What do you value?
“I, Hipparchia chose not the tasks of rich-robed woman, but the manly life of the Cynic.
Brooch-clasped tunics, well-clad shoes, and perfumed headscarves pleased me not;
But with wallet and fellow staff, together with coarse cloak and bed of hard ground,
My name shall be greater than Atalanta: for wisdom is better than mountain running.”
-Hipparchia of Maroneia
Most of us at this point are familiar with the ideas of minimalism. The idea of intentionally promoting the things you most value and removing everything that distracts you from it. It is a lifestyle that forces intentionality. For some, it's a great tool for improvement and for others, it conjures jokes about sparking joy and hugging your favourite sweatshirt.
Whether you subscribe to minimalism or not no one can deny that at times the objects we own have outsized importance in our lives.
Both the Stoics and the cynics that came before them believed in the idea that your belongings can own you as much as you own them.
In philosophy, there are a few slightly different views on this idea.
Epictetus once said that it is better to own a cheap/basic pot. that way if it breaks or gets stolen you won't be as upset about its loss. By not being attached you'll remember that in reality, you own nothing. you're just it's part-time caretaker while it's in your possession.
In some ways, minimalism says the opposite. It says that if you own less it frees you up to own a higher quality of those objects you do have. This will free you by having fewer things to worry over and less maintenance on the things you do have.
The Cynics however had an altogether more radical idea about this issue. An idea more in line with the early Christian idea of selling everything you own to follow your beliefs.
It is said that Crates was born to an upper-class family and inherited a fortune. All of this wealth held no clue to him and he gave away everything and lived on the street, possessionless, devoting all his time to his philosophy. It is said he lived with a cheerful simplicity, well-liked by all who knew him.
One of those who had great respect for Crates was Hipparchia. She became a devoted student of hiss and by her early 20's was herself an eminent Cynic philosopher.
It wasn't long before she fell in love with the much older philosopher.
Her parents worried about the life she would have with a man like him and tried to dissuade her. They even went as far as asking him to turn her away.
He initially agreed to her parent's request. Explaining to her the life she would have. Standing before her he disrobed and pointed at his garment, saying,
"Here is the bridegroom, and this is his property.”
Crates as with all Cynics lived in harmony with nature. He fought his desires for wealth, power and fame and took pleasure in a simple life free of materialism.
It was exactly these ideas and his adherence to them that fueled her love.
They had a long and loving marriage that produced two children.
Hipparchia lived as her husbands true equal, a thing very few women of her time could say. She spent the rest of her days fighting to improve the equality of the other women in her society.
Neither Wealth, fame, or even comfort were important to Hipparchia. She knew what was true of value in her life and didn't let societal norms stop her from enjoying it.
You don't need to be a minimalist. You don't need to be in harmony with nature by living under the stars or reject any kind of stability you may earn in today's society. But to be happy in this world it does help if you think long and deep about what is actually important to you, then do your best to intentionally promote the things you most value and remove everything that distracts you from it. If that means tossing all of your possessions in the bin and living with the bare minimum then don't let anyone stop you.
-Jason Brown
