The Artful Life: Ars Longa, Vita Brevis
Update: 2025-07-11
Description
In the 4th century B.C., the Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, wrote in his Aphorisms (translated into Latin here):
Vita brevis, ars longa, occasio praeceps, experimentum periculosum, iudicium difficile.Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experiment dangerous, judgment difficult.
The phrase has been further tightened and adapted, including by the Roman statesman and Stoic philosopher Seneca, into the following:
Art is long, life is short.
In a strict interpretation, this might simply be about your art: The creative craft or endeavor you choose to pursue.
But allow me to offer a more liberal interpretation...
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