Musonius Rufus on Simplicity
"Nature does not demand much from us." — Musonius Rufus, exiled Stoic, calls out Roman luxury from the edge of the empire.
Unknown — "Marble Statue Group of the Three Graces" (2nd century CE), public domain
A Stoic’s minimum wage.
In Musonius Rufus, Lecture XVIII, he says: «Ἡ φύσις οὐ πολλά ἀπαιτεῖ» — "Nature does not demand much from us." The line hits like a hammer to every senator lounging in silk — you can live well with less.
Fighting comfort with philosophy.
Musonius believed we've been tricked by culture, not nature. Bread, water, shelter — and virtue. That's it. Strip away the rest, he argued, and suffering loses its bite. Need less, fear less.
The most exiled man in Rome.
Musonius Rufus was banished at least twice for teaching unpopular truths. He didn’t just talk about living simply — he proved it in poverty and exile. The fewer your wants, the freer you become.
He saw comfort as a trap. The simpler your needs, the harder you are to break.
