensual pleasures; and (iv) it is the antechamber of death. Cato then goes systematically through these four points arguing that either they do not hold at all, or they do so only in part, and largely as a result of individual character flaws and/or a youth spent badly. While Cato (and hence Cicero) may be a bit optimistic in some respects (as when he says that your memory will be great in old age if you simply exercise it throughout your life), he makes formidable points that are still very much useful today. Modern society attempts to delay or even outright deny old age. The ancients embraced it on its own terms, as a natural part of life that has its distinctive advantages. I think the ancients were closer to the mark on this one.
December 31, 2022
This book is essentially a translation of Marcus Tullius Cicero's De Senectute, but oriented toward a less-classically-oriented readership. How to Grow Old: Ancient Wisdom for the Second Half of Life is a compelling work that puts a high value on advanced age in a society aimed at youth. Cicero looks at four reasons why people consider old age as being miserable:
First, because it takes away from an active life.Cicero deals with each of these objections in turn and does a good job at answering them. His positivity makes me think of the first stanza of Robert Browning's poem, "Rabbi Ben Ezra":
Second, because it weakens the body.
Third, because it deprives us of almost all sensual pleasures.
Fourth, because it is not far from death.
Grow old along with me!It is amazing to me that a book written some two thousand plus years ago can be so contemporary.
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith "A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!''
March 24, 2019
في عصر يمجد الشباب ويعتبر كل من تجاوز عمرا معينا في عداد الاموات والموضة القديمة وملائما فقط للتقاعد، قراءة هذا الكتاب هو واجب.
هو دليل للعيش وليس فقط لتقبل فكرة الكبر
"يبدو لي أنكم تحصلون على كفايتكم من الحياة حينما تستغرقكم كل أنشطتها"
هو دليل للعيش وليس فقط لتقبل فكرة الكبر
"يبدو لي أنكم تحصلون على كفايتكم من الحياة حينما تستغرقكم كل أنشطتها"
June 7, 2022
Ancient, yet still relevant.
October 6, 2018
I've read a lot of Cicero as a Latin teacher and student, and I have to say this little book blew me away. It's so relevant, so interesting, and deeply gentle in guiding the reader to make peace with old age. It's one that definitely is still meaningful today, and is looking pretty good for its 2000 years!
August 12, 2022
Cicero has some insightful reasons why it is much easier to grow old rather than to be young. One particular observation was that elderly people are often considered to be grumpy, rude and not interested in others, he observes that those who are like this when they are old were actually like that when they were young as well...so true.
March 13, 2021
كنت اظن انها رواية,لكن بعدما قرأته اتضح انه كتاب فلسفي,يتطرق موضوع الكتاب الى الحديث عن الشيخوخة مظهرا جوانبها الاجابية ,خلاف لبعض الكتب الفلسفية الاخرى, عدد الصفحاته قليلة بنسبة للكتب الفلسفة المعروف عنها انها تكون متخمة بالصفحات .كتاب مفيد الانسان المقبل على الشيخوخة
April 19, 2020
بعد كتاب الزهايمر حبيت اعطي لحالي شوية طاقة 🙈🙈🙈 مع هالعنوان وما غلطت....
"هناك شيخوخة من نوع آخر، وأعني بها ختام الحياة في سلام وطمأنينة وهدوء وعزة دون لومة لائم."
"الاشخاص المسنون المتعقّلون، ذوو السجايا الطيبة والسمحون سوف يتحملون الشيخوخة جيداً، أما ضعاف الروح وذوو الطباع الحادة فلن يكون من نصيبهم سوى التعاسة في كل مراحل حياتهم."
" التعقّل والحكمة هما من شيم الكبار، وما لم يكن هناك مسنّون ما قامت للدول قائمة".
"هناك شيخوخة من نوع آخر، وأعني بها ختام الحياة في سلام وطمأنينة وهدوء وعزة دون لومة لائم."
"الاشخاص المسنون المتعقّلون، ذوو السجايا الطيبة والسمحون سوف يتحملون الشيخوخة جيداً، أما ضعاف الروح وذوو الطباع الحادة فلن يكون من نصيبهم سوى التعاسة في كل مراحل حياتهم."
" التعقّل والحكمة هما من شيم الكبار، وما لم يكن هناك مسنّون ما قامت للدول قائمة".
August 14, 2016
Essential reading.
A good old age begins in youth, Cicero instructs us. The cultivation of reason, wisdom, and judgment, begun years before, bear their fruit in old age and allow for new joys and pleasures, proper and limited to the final years of life.
Cicero argues that the four reasons one may fear old age: the limiting of opportunities, the dissipation of powers, the diminishment of sensual pleasures, and the nearness of death, are all founded on misapprehension.
It's true that grey hairs don't necessarily bring discernment. Old fools may exist in the same proportion to young ones, simply because the causes for foolishness are the same and are only counteracted by deliberate effort; if one fails to acquire ennobling qualities in one's youth, there is no reason to believe that age will spontaneously bestow them.
On the other hand, if one spends the first half of life cultivating qualities that dignify and elevate, one has reason to hope that he may spend the second half enjoying those fruits, in dignity and a high state.
And while the pleasures of old age differ from the pleasures of youth, this is not a fact to lament any more than the fact that the pleasures of youth differ from the pleasures of early childhood. Each age, each season has pleasures and joys proper to it.
Cicero's work is short and the translation is easy to read. His advice is sound and practical. I agree with him that a good old age begins in youth, but I would suggest that it may also be said to begin with an attentive reading of this little essay.
A good old age begins in youth, Cicero instructs us. The cultivation of reason, wisdom, and judgment, begun years before, bear their fruit in old age and allow for new joys and pleasures, proper and limited to the final years of life.
Cicero argues that the four reasons one may fear old age: the limiting of opportunities, the dissipation of powers, the diminishment of sensual pleasures, and the nearness of death, are all founded on misapprehension.
It's true that grey hairs don't necessarily bring discernment. Old fools may exist in the same proportion to young ones, simply because the causes for foolishness are the same and are only counteracted by deliberate effort; if one fails to acquire ennobling qualities in one's youth, there is no reason to believe that age will spontaneously bestow them.
On the other hand, if one spends the first half of life cultivating qualities that dignify and elevate, one has reason to hope that he may spend the second half enjoying those fruits, in dignity and a high state.
And while the pleasures of old age differ from the pleasures of youth, this is not a fact to lament any more than the fact that the pleasures of youth differ from the pleasures of early childhood. Each age, each season has pleasures and joys proper to it.
Cicero's work is short and the translation is easy to read. His advice is sound and practical. I agree with him that a good old age begins in youth, but I would suggest that it may also be said to begin with an attentive reading of this little essay.
March 21, 2019
Rather poorly titled, but it fits in with the other titles in this Princeton University Press series, mostly translations of Seneca and Cicero: How to be a Friend; How to be Free; How to Die; How to Keep Your Cool, etc. This one is handier than the other I read (How to Die) in that the Latin and English are on facing pages. Unlike that book this one is not a selection, it's a straight-up translation of Cicero's De Senectute, written near the end of his life, and a very accurate and lively translation it is. The book itself is much better now than it was 40-some years ago when I was in graduate school. Cicero (or his speaker in this dialogue, the elder Cato) deals with the four main reasons people think old age is miserable: because it takes away an active life, because it weakens the body, because it deprives one of almost all sensual pleasures, and because it is not far from death. He of course draws many examples from Greek and Roman history to illustrate his points. Those points vary in how convincing they are. Some quotes that jumped out at me: "Some people will say that memory fades away as the years pass. Of course it does of you don't exercise it or aren't very bright to begin with. Old people remember what interests them." "Some will say old people are morose, anxious, ill-tempered, hard to please, and miserly. But these are faults of character, not of age." They were probably like that when they were younger, too. Old people already have what young people can only hope for: a long life. And so on. With a very good introduction.
March 15, 2022
برای من که تو سی سالگی هستم و باید یواش یواش خودم رو آماده کنم خیلی مفید بود و بهم چسبید.
شاید فگر کنید که قراره کلی پند و نصیحت بشنوید اما لزوما اینطور نیست، چون اندرزی هست از یک حکیم که تمامی گفته هاش رو شخصا تجربه کرده، و خب طبیعتا برای آدمی که عطش داره بند بندش آموزنده است
کتاب چند تا محور داره:
اولیش اینه که باید جوانی درست و شایسته ای داشت تا سالخوردگی مورد نظر سیسرو پدید بیاد(این نکته رو چندین بار در طول کتاب تکرار می کنه).
دومی اینه که چهار مشکل اساسی سالخوردگی رو لیست می کنه و به ترتیب شروع به صحبت درباره اونها می کنه
در طول خوندن کتاب بعضی جاها با خودم میگفتم که: خب، اینها رو که منم میدونم! اما وقتی عمیق می شدم متوجه می شدم که علمی به این نکات نداشتم بلکه فقط میدانستم این بایسته ها و اعمال شایسته "خوب" هستن و احتمالا به وقتش که برسه به خودم میام و می بینم حتی یک مورد از اونها رو انجام ندادم، مضاف بر اینکه اینها از زبان و اعمال یک کهنسال ساطع شده اند و من برای من فقط در ذهن رویایی و آینده نگرم وجود دارند.
در طول کتاب هم شما با شنیدن مداوم مضمون "پذیرش"، " مطیع بودن در برابر طبیعت" ، " مذموم شمردن هوا و هوس" احتمالا یاد رواقیون بیوفتید که در مقدمه کتاب هم گرایش به ایشان نام برده شده.
شاید فگر کنید که قراره کلی پند و نصیحت بشنوید اما لزوما اینطور نیست، چون اندرزی هست از یک حکیم که تمامی گفته هاش رو شخصا تجربه کرده، و خب طبیعتا برای آدمی که عطش داره بند بندش آموزنده است
کتاب چند تا محور داره:
اولیش اینه که باید جوانی درست و شایسته ای داشت تا سالخوردگی مورد نظر سیسرو پدید بیاد(این نکته رو چندین بار در طول کتاب تکرار می کنه).
دومی اینه که چهار مشکل اساسی سالخوردگی رو لیست می کنه و به ترتیب شروع به صحبت درباره اونها می کنه
در طول خوندن کتاب بعضی جاها با خودم میگفتم که: خب، اینها رو که منم میدونم! اما وقتی عمیق می شدم متوجه می شدم که علمی به این نکات نداشتم بلکه فقط میدانستم این بایسته ها و اعمال شایسته "خوب" هستن و احتمالا به وقتش که برسه به خودم میام و می بینم حتی یک مورد از اونها رو انجام ندادم، مضاف بر اینکه اینها از زبان و اعمال یک کهنسال ساطع شده اند و من برای من فقط در ذهن رویایی و آینده نگرم وجود دارند.
در طول کتاب هم شما با شنیدن مداوم مضمون "پذیرش"، " مطیع بودن در برابر طبیعت" ، " مذموم شمردن هوا و هوس" احتمالا یاد رواقیون بیوفتید که در مقدمه کتاب هم گرایش به ایشان نام برده شده.
June 10, 2021
"We can do this by following a plan of healthy living, exercising in moderation, and eating and drinking just enough to restore our bodies without overburdening them. And as much as we should care for our bodies, we should pay even more attention to our minds and spirits. For they, like lamps of oil, will grow dim with time if not replenished."
-How to Grow Old, Marcus Tullius Cicero
Filled with timeless wisdom and practical guidance, Cicero's brief, charming classic—written in 44 BC and originally titled On Old Age—has delighted and inspired readers, from Saint Augustine to Thomas Jefferson, for more than two thousand years.
Marcus Tullius Cicero, the great Roman statesman, scholar, and philosopher argues that an old age can be precious and marvelous if we follow a certain path which begins in youth, a good old age begins in youth.
This book also deals with several subjects:
The Importance of Studying Literature
There Are Proper Seasons to Life
The Joys of Farming (Gardening)
Death Is Not to Be Feared
-How to Grow Old, Marcus Tullius Cicero
Filled with timeless wisdom and practical guidance, Cicero's brief, charming classic—written in 44 BC and originally titled On Old Age—has delighted and inspired readers, from Saint Augustine to Thomas Jefferson, for more than two thousand years.
Marcus Tullius Cicero, the great Roman statesman, scholar, and philosopher argues that an old age can be precious and marvelous if we follow a certain path which begins in youth, a good old age begins in youth.
This book also deals with several subjects:
The Importance of Studying Literature
There Are Proper Seasons to Life
The Joys of Farming (Gardening)
Death Is Not to Be Feared
December 8, 2019
I continue to enjoy this series from Princeton Press, although I did find this one repetitive. The introduction covered most of the key parts from Cicero’s essay, which does a nice job of rebutting many commonly held fallacies about old age. All the same: this one’s as worth a read at eighteen as at eighty. Recommended.
March 28, 2021
#19 of 2021
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" - Marcus Tullius Cicero
Cicero was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar and Academic Skeptic, who played an important role in the politics of the late Roman Republic, and upheld optimate principles during the crisis, that led to the establishment of the Roman Empire.
Despite amazing technological advancements, humans have not really changed- We still do not like to get old. It's befitting that we read this book written around 43BC by one of the wisest man of the era.
Why this book? Because Charlie Munger recommended and I don't need any other reason.
A gem. A Short book.
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" - Marcus Tullius Cicero
Cicero was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar and Academic Skeptic, who played an important role in the politics of the late Roman Republic, and upheld optimate principles during the crisis, that led to the establishment of the Roman Empire.
Despite amazing technological advancements, humans have not really changed- We still do not like to get old. It's befitting that we read this book written around 43BC by one of the wisest man of the era.
Why this book? Because Charlie Munger recommended and I don't need any other reason.
A gem. A Short book.
August 10, 2024
Keinget tulisan Seneca mengenai menua. Yang mengerikan dari menua itu bukanlah bertambahnya usia, melainkan hilangnya "daya". Tubuh mengerut, tulang dan persendian mulai linu, energi berkurang.
But, buku ini memberi pemahaman baru. 🥲 Nggak apa-apa menua, nggak semenakutkan itu kok. Justru menua memberi kesempatan menikmati dunia dengan sudut pandang baru. Tua nggak menghalangi siapa pun berpikir kreatif.
But, buku ini memberi pemahaman baru. 🥲 Nggak apa-apa menua, nggak semenakutkan itu kok. Justru menua memberi kesempatan menikmati dunia dengan sudut pandang baru. Tua nggak menghalangi siapa pun berpikir kreatif.
March 31, 2019
محاولة من شيشرون لتفنيد فوائد الشيخوخة. مضحكة وساذجة وليست مقنعة تماما الا من بعض النقاط. مر أكثر من ألفي عام لذلك هي تعد وثيقة أكثر منها كتاب مهم.
June 6, 2020
It is almost unbelievable that this book was written over 2000 years ago and they advise there is as true now. What I like about it is that it is a really short read there is no time to send to read it. I really think we have such an over emphasised youth culture Did the people making the most of their true age, celebrating their age. Even then it was clear health Was at least in some part about choices, moderation and the advantage of age being free of the ravages of your appetites.
Some interesting reflections in death in old age too. “The best end of life comes with a clear mind and sound body, when nature herself dissolves the work she has created. The right person to take apart a ship or a house is the man who built it. Likewise, nature best brings an end to a person she has so skillfully put together. A new building is hard to destroy, but an old house comes down easily.
Therefore, old people should not cling greedily to whatever bit of life they have left, nor should they give it up without good reason.”
Some interesting reflections in death in old age too. “The best end of life comes with a clear mind and sound body, when nature herself dissolves the work she has created. The right person to take apart a ship or a house is the man who built it. Likewise, nature best brings an end to a person she has so skillfully put together. A new building is hard to destroy, but an old house comes down easily.
Therefore, old people should not cling greedily to whatever bit of life they have left, nor should they give it up without good reason.”
March 16, 2020
لا يُمكن للشباب التّعيس أن يكون أكثر سعادة وهو يتقدّم في السّن"!.
يا عزيزيّ سكيبيو ولايليوس، إن للشيخوخة خطوطها الدفاعية المناسبة، ألا وهي الدراسة وممارسة الحكمة والعيش اللائق، ولو غرستما هذه المبادئ في كل مرحلة من مراحل حياتكما فإنها ستؤتي أكلها الوفيرة حينما تكبران، ولن يسفر حصادها عن مجرد آثار رائعة في ختام حياتكما، وهو أمر أساسي في مناقشتنا الحالة ستشعرون بالرضا؛ لأنكم ستدركون أنكم استمتعتم بحياتكم وكان لكم فيها الكثير من الذكريات والأعمال الطيبة.
إن الذين يقولون إنه ليست هناك أنشطة مفيدة تتعلق بالشيخوخة يجهلون ما يتحدثون عنه، إنهم كهؤلاء الذين يقولون إن القبطان لا يفعل شيئًا مفيدًا لكي تبحر السفينة لأن هناك آخرين يتسلقون القلاع ويجرون عبر الممرات ويشغلون المضخات بينما هو يجلس مستريحًا في قمرة السفينة ممسكًا بدفتها فهو وإن كان لا يقوم بما يقوم به البحارة الأصغر سنًا؛ إلا أن ما يقوم به هو أهم وأقيَم.
يا عزيزيّ سكيبيو ولايليوس، إن للشيخوخة خطوطها الدفاعية المناسبة، ألا وهي الدراسة وممارسة الحكمة والعيش اللائق، ولو غرستما هذه المبادئ في كل مرحلة من مراحل حياتكما فإنها ستؤتي أكلها الوفيرة حينما تكبران، ولن يسفر حصادها عن مجرد آثار رائعة في ختام حياتكما، وهو أمر أساسي في مناقشتنا الحالة ستشعرون بالرضا؛ لأنكم ستدركون أنكم استمتعتم بحياتكم وكان لكم فيها الكثير من الذكريات والأعمال الطيبة.
إن الذين يقولون إنه ليست هناك أنشطة مفيدة تتعلق بالشيخوخة يجهلون ما يتحدثون عنه، إنهم كهؤلاء الذين يقولون إن القبطان لا يفعل شيئًا مفيدًا لكي تبحر السفينة لأن هناك آخرين يتسلقون القلاع ويجرون عبر الممرات ويشغلون المضخات بينما هو يجلس مستريحًا في قمرة السفينة ممسكًا بدفتها فهو وإن كان لا يقوم بما يقوم به البحارة الأصغر سنًا؛ إلا أن ما يقوم به هو أهم وأقيَم.
August 29, 2019
فهؤلاء الذين يفتقدون داخل أنفسهم الموارد التي تمكنهم من عيش حياة هادئة وسعيدة سيشعرون بالألم في أي مرحلة من مراحل عمرهم. ولكن الذين يرجون الحسنى في داخلهم فإن أيا ما تفرضه عليهم الطبيعة لن يسبب لهم أي ضيق.
لا يمكن للتجاعيد والشعر الأشيب أن يبعثا فجأة على الاحترام. ومالم يحسن المرء قضاء السنوات الأولى من العمر فل�� يتمكن في شيخوخته من قطف ثمار الإعجاب.
January 15, 2019
A reminder that the Greeks and Romans had it all figured out over 2,300 years ago. There's nothing new under the sun other than technology, it seems. Food, Friends, and Fun are still the best.
June 17, 2020
حلو مش وحش بس كنت محتاج اسمع الكلام من لسانه بلغته عشان اقدر افهم هو عاوز يوصل ايه فعلا
March 9, 2021
This is a great resource for gaining perspective on what is important or urgent...it was a gift and will be appreciated and reread again...
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