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January 4
Day 4/365: Marcus Aurelius on envy
Welcome to The Stoic Ledger, a daily money meditation from one of the stoic sages.
4/365: Marcus Aurelius on envy
“And if you can’t stop prizing a lot of other things? Then you’ll never be free—free, independent, imperturbable. Because you’ll always be envious and jealous, afraid that people might come and take it all away from you.” – Marcus Aurelius
It’s impossible to maintain independence of mind when our happiness, our contentment, our thoughts are dictated by uncontrollable, external forces.
Should we place great stock in our possessions, disappointment waits on the horizon of loss, as some great gale of destruction could sweep in and take it all away.
Marcus Aurelius is reminding us that the things we have, our prized possessions, are just that: things. Objects that we have ascribed meaning and value. To be fixated on them, worried for their sake, or concerned about adding to the stock pile, is to be fragile of mind.
Rather than dissuade from acquiring things, the point he is making here is a warning. To be aware, conscious, of our relationship to our things.
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