Why did Marcus Aurelius sleep on the floor? A stoic’s dialogue with Donald Trump

In this spirited dialogue, Marcus Aurelius, a renowned Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor, and Donald Trump, a business magnate and the 45th President of the United States, engage in a debate over the value of material comfort and the practice of sleeping on the floor, which is associated with Stoicism.

Aurelius embodies the principles of Stoicism, arguing that experiencing discomfort, such as sleeping on the floor, can enhance our resilience to life's hardships and decrease our attachment to fleeting pleasures. His viewpoint underlines the Stoic belief in preparing oneself for any eventuality in life and fostering a sense of detachment from transient material comforts.

On the other hand, Trump represents the entrepreneurial spirit and the pursuit of material wealth and comfort. He challenges Aurelius's perspective by stating that the fruits of hard work and smart decisions should be enjoyed, and comfort, in his view, is not a transient luxury but an earned right. He emphasizes the resilience that comes from facing life's ups and downs, but implies that it need not necessitate the denial of comfort.

The differences in their thoughts mirror the chasm between Stoic philosophy's emphasis on virtue, resilience, and detachment, and the contemporary capitalist ethos of wealth accumulation, enjoyment of material comfort, and personal success. This dialogue elucidates these contrasting perspectives, highlighting the tension between the pursuit of material comfort and the philosophical tenets of resilience and detachment.

Trump: Marcus, I hear you Stoics like the simple life. But sleeping on the floor? Really?

Aurelius: It is indeed a Stoic practice, Mr. Trump, to regularly experience discomfort as a way of preparing ourselves for hardships and enhancing our appreciation of comfort.

Trump: That's ridiculous. Why not just enjoy the comfort you've got? I've got a lot of it, and I've made a lot of it for others. I've built some of the most luxurious hotels in the world. Why would anyone choose to sleep on the floor?

Aurelius: In the Stoic view, comfort isn't the end-all-be-all of life. It is fleeting, and attaching ourselves to such transient pleasures only leads to dissatisfaction when they are inevitably lost.

Trump: Maybe for some, but not for me. I've built an empire. You might say I'm the king of comfort.

Aurelius: Indeed, you have, Mr. Trump. But even kings cannot escape the realities of life. Wealth and comfort can be taken away, just as easily as they can be accumulated. This is why we Stoics choose to sleep on the floor – to remind ourselves that these comforts are not necessities, but luxuries.

Trump: Well, Marcus, if comfort's a luxury, I guess that makes me a luxury dealer. And my customers, they don't want to sleep on the floor.

Aurelius: Perhaps, Mr. Trump, but wouldn't your customers be more resilient, less tied to their luxuries, if they learned to do without?

Trump: Resilient? My customers are some of the most resilient people in the world. They didn't get where they are by sleeping on the floor. They worked hard, made smart decisions, and enjoyed the fruits of their labor.

Aurelius: I am not suggesting that sleeping on the floor will make one successful. What I am saying is that we must not become so attached to our material success that we forget how to live without it.

Trump: And what if they don't have to? What if they've earned their right to luxury and comfort?

Aurelius: Wealth and comfort are not rights, Mr. Trump. They are blessings that can be lost at any time. A Stoic is prepared for that loss. Are you?

Trump: You bet I am, Marcus. I've been up, I've been down, and I've always come back. I've learned to handle the pressure. So don't preach to me about resilience.

Aurelius: Indeed, you've faced many adversities, Mr. Trump. However, it appears to me that your "resilience" is often just stubborn defiance. There is a difference between enduring hardship and learning from it.

Trump: Well, if sleeping on the floor makes you wise, Marcus, maybe you should have slept more. Maybe then you wouldn't have let Rome fall into chaos.

Aurelius: Ah, an attack on my reign. Yet, Mr. Trump, weren't you also a leader of a great nation, only to be succeeded by chaos and division?

Trump: At least I didn't spend my days writing philosophical mumbo jumbo. I acted. I got things done.

Aurelius: And yet, here we are, centuries later, still learning from my 'mumbo jumbo', as you call it.

Trump: Yeah, learning how to sleep on the floor.

Aurelius: It's a start, Mr. Trump. It's a start.