The Opulent Stoic

The Opulent Stoic

Meditation for August 28, 2021

August 28, 2021 7:00 AM

“The founder of the universe, who assigned to us the laws of life, provided that we should live well, but not in luxury. Everything needed for our well-being is right before us, whereas what luxury requires is gathered by many miseries and anxieties. Let us use this gift of nature and count it among the greatest things.”

- Seneca, Moral Letters, 119.15b

Wealth can be a treacherous course to navigate for most. Fortune can provide comfort, but when we begin to idolize our wealth, we fail ourselves.

Someone wealthy is not evil, but they risk becoming a slave to luxury. Can you imagine losing everything overnight? How would you survive?

Conclusion

We need to learn to be pragmatic about our wealth. Our purpose in life should not be to collect the most things. Many happy people live with much less.