"We should look upon the things which are required for the body as we do upon tools...the most suitable is always the best, not the most expensive."

Ingvar Kamprad was one of the richest men in the world. At his peak, the founder of IKEA was worth over $50 billion. He could have bought a fleet of private jets. He could have bought entire islands. Instead, Kamprad famously drove a 1993 Volvo 240 GL for two decades. He flew economy class and stayed in budget hotels. He admitted that he bought most of his clothes at flea markets.

People called him cheap. They said he was a miser. But Kamprad wasn't just saving pennies. He was practicing a philosophy. He believed that "wasting resources is a mortal sin." He built an empire on the idea that furniture should be functional, affordable, and available to the many, not the few. If he lived like a king while selling Billy bookcases to students, he would be a hypocrite.

He viewed his money and his possessions as tools. A car is a tool to get from A to B. A Volvo does that just as well as a Ferrari, but with less fuss. A seat on a plane is a tool to travel. First class arrives at the same time as economy.

Musonius Rufus, the teacher of Epictetus, would have loved Ingvar Kamprad. Musonius taught that we should judge objects by their utility, not their cost.

He asked, "What is the purpose of a cup? To hold liquid." An earthenware cup holds liquid perfectly. A golden cup also holds liquid, but it's heavy, it burns your lips when the tea is hot, and you have to worry about thieves stealing it. The golden cup is a worse tool because it adds anxiety to the simple act of drinking.

We often confuse "expensive" with "good." We buy the status symbol instead of the tool. We buy the heavy, ornate coat that we're afraid to get wet, rather than the sturdy coat that keeps us warm. We become servants to our own possessions, polishing them and insuring them, instead of just using them.

Errors & Corrections

• Don't buy trophies. A trophy is something you put on a shelf to say "Look at me." A tool is something you use to get work done. If you're buying a car to impress your neighbor, you're buying a trophy. If you're buying it to drive to work, you're buying a tool. Buy tools.
• Don't confuse complexity with quality. We think more features mean better design. Often, it just means more things to break. The best code is simple. The best design is clean. The best life is uncluttered.
• Don't let your stuff own you. If you're afraid to use your living room because the couch is "too nice," you don't own the couch. The couch owns the room. You're just the janitor.

Applications to Modern Life

Work

You need a laptop. Do you need the absolute top-spec machine with the glowing logo, or do you need a machine that runs your spreadsheets and email reliably? Often, we over-spec our gear to feel "professional." The true professional can do great work on a basic machine because the skill is in the user, not the hardware.

Leadership

A CEO with a massive corner office and a private elevator sends a signal: "I'm separate from you." A CEO who sits at a desk like everyone else sends a signal: "We're working together." The best leaders remove the barriers of luxury that separate them from the reality of the work.

Athleticism & Sport

The novice runner buys $200 carbon-plated shoes and a $500 GPS watch before they can run a 5k. They think the gear makes the athlete. The veteran runs in beat-up trainers and a t-shirt. Focus on the engine, not the paint job.

Politics

We should judge politicians by their results, not their aesthetics. Does the policy work? Does it fix the road? Does it lower the crime? Often we vote for the "shiny" candidate who speaks well but delivers nothing, rejecting the "plain" candidate who actually knows how to govern.

Social Media

"Flex culture" is the opposite of Musonius. It's the worship of the uselessly expensive. Influencers pose with rented Lamborghinis. This is a sickness. It teaches us to value the wrapper more than the candy. Unfollow the flex. Follow the makers.

Interpersonal Relationships

A wedding is not a marriage. A wedding is a party. A marriage is a partnership. Many couples spend $50,000 on the party (the luxury) and $0 on pre-marital counseling (the utility). Invest in the relationship, which is the tool that has to work every day for the rest of your life.

Maxims

• Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.
• Status is a tax on the insecure.
• The best tool is the one you aren't afraid to break.

In-depth Concepts

Chreia (Utility/Usefulness)

For the Stoic, the value of an object is strictly its Chreia. Does it perform its function well? If it does, it's "good." If it fails its function (even if it is encrusted with diamonds), it's "bad."

Truphe (Softness/Luxury)

Musonius warned against Truphe. This is the softness that comes from living in luxury. If you always sit on cushions, sleep in silk, and eat delicacies, your body and mind become weak. You lose your edge. Hardship is the whetstone that keeps the soul sharp.