“What nature requires is obtainable, and within easy reach. It is for the superfluous we sweat.”
- c. 4 BC – AD 65
- Roman
- Philosopher, Statesman, Dramatist, Stoic Thinker, Advisor to Emperor Nero
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Quote
“What nature requires is obtainable, and within easy reach. It is for the superfluous we sweat.”
Explanation
Our true needs are simple and easily fulfilled; it is our desires for excess that burden us. Seneca the Younger teaches that nature asks little of us—basic food, shelter, companionship, and dignity. These essentials are usually accessible without great effort or suffering. The real toil, stress, and dissatisfaction come from pursuing luxury, status, and abundance.
This insight is central to Stoic philosophy, which holds that happiness comes from living in harmony with nature and limiting desire. Seneca criticizes the human tendency to exhaust oneself chasing what is unnecessary, while neglecting the peace and sufficiency found in simplicity. It is not poverty that afflicts us, but the craving for more.
In modern terms, this wisdom critiques consumerism, overwork, and the endless pursuit of “more.” We spend much of our lives striving for things we do not need, often at the cost of health, relationships, or peace of mind. Seneca reminds us that freedom and fulfillment lie not in accumulation, but in appreciating and being content with what is truly necessary.
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