"Whenever you see another person exercising authority in a public post, set against that the fact that you can do without a public post; when you see another person living in wealth, look to what you have instead of that. For if you have nothing in place of it, you’re wretched indeed; but if you’re capable of not having need of wealth, know that you have more than he does, and something of much greater value. Another man has a beautiful wife; you have the power not to wish for a beautiful wife. Do you think these are small matters? And yet how much would those very men who are rich and powerful, and have beautiful wives, give to be able to despise riches and power, and those women whom they love and win? Don’t you know what kind of thirst one feels when one has a fever? It bears no resemblance to that of a healthy person. A healthy person takes a drink and his thirst is quenched, but the other, after some short relief, feels sick, turns the water into bile, vomits, suffers from colic, and feels much thirstier than before. It is much the same to have wealth and yet feel a strong desire for that very thing, or have power and yet desire it, or pass one’s nights with a beautiful woman and yet lust for her. To which may be added jealousy, and the fear of losing what one has, and shameful words, shameful thoughts, and improper deeds."

Epictetus, Discourses

Nice try, fed

A Little girl and her Mom were by the hot food at an Ironwood Kwik Trip. The mom asked, "should we get a rotisserie chicken?" The little girl responded with "noooooooo 😭."

Responding to the situation, I said "you really don't want one? But they're so good." I then grabbed four rotisserie chickens, taking advantage of today's $5 chicken sale, and headed to the register. I heard the little girl saying something like "okay, I'll try it."

After I paid, the machine confirmed, "great purchase." Stay poor, friends.

To the snowman reactors, here's the same station but in February