Welcome to The Stoic Ledger, a daily money meditation from one of the stoic sages.

16/365: Seneca on a sound mind

You’ll never see what’s behind the curtain in someone else’s mind.

You can see their house, you can see their car, you can see the status that they convey, but nothing as to their inner monologues and private lives.

To the Stoics, the objective wasn’t money. True North was cultivating a sound mind.

A mind that is self-disciplined, just, wise, and courageous—all four characteristics attainable without money, probably more easily so.

A sound mind, rooted in wisdom and virtue, is invaluable and cannot be bought or borrowed. And as Seneca suggests, likely would go without purchase if it were for sale, for the tradeoffs entailed don’t look anything like our vision of modern material success.

Reflect and ask yourself, “Have I been buying equity in an unsound mind?”