The Consolations of Philosophy

Alain de Botton illustrates the ideas of the ancient philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca (塞內卡) to help us deal with problems of life, which provides some insights for me.

Anger:

"what makes us angry are dangerously optimistic notions about what the world and other people are like."

"We must reconcile ourselves to the necessary imperfectibility of existence: Is it surprising that the wicked should so wicked deeds, or unprecedented that your enemy should harm or your friend annoy you, that your son should fall into error or your servant misbehave? We will cease to be so angry once we cease to be so hopeful."

Shock:

As

"there is nothing which Fortune does not dare"

and man is only

"A vessel that the slightest shaking, the slightest toss will break... A body weak and fragile, naked, in its natural state defenceless, dependent upon another's help and exposed to all the affronts of Fortune."

Seneca proposed that

"Nothing ought to be unexpected by us. Our minds should be sent forward in advance to meet all the problems, and we should consider, not what is wont to happen, but what can happen."

"Fortune gives us nothing which we can really own... We live in the middle of things which have all been destined to die. Mortal have you been born, to mortals have you given birth. Reckon on everything, expect everything."

Note:
Italic = Quotation from Seneca
Others = Quotation from Alain de Botton