S

July    25th

WHAT’S  ON  YOUR    TOMBSTONE?

“When   you see someone often   flashing    their   rank    or  position,   or  someone whose   name    is  often

bandied about   in  public, don’t   be  envious;    such    things  are bought  at  the expense of  life.   .   .   .

Some    die on  the first   rungs   of  the ladder  of  success,    others  before  they    can reach   the top,    and the

few that    make    it  to  the top of  their   ambition    through a   thousand    indignities realize at  the end it’s

only    for an  inscription on  their   gravestone.”

—SENECA,    ON  THE BREVITY OF  LIFE,    20

ometimes our professional commitments can become an end unto themselves. A politician might
justify the neglect of his family for his office, or a writer might believe her “genius” excuses
antisocial or selfish behavior. Anyone with some perspective can see that, in fact, the politician is really
just in love with fame, and the writer enjoys being condescending and feeling superior. Workaholics
always make excuses for their selfishness.
While these attitudes can lead to impressive accomplishments, their cost is rarely justified. The ability
to work hard and long is admirable. But you are a human being, not a human doing. Seneca points out that
we’re not animals. “Is it really so pleasant to die in harness?” he asked. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn put it
better: “Work is what horses die of. Everybody should know that.”