TheEpicurusReader
The Epicurus Reader (Epicurus)
- Interesting, but not enough context, bailed early.
The epicurean four part cure: Dont fear god, Dont worry about death, What is good is easy to get, and what is terrible is easy to endure
> While you are alive, you dont have to deal with being dead, but when you are dead you dont have to deal with it either, b/c you dont exist.
> Discomfort that is chronic and intense is very unusual.
- Epicurus says the fundamental obstacle to happiness is anxiety. No matter how rich and famous you are, wont be happy if you are anxious to be more rich/famous.
- People who want more then they need are making a fundamental mistake. (causes needless anxiety)
- Epicurean Philosophy teaches how little you need, to enjoy possessing it, and to enjoy the confidence that you will continue to possess it.
- "Dont fear gods" role models are those who emulate the happiness of gods. Epicurus, "I am prepared to compete with Zeus in happiness as long as I have barley cake and some water"
- It is stupid to do anything that would cause you to worry about anything.
- Becoming accustomed to simple, not extravagant ways of life makes one completely healthy, makes man unhesitant in the face of life's necessary duties, puts us in better condition for the times of extravagance and fearless in the face of chance.
- It is better to be unlucky in a rational way than lucky in a senseless way.
- The things which produce certain pleasures bring troubles many times greater than the pleasures.
- Necessity is a bad thing, but there is no necessity to live with necessity.
- Life is ruined by delay and each one of us dies without enjoying leisure.
- To show reverence for the wise is itself a great good for him that reveres.
- He who claims that everything happens by necessity has no complaint against him who claims that everything does not occur by necessity. For he makes that very claim by necessity. FreeWill
- Nothing is enough for someone whom enough is little.
- In a joint philosophical investigation he who is defeated comes out ahead in so far as he has learned something new.
- The wise man will be grateful for being corrected.