One word which repeatedly grabbed me in Hermann Hesse’s Der Steppenwolf was “eternity.” Hesse used it in a strange but comforting way. As if to say, “Don’t worry, there’s always eternity!” And even though eternity is not something accessible to us, every time I read about it in the book, it still felt soothing to think about it. Odd, isn’t it?
As it turns out, philosophy has reserved a dedicated term for this very phenomenon: sub specie aeternitatis. Translated from Latin, it roughly means “from an eternal point of view.” The idea is to get us to look at life and ourselves more objectively, but also to find inspiration and peace by taking a cosmic rather than an earthly perspective.
The term goes back to Baruch Spinoza, a man who, against all odds, spoke critically of all religions in the 17th century. To Spinoza, god and nature were the same. “Don’t separate life into boxes,” his work says. “It’s all one and the same, and we should love and appreciate it all.” What an enlightened way to think—and a main character of the Enlightenment he became indeed.
When your toe is itchy, take an eternal point of view. If you feel anxious about work tomorrow, take an eternal point of view. And when life seems to hold too many doors closed for you, take an eternal point of view. Inhale right now, but remember: Sub specie aeternitatis, it’s all a drop in the ocean, and the best reaction is to smile.