If you wish to have leisure for your mind, either be a poor man, or resemble a poor man. Study cannot be helpful unless you take pains to live simply; and living simply is voluntary poverty.
Away, then, with all excuses like: "I have not yet enough; when I have gained the desired amount, then I shall devote myself wholly to philosophy."
And yet this ideal, which you are putting off and placing second to other interests, should be secured first of all; you should begin with it.
Though he has little conception of its inner meaning, the grasping man at least likes to simulate the appearance of wisdom, perhaps by acquiring trophies of culture, or by surrounding himself with intellectual sycophants, so that he can give some respectability to his endeavors. He may not know why he so desperately needs philosophy, but his instincts still draw him to her.
Looking beyond the diversions of fame and fortune, it turns out that a man could hardly have a finer friend than the truth, and he will never find a love who is more loyal. She will not abandon him if he becomes sick or penniless, and she will never fail to hold him up when he is lonely and forlorn.
Some companions in carousing were once debating who was the most beautiful woman in the world, though I suspect that beauty isn’t really what they were thinking about. When pushed to offer my own answer, I could only think of Athena, and was met with the most confused stares.
“Wait, isn’t she like one of those virgin goddesses? What could you possibly get from her?”
“That same strength she gave Odysseus to help him find his way home.”
And you wonder why I have so few friends!
Wisdom will help me to better understand who I am, and therefore to know what I will need to live well. Anything else is completely subservient to such a good of my character, and so I come to learn how the worldly rewards are not as big as I once thought they were. It all comes down to the priorities: as the pursuit of virtue grows larger in my estimation, so the longing for vanities grows smaller.
If I want my soul to be rich, I should be quite happy for my body to be poor. A simple life demands focusing only on the essential and letting go of the unnecessary.
The sincerity of my commitment will quickly become apparent by my actions, whether my deeds are keeping up with my words. There won’t be any room for making excuses, where I tell myself that I must attend to my security and convenience before I face the calling of my conscience.
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