“Show me someone who isn't a slave! One is a slave to lust, another to greed, another to power, and all are slaves to fear. I could name a former Consul who is a slave to a little old woman, a millionaire who is the slave of the cleaning woman &helips; No servitude is more abject than the self-imposed.”
- Seneca, Moral Letters, 47.17
September 25, 2021 7:00 AM
A slave to our desires. Can you cope with a day without your cell phone? A week without your morning coffee? A month without an adult beverage?
It seems absurd to think that we would be without these things in our "first-world" lives. Cell phone service can go down. Doctors can suggest we remove caffeine or alcohol from our diets. They may seem like trivial losses, but how would you react?
Conclusion
Seneca would suggest that we voluntarily give up items we desire. Put your phone down. Cut out coffee or alcohol for a week or a month. By making ourselves immune to our desires, we strengthen our resolve when what we desire is removed.