Seneca’s Test for the Fear of Poverty—and Why He Practised It Himself

Seneca was one of the wealthiest men in Rome, yet he urged his friend Lucilius to spend several days living with very little. In Letter 18, he recommends plain food and rough clothing, then asks: “Is this the condition that I feared?” He saw it as training for hardship before it arrived, not as a religious exercise or a display of humility. Seneca also described trying the practice himself. In Letter 87, he recalled travelling with little luggage, sleeping on the ground and eating dried figs. He admitted that he blushed when a richer, better-dressed party passed them. That honesty makes his advice more interesting: even a wealthy man who practised doing without could still feel embarrassed. I keep coming back to that admission. Many people have faced real financial hardship and later climbed out of it. Did that experience make you less afraid of money trouble, or more afraid? Seneca believed that deliberately facing hardship could shrink its power over us. I’d like to hear whether that matches your experience.

Use The App To Win ₦1m

Stories are shared by community members. This article does not represent the official view of NaijaWorld — the author is solely responsible for its content.