Musonius Rufus on Self-Restraint
"Χρὴ δὲ μὴ πρὸς τὴν ἡδονὴν ἐκκαλεῖσθαι." — "One must not be enticed by pleasure." Musonius lays down the rule in a world of banquets and excess.
Unknown — "Table" (ca. 1775–80), public domain
Draw the line on pleasure.
Musonius Rufus, in his Lectures (Lecture XV), draws it blunt: «Χρὴ δὲ μὴ πρὸς τὴν ἡδονὴν ἐκκαλεῖσθαι» — "One must not be enticed by pleasure." Spoken in a Rome drowning in luxury, it's a command to swim against the current.
The Stoic case for saying no.
For Musonius, every sweet indulgence could become a trap. He taught senators and slaves that the real mark of strength was the ability to choose what you pursue. Discipline wasn’t suffering—it was freedom from being ruled by every fleeting urge.
Musonius Rufus didn't see restraint as grim or joyless. For him, giving in to every pleasure meant signing up for chains. To be free, real freedom, was to be able to say no—even when everything in Rome tells you to say yes.
