Epicurus is one of the most important figures in the history of philosophy, as well as of science.
He is less known than Plato or Socrates, but, nonetheless, his teachings are precious and
timeless. He lived between 341 to 270 BC, and wrote more than 300 works during his lifetime.
Most of his work has been lost, but what remains is extremely relevant even today.
In science, he was one of the first to describe the natural world as made of atoms and he rightly
understood that all the natural phenomena are in fact based on the movement of atoms.
Also, he strongly stressed the importance of basing our beliefs on empirical evidence
and logic. In philosophy, he was part of the hedonist movement
and he was most famous for his skillful insights into the concept of happiness,
starting his own School of Happiness, also known as Epicurean hedonism or simply Epicureanism.
If stoics believed that living justly and virtuously is the highest good and that we should
be indifferent to pleasure and pain, Epicureanism believed that we should seek to maximize the
pleasures in life. There were some rumors that in his school people lavished themselves in orgies,
luxury and decadence, but these rumors were unfounded. Epicurus didn’t have any interest
in orgies and expensive meals. His idea of pleasure is far from the classical one.
He departed from the classical school of hedonism for which pleasure is the highest good, adding
that the pleasure of the mind, not the pleasure of the senses, is the true ‘highest good’.
He believed that the greatest happiness comes from reducing suffering, achieving an inner
state of peace which he called ataraxia. Ataraxia means being content with simple things in life,
like having philosophical conversations about the meaning of life, in your small garden,
with your best friends. According to Epicurus, the pleasure from pursuing wisdom is the highest
form of pleasure, and the most valuable as it is the one that leads us to true happiness.
To understand more about Epicurus’ teachings and how we can apply them into our own lives, here are
8 life lessons from the philosophy of Epicurus: 1. Be content with little
Epicurus said: “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not;
remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
Epicurus is somehow similar to stoics when he advises us to settle for a tranquil kind of life,
instead of rushing to stress ourselves to achieve impossible things. For that, we should limit the
responsibilities we take on ourselves, as much as possible. We should do the minimum work required
for the job we have, we should not learn things we never apply in life, we should buy only things we
really need, we should spend time with only the people who are really precious to us.
Live to learn a minimalist life and your happiness will be assured.
For example, if you have a busy social life, going out to parties every weekend,
buying too much stuff like expensive apartments and cars, it is time to make a change: reduce the
number of friends you regularly interact with to only a few close ones that really matter to you,
and make more time for them. Avoid spending money on things you do not really need:
for example, buying a $300 brand-name T-shirt or borrowing money from the bank to buy a luxury car,
even when you can barely pay the rent. If you complain all the time that you do
not have the things you want or that you have less than your neighbour, you will spoil even
the few things you do have because you won’t be in the right mindset to really appreciate them:
for example, if you wish to have that expensive car like your neighbour,
you start to resent your current car, until eventually you stop caring what your current car
looks like, you will stop washing and maintaining it regularly, making it less pleasant to drive,
and making your life miserable as a result. Trying to be content with little might feel
odd at the beginning, but soon you will realize how much more peaceful and calm
and, ultimately, how happy you are. You will realize that you already have everything you
really need in life - a roof above your head, food to eat, a few good friends, good health,
a job in which you feel you are contributing to society. By learning to appreciate this,
the power of gratitude will make you feel happy without effort.
2. Study philosophy all your life Epicurus tells us:
“Let no one delay the study of philosophy while young nor weary of it when old..”
For Epicurus, philosophy, the love of wisdom, is the key to a good life.
Through studying philosophy, we learn how to use reason in all of our activities.
We learn to rely less on luck and more on our capacity of self-control, of making the right
decisions in life. Thus, through reason we can live a more peaceful life, with less stress.
Epicurus identified the main causes of unhappiness as the fear of death, and punishment.
Also, he believed the anxieties we have lead us to want more, to desire too many things in life.
Studying philosophy would reduce such anxieties, helping us understand that
there is only this life to live, that there is no punishment in the afterlife,
that we are allowed to pursue mental and physical pleasures here on Earth, in this life.
Philosophy, as a discipline, is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge,
reality, and existence. In theory, when we acquire such knowledge
we would know how to be happy. Through learning philosophy, we can develop our rational faculties
and learn to make better decisions. We can create our own system of ethics,
we can finally understand the principles of living a happy life.
If you think that your 21st Century life is too busy with social media,
a difficult job, too many commitments and that you do not have time to study philosophy,
you will probably end up living an anxious life, permanently stressed, feeling that
your life does not have a clear meaning and, ultimately, this may lead you to an unhappy life.
Being happy can be an accident. But if you study philosophy, it can become a certainty.
3. Learn to rely on yourself In the words of Epicurus: “It
is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself..”
Epicurus’ philosophy often tends to be materialistic,
attacking the concept of god. If god is all-powerful, evil cannot be explained;
if god cannot eradicate evil, then he is not powerful; if god can eradicate evil but doesn’t,
he is not benevolent. Epicurus’ simple logic is an inspiration to stop relying on an invisible force,
praying to it, but rather to start relying on ourselves,
to build a life that we really want to live. Nowadays, even in secular societies,
many people believe in Karma or the Law of Attraction, thinking that there are some
invisible forces out there which can make justice for us. However, in Epicurus’ view, this is folly
as well. Contrary to this, one might argue that if we do not fear gods or other cosmic entities, then
there is no objective reason to live justly. For such problems, Epicurus said that living justly,
prudently, honourably means living pleasurably. If you do not live justly, you will always fear you
will be caught and this will disrupt your peaceful state of mind, leading to anxiety and unhappiness.
Thus, we should strive to do no harm to anybody even if justice is nothing in itself.
Relying on yourself involves a certain kind of ethics and a confidence in the laws of
your land and your community. Through the social contract, you can have something of a guarantee
that the probability of you being harmed is small as long as you respect the rules. Thus,
instead of believing in gods and putting your trust in them to solve your problems,
you should rely on logic, good lawyers and the justice system of your country,
and do what you can to be a good citizen by respecting the laws.
If, for example, you were the victim of discrimination in your workplace, do not
blindly hope that God or a karmic law will punish the wrong-doer, but rather report the case to a
higher authority whether that be upper-management of the company, or another institution which
deals with discrimination cases. Learn to rely on yourself and do the right actions here on Earth,
without expecting supernatural interventions. 4. Develop courage through adversity
To quote Epicurus: “You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday.
You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity..”
Epicurus considered that to obtain happiness one needs courage, moderation and several other
virtues. In order to build a life of happiness, you will need courage: courage to go against
the flow, courage to refuse a high paid job which comes with too many responsibilities,
courage to distance yourself from a group of friends who make you unhappy.
Through every difficulty we face, we become stronger, more courageous, more able to face
similar difficulties in future. For example, you live in a family home and are the primary income
source. You get offered a better job, but it means relocating to a new city or country.
While considering your options, your house catches fire, destroying virtually all your possessions.
While this event will feel like a complete disaster at the time,
it will make you stronger in the long run. It will make you realize that your life
does not depend on a location, that your home is wherever your family is,
and you will develop greater courage should you ever need to relocate to another place in future.
Courage develops through difficult times and we need to appreciate even those challenging moments,
because those are the moments which make us stronger and the stronger we are, the easier it
will be to bounce back and be happy again. 5. Get great friends
Epicurus noted that: “Of all the means which are procured by wisdom to ensure happiness
throughout the whole of life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.”
In spite of the fact that Epicurus often advocated for the idea of self-sufficiency,
he also acknowledged the importance of cultivating lasting friendships in life.
Epicurus described friendship in very high terms, highlighting the altruistic attitudes one can
have towards friends. Epicurus even said that the wise man is sometimes willing to die for a friend.
He also said that without friends life is solitary and vulnerable to perils.
Many communities of Epicureans were formed out of his followers, spreading themselves
all around the Mediterranean Sea, later transforming into Christian monasteries.
These communities of Epicureans can be seen as embodying the ideal of friendship;
everybody lived there in friendly conviviality with each other.
The first Epicurean school and community was called The Garden, welcoming people
from all walks of life. It was one of the first to demand slaves to be treated as any other humans.
Also, women were welcomed to discuss philosophy like any man. They were named courtesans and had a
special status in society, enjoying freedoms which married women didn’t have. Epicurean communities
helped each other to become better people, to overcome their character flaws and trust and
honesty were highly respected; there was also a high respect for each other’s personality.
Friendships are often created based on a common need, but the most important aspect of
a friendship is the process of sharing. It is very important to have someone to whom we can turn to,
to share our deepest fears, secrets and goals in life. Building friendships takes time. We need
to do it step by step, gradually revealing more aspects of ourselves to new friends.
In time, when we acquire a sufficient number of friends, we can form a small community,
the same as an Epicurean one, in which everybody is friends with everybody else, in which people
share common interests and goals. In practice, with platforms like Meetup, anyone can start a
community based on a particular interest, a hobby, be it a literature club, a sports club, or, yes,
even a philosophy club! Start small, with a small group and advance slowly, making your life more
pleasant friend by friend. 6. Do not try to be popular
Epicurus once remarked: “I never desired to please the rabble.
What pleased them, I did not learn; and what I knew was far removed from their understanding.”
Contrary to Plato and Aristotle, who encouraged philosophy lovers to participate in politics,
Epicurus was against investing time in politics, in social life, saying that social dynamics will
only leave you anxious. He affirmed that it is better to live being unknown by society,
only known by a few friends, but the best ones. However, living in the twenty-first century,
it is very hard to avoid being exposed due to the fact that we are all now on social media.
We are constantly bombarded by temptations to show ourselves off online, to get as many likes
as possible. Now, everyone can become a little influencer, a low-key celebrity in their own
social media bubble-universe. Studies made on the impact of social media on teenagers proved
that social media activities increase anxiety and even the number of teenagers committing suicide.
We need to minimize our exposure to social networks as much as we can, we should use
them only when really necessary - like for connecting with former highschool colleagues,
wishing a distant relative happy birthday or sharing truly important moments in our lives with
our close ones like graduating or having a child. Sharing a picture of your breakfast - no matter
how delicious - would not count as important. Also, do not bend your personality to fit a
certain group: for example, if you are a writer, do not write just to sell to many people,
but write on topics that really interest you. This way, you will be your more authentic-self
and the right readers will come to you. Otherwise, you will live a life of anxiety,
always worried about how the audience will react to your work and this is not a life of happiness.
Epicurus believed that there is no meaning in pleasing the masses, hence one should strive
for authenticity in order to reduce anxiety and increase the happiness in your life.
7. Don’t fear death Epicurus posits: “Death,
the most awful of evils, is nothing to us, seeing that, when we are, death is not come,
and, when death is come, we are not..” We all fear death, it is common fear.
Even the idea of our life ending makes us feel uncomfortable. However, Epicurus was harsh with
people who spend too much time thinking about death. He considered that as long as we are alive,
death does not exist. Epicurus didn’t believe in an afterlife himself, however
he did believe that a part of our anxiety comes from the belief that we have made an unpleasant
afterlife for ourselves. That we are afraid not of death itself, but of the process of dying.
For Epicurus, our mind is only a group of atoms which dissolves when we die. If death is our
annihilation, then it represents nothing to us, it does not affect the living. For death to be
bad to somebody, that somebody must exist, but when we are dead, we don’t exist anymore. Thus,
there is no point in fearing something that, when it comes, we will not be a part of.
Thus, It is foolish to worry about death - think of it instead as enjoying your life now.
For Epicurus, the most important thing in life is happiness and to achieve happiness,
we need to reduce suffering, including the suffering from contemplating the idea of dying.
To be happy, we should focus only on things we can control, like improving our health,
avoiding negative people, eating more healthily, participating in sports and so on. Make a list of
everything you can do to strengthen your body and limit the time you think about death.
Spend more time with your dear ones, appreciate them while they are alive, do not wait until
they are dead to appreciate them. Do not let the death of loved ones or the fear of your own death
cloud your life. Learn to enjoy your life moment by moment, be grateful that you are still alive,
respect your body, practice sport daily, and eat more healthily.
Life is meant to be lived by enjoying it, not by thinking what happens when it is over.
8. Strive to achieve peace of mind In our final quote from Epicurus for this video
he says: “Tranquil pleasure constitutes human beings' supreme good.”
Epicurus identified 3 main mistakes we make regarding happiness.
The first one is that we equate happiness with friendship and sexual relationships. In reality
happiness does not go hand in hand with passionate love, which often involves the very selfish desire
to possess another person, invoking feelings of jealousy which leads to anxiety,
and unhappiness. Regarding friendships, most of our connections are not that strong.
As we grow older, many of us often don’t see our closest friends enough, as work and family life
tend to become more important. We need something more solid in order to become truly happy.
The second mistake is that we equate happiness with money and fame, but in reality too much
money and fame eventually leads to frustration and anxiety. Real happiness comes when you work
with a small group of trusted people to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
The third mistake is that we chase after luxurious things, to possess as much ‘stuff’ as possible.
This also does not lead to happiness, because what we really want is a sense of calm and peace.
Epicurus proposes a simpler kind of life and he used the concept of ataraxia,
which is the purest form of happiness, meaning the absence of fear and anxieties.
Ataraxia literally means “imperturbability” or “tranquility”. For Epicurus, ataraxia is the end
goal of life. Epicurus stated that pleasure is the highest good and mental pleasures are higher than
the physical pleasures. If we remove physical pain from our lives we achieve what is known
as the state of aponia. If we remove the mental disturbances we achieve the state of ataraxia.
To achieve happiness, you need to focus more on increasing the pleasant moments in your life,
particularly the mental pleasures, with minimal effort.
The closest state to ataraxia is when you feel peace with yourself, with others and with the
world in general. According to Epicurus, all you need is to have a group of friends and a garden.
Such a life spent discussing philosophy under the palms of a tree with your dear friends is a life
lived in ataraxia. You can also achieve such a state of inner peace by practicing meditation,
mindfulness, accepting the good, the bad and the ugly present in your life,
making peace with your past, forgiving yourself and others for any mistake,
and developing compassion for any human being in your life.
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