Audio only

On the Shortness of Life

By SenecaNarrated by James Midwood
Length2h 53m

About this audiobook

On the Shortness of Life is one of Seneca's most powerful and practical reflections on time, mortality, distraction, ambition, and the art of living with purpose. In this classic Stoic essay, Seneca argues that life is not truly short; rather, people waste much of it on empty pursuits, anxiety, social pressure, greed, and the demands of others. The problem is not the limited number of years we are given, but the way we spend them. Direct, elegant, and deeply relevant, this work challenges listeners to examine how they use their days, what they give their attention to, and whether they are truly living or merely being carried along by habit and obligation. Seneca invites us to reclaim time as our most precious possession and to devote life to wisdom, reflection, virtue, and meaningful action. A timeless audiobook for listeners interested in Stoicism, ancient philosophy, time management, mortality, self-discipline, personal growth, and the search for a more deliberate life.

Audiobook details

Rating★★★★ 4.3 (96.1K)
Includes Goodreads, Amazon, StoryGraph, LibraryThing
GenrePhilosophy
Length2 hrs 53 mins
Narrated byJames Midwood
FormatAudiobook
Publish dateJul 10, 2026
LanguageEnglish

More from Seneca

IlluminationsWalter Benjamin10h 12m4.4 (16.2K)$20 · $0.00
That Bird Has My WingsJarvis Jay Masters9h 49m4.4 (13.7K)$29 · $0.00
Tâo Teh KingLaozi2h 34m4.4 (230.9K)$2 · $0.00
SymposiumPlato3h 26m4.4 (97.9K)$1.20 · $0.00
Buddhist Boot CampTimber Hawkeye2h 39m4.4 (8.4K)$18 · $0.00
Enchiridion & The Discourses of Epictetus (Annotated)Arrian Epictetus18h 9m4.4 (3.5K)$2 · $0.00
The Meditations of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius AntoninusEmperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius5h 41m4.4 (1.8M)$1 · $0.00
Crime and PunishmentFyodor Dostoevsky23h 11m4.4 (1.3M)$12 · $0.00
MeditationsMarcus Aurelius5h 52m4.4 (433.7K)$1 · $0.00
Everyday DharmaSuneel Gupta5h 2m4.5 (761)$20 · $0.00
The Joyful Wisdom ("La Gaya Scienza")Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche11h 37m4.4 (26.6K)$1 · $0.00
The Art of LivingEpictetus, Sharon Lebell3h 16m4.4 (50.1K)$18 · $0.00
MeditationsEmperor Of Rome Marcus Aurelius7h 23m4.3 (477.5K)$1.20 · $0.00
The Imitation of ChristThomas à Kempis6h 27m4.3 (84.6K)$21 · $0.00
Sadhana: the realisation of lifeRabindranath Tagore3h 49m4.4 (8.6K)$6 · $0.00
SapiensYuval Noah Harari15h 18m4.3 (1.4M) · 1204$33 · $0.00
You BelongSebene Selassie8h 35m4.4 (2.7K)$26 · $0.00
The Song Celestial; Or, Bhagavad-Gîtâ (from the Mahâbhârata)Anonymous2h 18m4.4 (3.2K)$2 · $0.00
The KybalionThe Three Initiates3h 47m4.3 (58.7K)$20 · $0.00
Chuang Tzu: Mystic, Moralist, and Social ReformerZhuangzi14h 42m4.4 (1.2K)$1 · $0.00

You may also like

The Wellness RemodelChristina Anstead, Cara Clark3h 31m4.1 (1.8K)$18 · $0.00
What to Make of a LifeJim Collins13h 31m4.4 (794)$33 · $0.00
As a Man ThinkethJames Allen52m4.2 (131K)$1.20 · $0.00
The Mastery of DestinyJames Allen1h 44m4.3 (759)$2.30 · $0.00
Big TrustShadé Zahrai, Fayçal Sekkouah8h 36m4.6 (406)$26 · $0.00
The Power of ConcentrationWilliam Walker Atkinson4h 21m4.2 (7.5K)$1.99 · $0.00
All These Things AddedJames Allen2h 37m4.1 (585)$1 · $0.00
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of LoyolaIgnatius of Loyola4h 34m4.3 (8.3K)$1 · $0.00
How to Live on 24 Hours a DayArnold Bennett1h 35m3.8 (15.9K)$10 · $0.00
Attitude Is EverythingJeff Keller3h 43m4.2 (37.6K)$18 · $0.00
Next!Joanne Lipman9h 20m4.0 (355)$29 · $0.00
Best SelfMike Bayer8h 9m4.1 (13.1K)$26 · $0.00
The Game of Seduction: how to become a modern-day "Casanova" and take beautiful women to bed.John Lougan4h 44m$13 · $0.00
Breaking Bad HabitsDr. Margaux Stein5h 24m$10 · $0.00
Awake, AddictedElijah C. Prescott7h 35m$4.10 · $0.00
Stop Interrupting, Start ListeningImad Muratspahic3h 11m$11 · $0.00
Sex DetoxIan Kerner7h 25m3.2 (168)$24 · $0.00
The direct ZEN-Way to LiberationZensho W. Kopp2h 6m$13 · $0.00
A Man of the WorldAnnie Payson Call41m$2 · $0.00
400 Habits of SuccessLaura Sthephane2h 45m$5.30 · $0.00