The fantasy everyone shares

Millions dream each year of quitting their jobs to live slower lives in the countryside. We think this urge is born from modern stress, but it's far older than that.

Diocletian chose it for real

In 305 AD, the most powerful man in Rome, Emperor Diocletian, voluntarily abdicated after 21 years of rule to return to his native Dalmatia and live a simpler life.

He grew vegetables in Split

Diocletian retired to a palace in Spalatum, modern-day Split, Croatia, where he famously cultivated vegetables. When former colleagues begged him to return to power, he refused, saying they should see his crops.

“If they could see the vegetables I make grow with my own hands, they would never make such a proposal.”

Why we crave simplicity

A study from the University of Otago surveyed over 1,000 people and found that those who practice voluntary simplicity report higher life satisfaction than those who pursue material accumulation and traditional success.

It's not about having less

The real driver isn't owning fewer things. It's what simplicity enables: time for relationships, a sense of belonging, and the feeling of living a meaningful life rather than one dictated by performance and consumption.

The need to reconnect

The urge to quit and start over signals a deeper need: reconnection with yourself and others. Diocletian understood this seventeen centuries before psychology could explain it.