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.
If you enjoyed this video, please do make sure to
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Thanks so much for watching.
