In a world where social media encourages us to share every aspect of our lives, the ancient Stoics offer refreshing wisdom: some things are better kept to yourself. This is especially true when it comes to personal finance.
The Stoic philosophers, including Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, understood that true wealth isn’t about external validation or comparison with others. It’s about achieving inner peace, cultivating self-control, and living in alignment with your values.
The practice of keeping certain wealth habits private isn’t about secrecy or shame. It’s about protecting your mental clarity, avoiding unnecessary distractions, and maintaining focus on what truly matters. Here are five wealth habits that Stoic philosophy suggests you should keep to yourself.
1. Your Exact Net Worth and Income
The Stoics believed that true wealth has little to do with the size of your bank account. Epictetus, one of the most influential Stoic philosophers, taught that wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. When you broadcast your exact income or net worth, you invite comparison, envy, and judgment from others.
Sharing this information can create several problems. Friends and family may begin to view you differently, either treating you as a source of loans or distancing themselves out of jealousy. Strangers on the internet might use the information against you. Most importantly, publicly discussing your finances shifts your focus from internal contentment to external validation.
The Stoic approach encourages you to define your own relationship with money, free from the noise of other people’s opinions. Your financial situation is a deeply personal matter and should remain confidential between you and those directly involved in your financial planning.
This privacy allows you to make decisions based on your values and goals rather than societal pressure or the need to maintain appearances.
2. Your Investment Strategies and Portfolio Details
Stoic philosophy emphasizes making decisions based on reason rather than emotion. When it comes to investing, this means developing a thoughtful, long-term strategy and sticking to it regardless of market fluctuations or what others are doing. The moment you start sharing your investment strategies publicly, you open yourself up to unsolicited advice, peer pressure, and emotional interference.
Market volatility tests every investor’s resolve. The Stoics taught that you should focus on what you can control—your spending habits, investment decisions, and debt management strategies—while accepting what you can’t control, like market movements. When you keep your investment approach private, you protect yourself from the temptation to chase trends or abandon your strategy because someone questioned your choices.
Professional investors understand this principle well. They make informed decisions based on research and their own risk tolerance, then commit to their strategy without constantly seeking approval or validation from others. This emotional discipline is what separates successful long-term investors from those who buy high and sell low, driven by fear and a herd mentality.
3. Your Savings Rate and Financial Goals
The Stoics were masters of self-discipline and understood the importance of aligning their actions with their values. Your personal financial goals should reflect what matters most to you, whether that’s early retirement, supporting your family, or building a legacy. These goals are yours alone to pursue.
When you share your savings rate or specific financial targets, you invite external judgment about whether you’re saving enough, spending too little, or aiming too high or too low. Everyone’s financial situation is unique, shaped by their income, obligations, values, and life circumstances. What works for someone else may not work for you, and vice versa.
Keeping your financial goals private also protects you from the pressure to live up to public declarations. Stoicism teaches that outcomes aren’t entirely within your control, but your actions are.
You can commit to saving a certain percentage of your income, but you can’t guarantee that life won’t throw unexpected expenses your way. Private goals allow you to adjust your strategy as needed without feeling like you’ve failed publicly.
4. Your Frugal Living Practices
One of the most powerful Stoic practices is voluntary simplicity—choosing to live below your means not out of necessity, but out of wisdom. The Stoics understood that excessive consumption doesn’t lead to happiness. In fact, it often leads to anxiety, debt, and a perpetual feeling that you never have enough.
However, when you share your frugal habits publicly, you risk being judged as cheap, miserly, or depriving yourself unnecessarily. Others might not understand that you’re making conscious choices to prioritize long-term financial security over short-term gratification. They might pressure you to spend more or question why you’re not living a more lavish life, given that you can afford it.
Your spending choices reflect your values and priorities. Whether you drive an older car, shop secondhand, cook at home, or avoid expensive vacations, these decisions are personal.
The Stoics would argue that finding contentment in simplicity is a strength, not a weakness. By keeping your frugal practices private, you maintain the freedom to live according to your values without having to defend your choices to others.
5. Your Financial Setbacks and Recoveries
Stoic philosophy teaches that obstacles are an inevitable part of life. Marcus Aurelius wrote extensively about turning challenges into opportunities for growth. Financial setbacks—whether from bad investments, job loss, or unexpected expenses—are learning experiences that can make you stronger and wiser.
However, these setbacks are profoundly personal and don’t need to be shared publicly. When you broadcast your financial struggles, you risk receiving well-meaning but unhelpful advice, dealing with judgment from those who don’t understand your situation, or feeling pressure to recover on someone else’s timeline.
Similarly, your financial recoveries and victories are yours to celebrate privately. The Stoics cautioned against seeking external validation or becoming attached to outcomes. If you’ve worked hard to pay off debt, rebuild your savings, or recover from a financial mistake, that accomplishment is meaningful, regardless of whether others are aware of it. Internal satisfaction and self-respect matter far more than public recognition.
Conclusion
The Stoic approach to personal finance isn’t about secrecy or shame. It’s about cultivating inner peace, making rational decisions, and maintaining focus on what you can control. By keeping these five wealth habits private, you protect yourself from comparison, judgment, and external pressure that can derail your financial progress.
True financial freedom, according to the Stoics, comes not from accumulating vast wealth but from mastering your relationship with money. It’s about understanding that your bank balance doesn’t determine your worth as a person; contentment comes from within, and the journey toward financial security is a deeply personal one.
The ancient Stoics lived by these principles centuries ago, and their wisdom remains relevant today. In our age of social media oversharing and constant comparison, choosing privacy in your financial life is an act of wisdom and self-protection. Focus on what you can control, accept what you can’t, and find peace in knowing that your financial journey is yours alone to walk.