Nothing Wrong With Nice Stuff
The Daily Stoic16 Juli 2019

Nothing Wrong With Nice Stuff

Seneca was a very rich man. He had nice stuff. Critics at the time, and ever since, have found this to be indisputable proof of his hypocrisy. How can a Stoic have expensive ivory tables? Isn’t it unphilosophical to have multiple houses? Or servants?

In Seneca’s view, the answer was no. Nobody said that Stoicism meant a vow of poverty, or needless deprivation. As he wrote, “Philosophy calls for plain living, not for penance...our lives should observe a happy medium between the ways of the sage and the ways of the world at large.”

Plain living is, to a certain degree, relative. A $100 steak dinner to one person is an insane luxury. To a person with a much larger salary and in a different social setting, having dinner at that same restaurant might be an unassuming and convenient choice (especially if all their friends are chasing reservations somewhere fancier and even more expensive). That Mercedes they bought with cash, that is both really safe and gets great gas mileage, might actually be plainer living than it is for the person of more modest means who is driving a brand new Nissan on a no-money-down lease (when really they ought to be taking the train).

Stoicism is not, as Seneca said, a form of self-flagellation. It’s about responsibility and sobriety. It’s possible to be sober and rich, just as it’s possible to be middle class and reckless. You only live once. Money is earned to be spent. Just make sure you’re spending it smartly and philosophically. And living, as best you can, plainly.


See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(3130)

BONUS | What a 9/11 Pilot Will Never Forget (with General Dan Caine)

BONUS | What a 9/11 Pilot Will Never Forget (with General Dan Caine)

In today’s bonus episode, Gen. Dan Caine reflects on being one of the first pilots in the air on 9/11 and what that moment taught him about courage, leadership, and service.General Dan Caine is the 22...

11 Sep 12min

Let This Always Be The Answer | I Was the First FDNY Chief on the Scene on 9/11

Let This Always Be The Answer | I Was the First FDNY Chief on the Scene on 9/11

Today, on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, let us be full of love.-- Chief Joseph Pfeifer was the first FDNY chief to arrive at the World Trade Center on 9/11. He watched the first plane hit the North To...

11 Sep 24min

You Need To Learn How To Be Better At This | Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself

You Need To Learn How To Be Better At This | Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself

It’d be wonderful if every great novel was easy to get into, if every philosophy was made accessible, if every history tome was readable and clear. Sadly, they are not.Turn the words into works 👉 Rea...

10 Sep 8min

How To Forgive When They’re Not Sorry | It’s Not a Principle Unless It Costs You Something

How To Forgive When They’re Not Sorry | It’s Not a Principle Unless It Costs You Something

It would be nice if they got it. If they understood why they did it. How they hurt us. What it meant to us. And maybe they will…someday.-- 🎥 Watch the full episode with Codie Sanchez here: https://ww...

9 Sep 25min

You Must Read To Lead | 10 Stoic Strategies To Deal With Anxiety

You Must Read To Lead | 10 Stoic Strategies To Deal With Anxiety

Not all the Stoics were leaders, but all of them were readers.Turn the words into works 👉 Read to Lead: A Daily Stoic Reading Challenge | Over five weeks, Ryan Holiday walks you through not only th...

8 Sep 14min

BONUS | 3 Life-Changing Lessons From Seneca in 3 Minutes

BONUS | 3 Life-Changing Lessons From Seneca in 3 Minutes

Seneca lived through illness, exile, and the brutal reign of Nero. In today’s episode, Ryan shares three of the most powerful ideas Seneca learned from those experiences and why they can change the wa...

7 Sep 2min

You’re in a Hurry and Don’t Know Why | A Hard Winter Training

You’re in a Hurry and Don’t Know Why | A Hard Winter Training

Slow down. Pause. Take a breath. Because one day, you’ll realize you rushed through too much of your life, too much of your loved ones’ lives. 🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a city n...

7 Sep 7min

The Moment Ryan’s Italy Trip Went Sideways

The Moment Ryan’s Italy Trip Went Sideways

Ryan thought running 50 kilometers through Rome would be the hard part of the family trip to Italy but he was wrong. In today’s episode, he shares how the rest of the trip went completely off the rail...

6 Sep 30min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
rss-jossan-nina
varvet
24fragor
rss-borsens-finest
bathina-en-podcast
uppgang-och-fall
avanzapodden
svd-tech-brief
badfluence
tabberaset
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
rss-hos-psykologen
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
lastbilspodden
rss-dagen-med-di
borsmorgon
fill-or-kill
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet