Genre and place in the book. The closing maxim of Book 4: a brief rule about the "short road." A compressed summation in the key of simplicity and directness.

The short road is the one according to nature. σύντομος — "short, direct" (without detour); and it is the one TERMκατὰ φύσιν (according to nature). Directness, naturalness, and soundness coincide: to say and do everything κατὰ τὸ ὑγιέστατον — "in the soundest" way. DOGMATo live by nature just is the direct road, not the roundabout one: not to invent complications beyond what the nature of a rational being requires.

Freedom from the superfluous. Such a πρόθεσις (purpose, resolve) frees one (ἀπαλλάσσει) from four burdens: κόποι (wearisome toils), στραγγεία (sticky struggle, procrastination), πᾶσα οἰκονομία (all calculating "management," manipulation), and κομψεία (refinement, posing, affectation). Directness removes the strain of intrigue and display: one who speaks and acts straight need neither scheme nor show off (cf. Med. 3.5 — no studied ornament of speech, no garrulity or busyness; 8.5 — to act according to nature and speak sincerely, without hypocrisy; 04-24 — do few things, for tranquillity).

The disciplines. The principal one is action: to say and do things directly, soundly, according to nature — without detours or affectation. The secondary is assent: κατὰ τὸ ὑγιέστατον — the soundest judgement that guides word and deed.

Parallels. The short road = the natural one, to say and do soundly — Med. 8.5 (cf. DOGMAlive-according-to-nature). Directness and simplicity against toil, struggle, and affectation — 04-24; Med. 3.5.