“Let us become intimate with poverty, so that Fortune may not catch us off our guard.” — Seneca, Letters to Lucilius 18.8 (Richard Mott Gummere)

Micro-Lesson#

The Stoic is not against wealth — Seneca was one of the richest men in Rome. The Stoic is against dependency on wealth. Today you rehearse the simple life, not because luxury is evil, but because the man who has practiced doing without is the man luxury cannot enslave.

Exercise (15 min)#

For one day, eat plainly (rice, bread, water, simple vegetables), dress simply, and use no entertainment beyond a book or a walk. At evening, notice which comfort you actually missed — and which you did not.

Journal Prompt#

Which of my comforts am I secretly afraid to live without — and what would it mean to be free of that fear?