Seneca Moral essays
Seneca: When they are on a journey their baggage is cut…
When they are on a journey their baggage is cut down, whenever they are obliged to travel fast their train of attendants is dismissed. When they are serving in the army, how small a part of their property can they have with them, since camp discipline forbids superfluities!
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Seneca’s moral essays. The reading beside it is ours.
Travel reveals what we can live without. When luggage must be carried, when plans change, or when space is limited, the pile of possessions that once seemed essential suddenly becomes optional. Seneca notices this in travelers and soldiers, but most of us have experienced it on a trip: a few clothes, basic toiletries, and a phone charger somehow suffice. Then we return home and resume managing closets, subscriptions, devices, and purchases that demand attention long after they stop giving joy. Possessions are not bad. The question is whether they support your life or create a life of maintenance around themselves. Simplicity is not an aesthetic competition or a demand to own almost nothing. It is the ability to move lightly when life requires it. Today, look at one category of baggage—physical or digital—and remove a small piece. Donate an unused item, cancel a subscription, clear your downloads. Make your life easier to carry.
Related passages
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