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It sounds like he realizes there is much more to life than physical comfort, and he has the strength and perspective to live accordingly. Excessive physical com

by _yb2s 4y ago

It sounds like he realizes there is much more to life than physical comfort, and he has the strength and perspective to live accordingly. Excessive physical comfort is often addictive, ultimately unsatisfying, and leads to sadness and weakness. Per the ancient stoics, avoiding it (the virtue of temperance) helps build the strength that makes it possible to escape suffering, and actually enjoy life more. Two of the most famous stoics Seneca and Marcus Aurelius were among the wealthiest and most powerful men in Ancient Rome yet intentionally lived like you describe because they saw it as virtuous, but also helping make them personally happy people. I am personally prone to chronic depression and have found that living simply and embracing discomfort helps me to be less depressed. I can afford to live in extreme comfort but I wouldn’t be happy like that, I would feel lethargic and weak… like a pampered pet and not a person with strength and purpose. What you have described is living your life where you satisfaction comes only from purchasing comfort. Doesn’t that feel a bit empty and pointless? What is important to you in life? Couldn’t you do better at things that were really important, and thus be happier and more satisfied if you had cultivated the strength to not need those comforts?

mrleinad 4y ago
> What you have described is living your life where you satisfaction comes only from purchasing comfort. I think there's a difference between having absolute comfort, and not turning up the heater in winter time, enduring cold inside your own house. Besides, it's not like he lives alone, his wife lives with him, and she has to endure that whether she likes it or not (they're old and there's no way for her to leave him, so let's not go there). So, being a stoic is ok if that's what you like. But dragging others with you by force I think is not ok, and if you apply stoicism on things like not warming up your house, or not buying good food when you invite your family to gather in your house once a year having all the resources to be a good host, is not stoicism. It's being cheap for the sake of being cheap. Also, my wife told me he's been like that his entire life. It's not like he turned cheap in his old age. On my part, I'm not going to have dinner for Christmas at his house ever again.
- _yb2s 4y ago
  You’re right, the situation is different than I assumed, he just sounds cheap. The point of temperance to me is to be able to better focus my energy and resources on what is important, like doing well as a father and a partner. That won’t involve forcing physical discomfort on other people.

by _yb2s 4y ago

mrleinad 4y ago

> What you have described is living your life where you satisfaction comes only from purchasing comfort. I think there's a difference between having absolute comfort, and not turning up the heater in winter time, enduring cold inside your own house. Besides, it's not like he lives alone, his wife lives with him, and she has to endure that whether she likes it or not (they're old and there's no way for her to leave him, so let's not go there). So, being a stoic is ok if that's what you like. But dragging others with you by force I think is not ok, and if you apply stoicism on things like not warming up your house, or not buying good food when you invite your family to gather in your house once a year having all the resources to be a good host, is not stoicism. It's being cheap for the sake of being cheap. Also, my wife told me he's been like that his entire life. It's not like he turned cheap in his old age. On my part, I'm not going to have dinner for Christmas at his house ever again.

_yb2s 4y ago
You’re right, the situation is different than I assumed, he just sounds cheap. The point of temperance to me is to be able to better focus my energy and resources on what is important, like doing well as a father and a partner. That won’t involve forcing physical discomfort on other people.