Stoicism for a Better Life – Weekly exercise (March 21, 2021)

Hello there,

Moderation is everything. We know this. Yet we all fail from time to time and overindulge. This week we can try and focus one common over indulgence with some words from Musonius Rufus. This is from his lectures 18a and 18b (Lutz translation):

“But to sum up the question of food, I maintain that its purpose should be to produce health and strength, that one should for that purpose eat only that which requires no great outlay, and finally that at table one should have regard for a fitting decorum and moderation, and most of all should be superior to the common vices of filth and greedy haste.”

As a vegan I tend to eat fairly healthy. We eat a lot of whole foods, locally sourced as much as possible and all that jazz…but come evening time those chip bags are my enemies. And although it’s okay to indulge in some treats, I can humbly admit I eat more than my share and do that too often to boot. 

This is my story of overindulging and I’m sure you have yours. Or perhaps you’re a super healthy person with your diet and your overindulgence is something else. As a practical exercise this week, let us focus on this indulgence and try and reduce it as much as possible. Let us make this our primary focus. Identify your trigger and try and get ahead of it. Make a plan to perhaps substitute (for example air popped popcorn could be a much healthier alternative for myself).

And don’t kid yourself. Bettering your diet absolutely helps you become a better person. If we eat better, our bodies are healthier and have more energy, which allows us more mental capacity to do virtuous actions. So let us work towards the betterment of humanity, by bettering ourselves and eating better.

Anderson Silver