A STRONG SOUL IS BETTER THAN GOOD LUCK
“The rational soul is stronger than any kind of fortune—from its own share it guides its affairs here or there, and is itself the cause of a happy or miserable life.”
—SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 98.2b
Cato the Younger had enough money to dress in fine clothing. Yet he often walked around Rome barefoot, indifferent to assumptions people made about him as he passed. He could have indulged in the finest food. He chose instead to eat simple fare. Whether it was raining or intensely hot, he went bareheaded by choice.
Why not indulge in some easy relief? Because Cato was training his soul to be strong and resilient. Specifically, he was learning indifference: an attitude of “let come what may” that would serve him well in the trenches with the army, in the Forum and the Senate, and in his life as a father and statesman.
His training prepared him for any conditions, any kind of luck. If we undergo our own training and preparations, we might find ourselves similarly strengthened.
9月1日
强大的灵魂胜过好运
“理性的灵魂胜过任何命运——它能主宰自身的境遇，指引行事的方向，并决定了生活是幸福还是悲惨。”
——塞内卡，《道德书简》，98.2b
小加图（Cato the Younger）本有足够的财力穿戴华服，但他却常赤脚在罗马街头行走，对路人投来的异样眼光毫不在意。他本可尽情享用珍馐美味，却选择了粗茶淡饭。无论风雨交加还是烈日炎炎，他都坚持不戴帽子。
为何不享受这些唾手可得的舒适呢？因为加图是在磨练自己灵魂的坚韧与强大。具体而言，他在学习一种“泰然处之”的态度——即“顺其自然”的心境。这种心态无论是在军营前线、在罗马广场与元老院，还是在他作为父亲与政治家的生活中，都让他受益匪浅。
这种磨练使他能够从容应对各种境况与命运的起伏。如果我们也进行类似的自我磨练与准备，或许也能获得同样的强大力量。
