Prudence is the foundation of [the pleasurable life] and our greatest good. Because of this, prudence is more valuable than philosophy.
There is a bit of a strange disconnect when an advocate for Epicureanism encounters the rest of the philosophy blogging world. Philosophers debate subtle terminology, the interpretation of obscure texts, and Hard Problems. And I do some of that as well. But the biggest thing that separates Epicureanism from other philosophical schools is not our views on the possibility of knowledge, free will, or the like, but our insistence that philosophy is not the most important thing for the happiness of one’s life. The most important thing is prudence, also known as practical wisdom or phronesis.
In today’s edition of Epicurean Allies, I’m pulling our focus back towards this vital, practical center. Philosophy blogs can provide some interesting food for thought. But I’d be lying if I said that any formal “philosophy” blog has had as much positive influence on my life as Mr. Money Mustache, one of the leading online presences of the Financial Independence movement in the early 2010s (he has tapered down his activity significantly in recent years). There are various flavors of Financial Independence gurus out in the world, but “Mustachianism” emphasizes things like:
Frugality, partly through smart shopping, but largely through reduced consumerism
Replace consumption with productive, life-enhancing activities:
Ride bikes, lift heavy things, don’t be fat, and spend time outside for your health
Insource domestic tasks so that you increase your skills and enhance your feeling of both technical capability and general life competence
Instead of reading anxiety-producing news or trivial social media, read library books and actually learn something useful
Mathematically analyze your spending decisions (consumer purchases, transportation and housing choices) and investment choices (he mostly advocates for low-cost index investing)
Do all of this by adopting a mindset of triumphant growth (or as he tends to refer to it, “badassity”), constantly celebrating your increasing knowledge, capability, strength, and financial security as you leave behind a life of unreflective inefficiency
I think this is all completely compatible with Epicureanism. Many of these topics are obviously and explicitly present in the ancient texts, where Epicurus regularly champions frugality and emphasizes the incomparable value of careful prudential analysis. Since Mr. Money Mustache is more concerned with action than theory, however, his articles often expand on what is implicit in those ancient texts. For obvious reasons, Epicurus can’t give you specific advice on choosing a car, shopping for insurance, and formulating your investment strategy. But if he were alive today, I think he very much would want you to think carefully about these decisions.
To clarify what this practical fleshing-out of modern Epicureanism might look like, let me highlight a few articles chosen from among MMM’s more philosophical entries:
Luxury is Just Another Weakness
Mr. Money Mustache once reflected on an unusually fancy business trip he went on:
“I am Mr. Bigshot,” I thought to myself. “I sit in bigass cars, with muscular V-8 engines which waste huge amounts of gas while people drive me around. I sit upon polished strips of sliced-up cows, dyed and stitched together by workers who earn far less than me. When I get to the expensive hotel, I will be presented with an internationally-sourced meal prepared by chefs, and a large private suite, while others bow down and wait and pay me for the priceless solutions I deliver from my powerful mind. THIS is the treatment I deserve! Why have I been taking the bus and riding my bike and setting up tents all these years?”
Humans are silly. We get used to certain luxuries and then we think they constitute our self-worth. They don’t. Instead, we should view them—as Epicurus suggested—as something that is most enjoyable as an occasional contrast to a generally simple, easy lifestyle. Mr. Money Mustache says the same thing: luxury is a drug, and taking drugs constantly is a really idiotic strategy for life satisfaction.
But to seek to constantly maximize luxury in all areas of your life to the limits of what you can afford? Pure insanity. Just as it would be insane for me to say, “Since I can afford it, I need to start taking drugs for as many of my waking hours as possible. Alternating shots of espresso and fine scotch all day, with hits from the bong every hour on the hour!”
That’s roughly how I imagine a lecture by Epicurus sounded to his contemporaries.
Read “Luxury is Just Another Weakness”
It’s All About the Safety Margin
A lot of people keep working and working because they have no clear idea of financial “enough.” Some pick an arbitrarily high number of dollars or an arbitrarily high number of years, and then keep accumulating funds until they reach that point. Others think vaguely about such a number, view it as impossibly far off, and therefore never make consistent efforts to achieve it.
The Mustachian/Epicurean advice insists on sober reasoning that comes to definite conclusions. If you want to achieve financial independence, you need a rational approach, which might look something like:
Make some concrete calculations as to what you really need. For instance, follow the FI mantra of “accumulate 25 times my annual spending in productive investments,” i.e. “the 4% rule.”
Make your life choices in light of that overarching structure. For instance, “If my annual spending were 25% lower, I would have a higher savings rate and would need to save 25% less money to retire—restraining my spending would move me towards my long-term hedonic preference and would therefore be the most satisfying choice.”
Then relax in the security of your solid reasoning.
Many people, of course, struggle psychologically to refrain from worrying. Compulsive worriers sometimes mistakenly think, therefore, that Epicureans advocate a life of miserable, penny-pinching scroogery as they constantly worry about money. But we don’t. Pierre Hadot knows it. Mr. Money Mustache does too. The Epistachian life recommends that you build an appropriate level of safety margin into your life, then appreciate it so that you can stop worrying.
Read “It’s All About the Safety Margin”
Frugality is the New Fanciness
The “old fanciness” was conspicuous consumption. Throughout most of human history, high consumption was a reliable indicator of higher social status. Today, however, we have a historically unique situation: people of normal financial means and social standing can also consume at very high levels. In many contemporary cases, however, the chase for visible consumption goes hand-in-hand with worse financial acumen, as people dig themselves into debt or tether themselves to unnecessarily long or stressful careers. Among wiser Mustachian/Epicurean peers, therefore, the absence of bloated consumption is a better signal of intelligence and worth.
When newcomers stumble across the Mr. Money Mustache blog, they are immediately excited by the idea of early retirement and a lifetime of freedom. But then they are immediately dismayed when they realize that to earn this freedom, they will need to spend much less money than they earn, for several years.
“Dammit!”, they say. “I want the reward, but I really don’t want that hardship and struggle that it takes to get there. I will be viewed as a lesser person among my peers if I dare to embrace such frugality!”
Well guess what? You can now drop your fears of looking like a loser, because things have changed. If you haven’t heard the word, here it is: Frugality is the New Fanciness.
One of the big successes of Mustachianism is to create a (sub-)culture in which frugality is not merely seen as “prudent,” but is seen as smart and admirable. It’s entirely possible for that to become the accepted value in a given social sphere. That’s how it works among Epicureans, who emphasize communal philosophizing.
Imagine that revelatory change. Many people are drawn to consumer purchases because they think it will give them increased social standing. They buy fancy cars, fancy clothes, fancy houses. But what if every one of those purchases just made you look stupider in the eyes of your family, friends, and respected teachers? That’s a big part of the value of joining an Epicurean or Mustachian “cult,” even if only virtually. It changes whose good opinion you strive to earn.
Read “Frugality is the New Fanciness”
Conclusion
These are just three, semi-arbitrary examples from an impressive back catalog. There are other pieces of highly Epicurean theorizing, such as Mr. Money Mustache’s take on hedonic adaptation (and “How Can it Turn You Into a Sucka”) or his advice not to worry about politics and other things beyond our circle of control. There are more practical pieces, such as articles on keeping your grocery costs down by refusing to buy overpriced things (“Grocery Shopping With Your Middle Finger”) or on the basic math of early retirement. I encourage you to explore. If you have consumer debt, dislike your job, or consider retirement an impossible dream, then it’s very likely that the Mustachian advice will have a greater positive impact on your life than anything you will find in, say, Plato, Kant, or Existentialism.
Personally, I feel I’ve been getting a little too exclusively technical myself in recent months. My stated goal when starting up Untroubled was to offer “Epicurean ethics for modern times.” I personally have a strong scholarly bent, and often feel the lure of poring over the old books for subtle details. This is harmless enough in itself, but shouldn’t be mistaken for the full Epicurean lifestyle. Going forward, I intend to let a bit more of the Mustachian spirit out—merging the practical with the theoretical, the irreverent with the serious. Epicureanism is not merely a philosophy to be studied in classrooms. It’s a philosophy to be lived.
"Epistachian" 😊 I was only vaguely aware of MMM. Your article intrigued me to go check out his advice. Sounds a little like The Motley Fool I remember reading back in the ... Well, awhile ago.