Required Reading: Letter 5: On The Philosopher’s Mean
“Inwardly, we ought to be different in all respects, but our exterior should conform to society.”
In Seneca’s fifth letter to Lucilius, he confirms the way in which a philosopher should live. He or she should not bring attention to themself but they should be so blended with society yet so different that people would admire them.
Upon meeting, folks should instinctively know there is something different about you; but can’t lay their finger on it. This should be the way you carry yourself; the way you speak; the way you dress; your pace; and posture etc.
Also, as a philosopher, there is no need to show off what you have acquired or accomplished; this in no way mean you should not have expensive things. But, there is no need to mention them in conversation. You should be so comfortable with luxury things that it makes no difference if you have them or not.
Rightly so, it is the use of these things that matter not the brands themselves. As Seneca states “Do not wear too fine, nor yet too frowzy a toga. One needs no silver plate, encrusted and embossed in solid gold; but we should not believe the lack of silver and gold to be proof of the simple life.”
Everyone inwardly knows the clothes, accessories, dishes, etc. they have which when worn or used are only for display. Nonetheless, this does not mean one should despise luxury or feel that those who don’t have luxury are more in line with philosophy. A willful simplified life is the core of philosophy; not the lack of things! For those who lack things, often times are desiring to have things; luxury things; things they can not readily afford; and this is indeed contrary to philosophy.
So, if you find yourself in luxury now, good! Control it; master it; don’t let it dictate or define you. And if you find yourself in lack; good! Be satisfied; be able to master poverty; don’t let it define your mood. For although there is a fear that comes with not having, there is still a better cure for it and which is as Hecato puts it “Cease to hope and you will cease to fear.”
Or as Seneca states “The limiting of desires helps also to cure fear.” Try it, when you make a willful decsion to curb your desires; curb your appetite for more; you find that fear of not having begin to leave you. Trim down your life; aspire to simplicity; this, you will find, is contrary to the majority; yet, it is the best path to take. For it focuses you on the present; it levels out unfortunate, fear filled memory of the past, and perhaps never-to-happen-worries of the future. Quite simply put by the master thinker “The present alone can make no man wretched.” Farewell.
Word of the day:
Bane (noun): cause of ruin or trouble; woe. (The Oxford American Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus 2nd Edition.)
Quotations:
“Repellent attire, unkempt hair, slovenly beard, open scorn of silver dishes, a couch on the bare earth, and any other perverted forms of self-display, are to be avoided.”
“Let us try to maintain a higher standard of life than that of the multitude, but not a contrary standard; otherwise, we shall frighten away and repel the very persons whom we are trying to improve.”
“The first thing which philosophy undertakes to give is fellow-feeling with all men; in other words, sympathy and sociability.”
“Philosophy calls for plain living, but not for penance; and we may perfectly well be plain and neat at the same time.”
“…our life should observe a happy medium betwen the ways of a sage and the ways of the world at large; all men should admire it, but they should understand it also.”
“It is the sign of an unstable mind not to be able to endure riches.”
Questions:
1) Do you own luxury things?
2) How do they make you feel? (Rich, someone important when you use them; or are you indifferent?)
3) Do you desire to be rich? Why?
4) Could you be satisfy if you don’t become rich?
5) How would you feel if you suddenly loose or begin to loose what you currently have?
Activity:
1) List all of your desires (i.e dreams, wishes, wants.)
2) List all of your fears (anything that consistently clouds the mind.)
3) List the desires you absolutely must have (Five at most.)
4) List the worst case scnerario for each fear then…
5) Get a copy and begin to read read Dale Carnegie’s book How to start Worrying and Start Living.
