On desire
"When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love...” ― Marcus Aurelius (AD 121 - 180)
Similar to the arguments by Socrates in Plato's Gorgias the rhetoricians of today have lead America down a destructive path. We no longer strive for health, wealth, and happiness which are largely derived from wanting less. Rather we long to consume more and conserve less and lesss.
Nowadays, due to unchecked capitalism and rampant consumerism many have become less intelligent, less happy, and less healthy. There are fewer and fewer people in today's society that understand the principle of less is more.
The ability to practice temperance has become a luxury deployed by the cognitive and social elite. A small group of society understands the need for the art of arithmetic, logic, and health to live a long and happy life.
The man who desires nothing is truly free. Increase your knowledge and abilities to constantly learn and avoid pursuits of excess food, drink, and luxury. This is the only way to be truly embody stoic practices and be free.