"On the other hand," he says, "nothing is needed by the fool, for he does not understand how to use anything, but he is in want of everything."
The wise man needs hands, eyes, and many things that are necessary for his daily use; but he is in want of nothing. For want implies a necessity, and nothing is necessary to the wise man.
Therefore, although he is self-sufficient, yet he has need of friends. He craves as many friends as possible, not, however, that he may live happily; for he will live happily even without friends.
The Supreme Good calls for no practical aids from outside; it is developed at home, and arises entirely within itself. If the good seeks any portion of itself from without, it begins to be subject to the play of Fortune.
If I am making a genuine effort to improve myself, I will find that I am engaged in relationships with countless people, places, and things around me, and yet those conditions do not at any time need to define or control me. Recognizing that my character proceeds from my own judgments, any circumstances become like opportunities to rise above them, to respect them for what they are while also maintaining a distinct respect for who I am.
Like any good philosophical play on words, the saying of Chrysippus should make me hesitate for a moment, uncertain as to whether I am getting it right, and then finding an insight that things often go the opposite way from what I expect of them.
Happy people, I have long been told, will go out and get what they want, and their freedom comes from being masters of their world. It has taken me a while to see that this approach gets it all backwards, since peace of mind has nothing to do with acquiring anything external at all, and there is hardly any self-sufficiency in being dependent on possessions.
Happy people, I am beginning to learn, will make good use of anything that crosses their path, and their freedom comes rather from being masters of themselves. If I am living happily (as distinct from being “made” happy), I will want for nothing, even as I require all sorts of chances to practice wisdom and virtue.
What could I possibly want, if I already have myself? The whole wide world is constantly offering me what I need, in order to think, speak, and act with decency.
If I am, however, a grasping man, on account of being so empty inside, what won’t I possibly want? Since I am deeply confused about my very identity, I am also oblivious to what I need.
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