> “What good are gilded rooms or precious stones fitted on the floor, inlaid in the walls, carried from great distances at the greatest expense? These things are pointless and unnecessary—without them isn’t it possible to live healthy? Aren’t they the source of constant trouble? Don’t they cost vast sums of money that, through public and private charity, may have benefited many?”
— Musonius Rufus

My Thoughts:
Traveling really makes you notice just how absurdly wasteful extreme wealth can be. Like seriously, who actually needs gold faucets or diamond-studded chandeliers? Musonius Rufus perfectly captures the essence of this madness. It’s not just unnecessary, it borders on grotesque. Every obscenely luxurious item I come across makes me seriously question our priorities as a society. While billionaires launch themselves into space or build mega-yachts within yachts, countless people still lack basic necessities.

We don’t have a resource shortage; we have a glaring sharing problem. Imagine if the money spent on just one billionaire’s vanity project was redirected to helping actual humans. Wild concept, I know.

Today’s Stoic Exercise:
Identify one unnecessary luxury or expense in your life today (big or small) and consciously redirect that spending towards something more meaningful, either for yourself or someone else. For me, it might mean skipping overpriced tourist traps today and instead donating that money to someone genuinely in need. Small rebellions matter—especially against rampant consumerism and wealth inequality.

About the Daily Stoic Quote & Exercise Series:

This daily series of Stoic quotes comes with a short, practical challenge—something all of us (myself included) can easily integrate into our day. Stoicism, at its core, is a practical philosophy. You can’t truly understand it just by reading—you have to practice it consistently. These daily exercises are designed to help us do exactly that: small steps, manageable tasks, and real-life application. Join in anytime, and let’s grow together.

> “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”
— Seneca

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