@@MrLoobu : Nope, the things you really need have all been appropriated by a few : the rich and powerful, when mankind "discovered" capitalism - the private ownership of the means of production including land and human labour. How does a man come to own another man ? How does a man come to "own" land which he didn't bring with into this world ? The Answers are far more complex than we have time to discuss on this thread.
@@sonnyxlbright5904 I think I agree with you and it is too deep to get into properly, but I would just add that its an illusion in my mind that any one of us owns what another needs. Many of us live in comfort while playing many games to feed addictions and maintain lifestyles like children, they all feel good, though ultimately they damage and enslave us to their makers. I advocate anyone saving their family by taking them to wild places to live more freely from totalitarianism of all kinds and have the chance to benefit or fail due to their own choices.
This really made me reflect on my uncle as well as some of my friends. In college, my uncle always said that if you're stressing then you're working too hard. He may not have his dream job, but he has what makes him happy. He has a job that allows him to spend time with his family, mountain bike, snowboard, and go on road trips. Unfortunately in today's society everyone is taught that money shows how successful you are when in reality, you get to decide how successful you are.
As a guy who lived homeless while also going to school, owning cheaper things and losing them sucks soooooooooooooooooo bad. Getting back to my tent and seeing it wrecked by police even though i was clean and sober. It sucks. Its insane that people actually think this-our homeless population is happier because they cant afford stuff. Think im wrong? Try it.
Dear Dr Nelson: Thank you for this discussion of what has been my favorite philosophical system since my 20's (a long time ago). It's an excellent introduction to Epicureanism, which seems to be a rather marginal system of thought, eclipsed by Stoicism, Christianity, etc; and looked at rather pejoratively through time. However, one thing I would take issue with sir, is your translation or reading of ataraxia. Personally, I wouldn't use the word "serenity" due to the decidedly saccharine overtones/implications of that word. To be honest, I don't think there's any single English word available that's equivalent to that concept, given how infected our language is with Stoic/Judeo-Christian notions about things. Nevertheless, I greatly enjoyed your talk. Peace and a long life of contented calm! I hope you've achieved ataraxia!
I don’t think he even mentions the most important ingredient in Epicurean ethics: PLEASURE. If we read Epicurus’ letter to Menoeceus we see that the whole point of exercising philosophy and doing hedonic calculus is to fill our lives with pleasure. I hope people who are intrigued by this continue studying.
Yes but I think it's important to point out that Epicurus defines pleasure not as unbridled hedonism, but as "absence of pain and fear". That's a very modest definition - you already feel pleasure when you don't feel pain and you have a peace of mind.
He does. He doesn't name it "pleasure", he talks about "serenity", which is more accurate word for what Epicurus meant. Epicurus wrote in ancient Greek language, who says pleasure (as understood in modern terms) is accurate translation?
The whole idea was to maximize PLEASURE and minimize the opposite. Pain. Which was and still is a characteristic of any religion ever. Maybe not budhism. That's why Poggio Braciolini and Lucretius we're viewed like the anti-christ by the xv century religion induced society
I agree, what I loved about Epicurus and his teaching was about “pleasure”, the golden rule, and moderation. Too much of anything will spur. Or I guess I am cherry picking and combining epicurean theory and hedonism. But what I take away from Epicurus, is working hard to enjoy and get pleasure. You can have nice things, treating others the way you want to be treated. Avoiding pain. If you’re thirsty drink, hungry eat, it you work out too much this can be damaging, it you don’t work out enough it can lead to obesity etc
I’m not sure that Epicurus advocated “be poor.” He was mainly saying to be satisfied with the simple life-and not to crave unnecessary and unnatural things such as fame and fortune. A middle-class lifestyle could be a simple one, as well, no? Vows of poverty would seem to be more stoic than hedonistic to me.
I like Epicurus but I am not sure that some of the premises here are true. For example, poor people need to work harder to survive, not because they are addicted to nice things, but because at poverty wages acquiring even the essentials can take more than one full-time job. Indeed, one needs to work full time to even have health care, and that is essential---and not even guaranteed with a full-time job. I am also not sure that poor people are less likely to be the victims of crime. Poverty tends to breed more crime because there is more desperation and the rich sequester themselves away from this poverty. A certain amount of economic justice is required for this philosophy to work, and the US has not embraced that economic justice. Epicurus had a lot of great things to say, but I worry that this attitude undermines the kinds of economic struggles and reformed necessary for people to embrace an epicurean life.
Very good points. Having a highly paid but highly stressful job is certainly not ideal from the perspective of a hedonistic philosophy like Epicureanism, but neither is wallowing in poverty. I think this presentation comes from the perspective of someone who has never known true hardship, and the fear and helplessness that comes with it.
Epicurus did not advocate being poor, rather self-sufficient. It is a salient difference between the two. Dear Marc repeated this misunderstanding several times. And about that slide on an old car and a fancy car....Marc says you would have more anxiety over the new car getting scratched, so you would park the new car at the end of your yard, while the old car causes no such worries. What about putting your family on that old, unreliable and potentially dangerous car and trying to travel any meaningful mileage; that worries me sick. The problem with simplification of deep philosophies like that of Epicurus is that the listener might think the whole thing is worthless impracticality, while it is the opposite.
This simplifies Epicureanism a bit too much. To say Epicurus suggests we should be poorish is a bit too simple. He says having too much money leads to pain and pain is not welcome. That doesn't equate to trying to be poor or trying to not have things. It's all about balance.
I really like the part about how people treat their possessions, like the new car, and how there's more stress about worrying about it, whereas the person with a rustbucket is less worried. I thought it was a very interesting idea that doesn't seem to be noticed as frequently as it could.
"When gold and jade fills up a room, no one can protect it.", 金玉满堂莫之能守 , Tao Te Ching in Chapter 9. Having too much attracts trouble and thieves. A simple life with nothing to steal makes life more safe and more easy to be satisfied.
I absolutely agree with the points made in this Ted Talk. It reminds me of how many people are starting to move into the "Tiny" homes or living in vans so that they can travel the country with few possessions. I also really resonated with this when you talked about working less, so that you could do more things that you enjoy. I frequently get into disagreements with my parents about how I do not work as often as I should, but I would rather take that time to go on a vacation to a new place or to spend time with friends and family.
Great video, but I think you're overselling millennials a bit. Being non-materialistic is common to most young people of every generation I've seen, and that changes as people get older and more attached to their things. I'm from the generation after the Boomers, (which doesn't have a name as far as I know) and so many of us were anti-establishment in high school and college, only to end up with 2.3 kids and a two car garage. Although, every generation thinks they're the special one that will break the mold, so milleniophilia is to be expected until your kids start growing up too :)
Those born in the early to mid 1960s, through until the early to mid 1980s, are generally called Generation X. The following generation (those born in the early-mid 1980s through until the early -mid 2000s) always then used to be called Generation Y, until the renamed themselves Millennials (self-actualization being a key Millennial characteristic!)
Whilst I agree with much of what Marc's says, I have to add that basic needs are becoming more and more difficult to acquire certainly in the UK. Rent and house prices get more and more expensive, energy bills, food etc etc are going up all the time at ridiculous rates.. Wages and benefits are stagnant. I'm sure it's the same in the US.
Seemed out of touch to me. Public drinking fountains don't make it easier to buy a house. He says it's easier than ever to meet basic needs in America, and completely fails to mention housing and healthcare.
I really like the general idea of realizing that you're needs are probably already met, so stop pursuing things that you don't need by doing something (work) that you don't like and instead just do things that truly make you happy.
As a positive critique, putting Epicureanism concepts into modern terminology (ie. "Mo Money, Mo Problems) allows me to understand their ancient philosophy and how it plays a role in modern society. Through that translation, I understand the idea that if you have less things, there is less stress, less value, those things hold, allowing for a more serene life.
I liked the discussion of how wealth does not always mean happiness. Great memories are more valuable to me than money. However, I don't believe the lower class is happier than the higher class, yet I don't believe the higher class is happier than the lower class. I think each class has its own different struggles as well as its own different pleasures. Very eye-opening how greedy humans are with always wanting more.
I genuinely enjoyed how you applied his teachings to life today. I have a hard time understanding Epicureanism and this simplified it for me. Epicurus is truly the millennial! I can agree with the idea of less money means less stress and problems. I grew up not having much, and I lived content. Now having more, I can feel myself being materialistic at times and always wanting more.
I love the fact that you bring up the fact of meaningful work. In my opinion, it shows that it is possible to be a workaholic and still enjoy life to the fullest, as long as it has meaning and purpose. If you are fulfilled by what you do, you can still truly enjoy it. It gives you something to strive for that isn’t endless madness and stress.
The way Epicureanism was presented in this TEDx Talk sounded a lot like the stories of Jesus: Bearded man with sandels who preached gratitude, humility and acceptance. He catered to all walks of life including prostitutes. Interesting that Epicurus was born around 300 years before Jesus. Was Jesus an Epicurean? Was He a copycat? Oh Christianity! Marc is my Philosophy teacher and he is COOL!
I read many philosophy 📚 and 💡, but the way epicurean philosophy 📚 has influenced me is simply life 🧬 changing. I prefer epicurean philosophy over stoic philosophy.
Epicureanism and its focus on “finding your bliss” and reprioritizing the important things in life seems to hold strong as a reasonable method of f self-help. Even 2,000 years later, the idea of forgoing wealth and want and instead pursuing passion and serenity seems revolutionary and relevant. I think it is worth noting that (as stated by Dr. Nelson) there are still needs for survival and existing today. I agree with this and feel that sometimes those requirements seem less basic. However, it is logical to me that Dr. Nelson mentions that people living in the modern U.S. meet those basic requirements much easier than say, a Greek man 2,000 years ago. It also would be difficult to “break out” of some of the ways much of the population has been brought up, specifically when it comes to cycles of generational wealth, wealth desire and the overall viewpoints of our society on what defines happiness. I thought Dr. Nelson’s talk was concise in defining the key principles that Epicurus taught and lived by, and in a short amount of time I do not know how you could even begin to consider the complexities of attitudes and opinions of people. I find this idea to be congruent with much of modern psychology, in that money or material goods are not the key to happiness and lack of anxiety in most instances. Like many areas and ideas of self-help, this way of living likely would not be easy for many of us, I’m sure. But breaking the cycle of rising expectations and lack of bliss, purpose and gratitude seems to be an effective way of being happy.
This is a very interesting talk and I very much enjoyed listening to it and some of the ancient ideas it put forward. I was unaware of what epicureanism until just now, so please keep in mind my response is coming from a place of inexperience. Either way, it's just as Marc said; in today's age, since birth, we have been told that money is important and brings it's own joy. This is simply untrue. True Joy is an emotion, not a bank account. In order to experience more happiness, one needs to focus on themselves and doing what brings them the most happiness, not the most money. I could quote a few popular examples, but I'd rather not make a leap in logic by mistake. Personally this TEDx talk was very eye opening. I'm living on my own for the first time, and have been constantly stressing over money and buying items, when in reality I have all I need as long as I maintain my basic needs while leaving a little money on the side for hobbies. At the beginning of this college semester I recieved much money, between 2 and 3,000 dollars. It took spending all of it and being dis-satisfied with my choices anyways to realize that happiness has no relationship with money unless it causes no stress. In the future, I plan to save my money and only use the rest for hobbies and basic necessities. Less money to manage means less stress, and this TEDx talk has helped me realize that simple truth. Thanks Marc, and keep the good advice flowing 😊
I love the idea of Epicureanism. The idea of being poor versus being rich is such a sensitive topic in today's society. But living in 2022, I do believe it is extremely hard to accept Epicureanism. Most of us want to live comfortably. I feel like most people have to quit their careers that they enjoy doing because the salary isn't enough to meet ones needs. We are struggling as a human race to enjoy the simple things in life when our own needs aren't being met. How must one accept Epicureanism in today's society? How low do you need to go to accept that money isn't everything? It's not everything but it's something you need in order to survive.
I didn't read the title of the video, and so, for like the first 7 minutes I was, like, " huh, this sound a lot like my teacher. He's talking just like Mr. Nelson." And then I read the name Marc Nelson and I was like 'oh.' I really like it, I don't know if I'm 100% a fan of Epicureanism yet but the video is definitely a good look into it.
The values presented by Epicurus are very enticing. If I was posed with the decision of getting a well paying job or a job that makes me happy. I would choose happiness but then I would second guess myself asking the question " how much more money?" Adopting Epicureanism would help make that conundrum so much easier as I would disregard the money one entirely.
Piece of mind is all we all want in the end. Trying to get through life, it can create a lot of problems including stress and anxiety. Take money for example, the more money we tend to have, the more we tend to want. The more we end up buying, the more debt we get in, or not get the essential things we need. I feel like for this generation, this movement is coming back some. With the housing market being so high, a lot of younger people are living out of vans and traveling across country. The simplicity of not having an abundance amount of items to lug around is probably reliving to them. I enjoy Ted Talks and glad to have watched this one.
Interesting to see the ideas of Epicureanism thrown into a decent ten-minute pitch. made over decent points and really got to why Epicureanism is a good philosophy to keep in mind during the Anthropocene. I just find it hilarious that this was an option for my intro to philosophy class run by Marc Nelson, a very Unepicurean action, I can't tell if it was an act of pride or of comedy either way it was quite hilarious. Plus considering it was a pretty good pitch factoring in the public enviroment.
I love this idea and it makes a lot of sense. I feel like I already sorta follow this. I am not super materialistic but if I were to be I would put it into my dream house. Nothing too big or flashy, just something perfect for me and my family. I do try and minimize my total monthly costs and of course I do this so I can spend my left over cash on what I want or go out with my fiancé. It has worked really well for us and we aren't extremely poor living paycheck to paycheck but definitely not rich. We do live a simple life and are doing really well in fact the best we have ever done since being together. This is a great piece of advice for anyone.
This was great! I really liked how you talked about the background of Epicurus. I think if you added some quotes from Epicurus it would strengthen your talk.
In reference to our basic needs being easily met, I would say this is only true for a select group of the world. There are still many places and groups of people that this simply does not hold true for. A good example of this is Flint, MI, there is not clean water at every drinking fountain or really any in Flint.
Being too materialistic and vain dampens our empathy for others and ultimately can prevent us from finding joy in all the small things in life. I think, up to a certain point beyond necessity and a bit more, money has no satisfactory gain, and it is true that we end up in a constant cycle of desire (like billionaires needing their own space startups). I think it is also important to note that it can be incredibly difficult to meet basic needs dependent on the situation, especially these days, particularly with healthcare and housing expenses. It is very difficult to find enjoyment in your life and appreciate the simple pleasures it offers when living with constant, untreatable pain or fear of bankruptcy for medical debt, for example. There's a prerequisite that may be easier to reach by comparison to be able to have this appreciation, but it is still a prerequisite.
Great talk as a practice I have used this polosopy for 40 years the pruste of Joy pleasureand peace of mind Epicurus had a noledge for the age . friends love and making room for it in your life because it doesn't matter when you are dead long before you stop breathing
I agree on a lot of things about epicurus but the thing that I don't agree is that when he says poor people need to work more than rich people to achieve luxury as some poor people just work to survive and fill their stomachs other than that I agree and believe every point that you have mentioned. I enjoyed watching this video a lot, very informative. Thank you.😊
Epicurus was the original Jesus. The reason few know about him is early christian and pagans destroyed them as his truth of Atomism would conflict with their myths and superstitions.
I love this idea of not having stress and negativity in your life and just living by epicureanism but I think it's hard, a lot of people live the way they think they are supposed to. life is more about money and working for what you want even is it is stressful.
I love the idea of money not bringing happiness, for most of my friends, buying things on a whim gives them temporary happiness and that's a good thing, but when that happiness runs out, they can't fulfill that need with the same thing anymore. If someone is able to get everything that they want, they will often never be satisfied because they will always have wants. That feeling can also lead to lots of stress on a person's life
The goal of serenity sounds very similar to the goal of eudaimonia. Its interesting to see the different approaches certain philosophies take in order to achieve this similar goal. I wonder if there is a possibility of combining them or if they conflict too much
I feel like it really needs to be stressad that a philosophy like this can only work once you have established a certain threshold in living. There may very well exist things that you don’t have and that you should put energy towards trying to get. There are economically bad situations to be in and that getting out of is a priority before one can dream of well being.
You're absolutely right, people now a days care more a lot of materialistic stuff and trying their best get the latest gadget just so they could be caught up with the latest trend. It'll cause them stress and anxiety if they don't have materialistic stuff but just to be grateful for what you have and cherish those materialistic because at the end of the day when we leave this earth, we can't take all the stuff that we bought here on earth.
One thing that caught my attention is when you said one of the keys to happiness is to be poor. I relate to this so much. My whole life I have wanted to work with babies and kids and wanted to open a daycare or be a kindergarten teacher until I learned about the salary and that is when I decided to go into nicu nursing which makes alot more money. I know I will still be happy because I will get to work with babies but it will be a very big change taking are of sick babies in a hospital rather then in a daycare with healthy babies.
I found the list to be a very interesting experiment that demonstrates the growing wants of people very well . but along with these growing wants I feel that in our society though they are not truly needs the common persons perception of needs has changes significantly. with the water fountain example given I do see how that fulfills our need for water but can not think of one person who would think that way to start with. i think that taking a step back and apricating everything we have is a great step to reaching happiness
Where does Epicurus mention the desire for meaningful work? I haven't come across this before in prior research on him. I genuinely would like to know if there is a source to this. I would gather he would be more likely to recommend preferably growing your own food and building your own shelter followed by doing the least amount of work necessary to purchase basic needs. Thanks.
I think Epicurus would say that suffering is inevitable, and the way to deal with that is to ensure everyone suffers a little (work) so that nobody suffers a lot (exploitation).
Dr. Nelson, one key point of your TED talk that stood out to me was "Stoke your gratitude." You speak of the endless loop or cycle of desire and what we can do to break it. I find myself falling into this trap. Once I gain that new possession its onto the next. I also dwell on my newfangled objects, creating unnecessary stress in an attempt to keep them "mint". Your analogy with the Lexus help put this into perspective. Your ability to connect the seemingly antiquated message of Epicurus to our modern world was seamless and easy to follow. Thank you!
I like the way this connects the teaching of epicurus to us in the modern age. I think it is a little unrealistic though; I think it takes a lot more than it should to survive and be able to live like this says, in an apartment with a few possesions.
I disagree with many of things stated but this sure is some food for thought and it has to at least been taken into consideration and even used as guidance in your life.
Great talk ! I like that you explained friendship is magic . Friends love and making room for it in your life because it doesn't matter when you are dead long before you stop breathing .Epicureanism is simply the most perfect philosophy in the history of mankind and will continue to be through the centuries.
I appreciate how you used life examples of how epicureanism and how it can influence us. It can be super beneficial for people my age. Knowing to control stress and realize that stress can mean I'm working too hard is important and I'm glad to have had the chance to reflect on this as I watched.
"The more you have, the more you want." This quote couldn't be more true. When we have everything we need, then we try to obtain everything we want. We start to seek out the things we don't need and don't necessarily want just because we feel we need to have more. Living a simple and easy life is really the most stress-free because we don't need to worry about things of value getting stolen or broken. We can work less because we don't need as much to provide for ourselves, and in turn, we can spend more time doing the things we love and enjoy.
I believe this philosophy is one that more American's should learn about. Being raised in a society where your wealth determines your status is pretty toxic. It creates an environment where you prioritize work and commodities over family, friends, and memories; leaving you hollow and alone. I have been trying to cement this philosophy into my ideology for nearly a year, which has led to me having more friends, less stress, and overall a better quality of life.
The fact that he excepted everyone in his school of philosophy especially in a time when no one did shows me how serious he was about his philosophy. I often wonder if the people who think it's easier to be poor, have actually ever been poor? -Christy Amidan
I agree with you when you say " the more you have the more you want". I grew up in a small home with not alot of things. once I got my own job I continuously bought bigger and nicer things. This did lead to alot of stress. If I just kept to the things that I needed at a reasonable price then I wouldn't worry as much when the got damaged or ruined. and although I had to do this for an assignment, this is a great talk :)
I really enjoyed how there were examples that related to modern life. I think so many of us are taught very young in our society to chase money and that having money would make our lives so much less stressful. While I think having money doesn't hurt, stressing about acquiring said money is so detrimental to our well-being. I can 100% remember being younger having people adamantly dissuade me from majoring in social work to major in something more lucrative. I also remember being young and thinking that having what I have now, I would be so satisfied and content, but there is always something else we're chasing. It's like it never ends. This was a great perspective shifter.
Absolutely fantastic. I have lived along these lines (less money, less work, more fun) for the past 10 years. The only thing that bothers me though is a possible bereavement. Being happy go lucky as I am now, I know for a fact that my world will crash, crumble to nought in the case of my wife dying. I wonder if Epicurus had offered any advice against this vice.
We place far to much on one person In our culture.we won't our spouses to be a village of people romanticism has done a lot of damege to us partner in acent grease were to teach each other and he may not have been married in our ideas sence had slaves that he freed In his Will that prefrmed menney of the duty's of wife and lovers very deferent time than us Philadelphie. Is All about hooe I should love and that gives me plushie and we can grow together with out string attached atorackseia is accept the truth of life and not fear death witch Thay had much more of than us
This was inspiring me to do something for work that I’m passionate about! I love love this idea. I think that life really is about happiness and making your life simple and something you don’t need an escape from. The days shouldn’t be dreaded, but enjoyed. Love this.
I found this to be quite interesting! In our day, especially in Western cultures, working and income is considered highly important in order to provide for your family/loved ones. It's a neat point Marc makes about the pressures of providing consuming our time to the point where we basically forget about the people we're caring for. This video was a great reminder to keep in mind what you find most fulfilling in life and to make that the forefront of our actions!
I loved how you talked about this topic in such a modern way. I feel like the way you tied it into modern world "problems" it made it a lot easier for me to understand and relate to. I also enjoyed the part where you talked about the more stuff we have that is nice psychologically we get used to those things really fast so they aren't as nice anymore in your head. That way nothing is ever enough to satisfy that materialistic need.
Thank you for using life-related examples of how epicureanism can influence our lives daily! This really helped me understand the concept better and get a better grasp of what epicureanism really is.
The more the we have, the more we want. It is a very important principle that you shared with us! I think the foundation and desires you build your "wealth" upon will come back around if we ever do achieve our financial goals. Many times, it is a negative outcome, but I think it can be positive as well.
That was a great talk professor Nelson!! I really enjoyed listening to this. While listening I couldn't help but recall the teachings from the bible. There was a lot of not loving money so much, not coveting what others have, seeking peace in hopes it results in lasting joy and satisfaction in our lives while on this earth. There is probably major differences in motivation and what that looks like but in general the idea is very similar. I also think it's super cool that the time period that you are speaking of is mentioned in Acts 17:16-34 when Paul went to Athens.
I did not know this Ted talk would be with you speaking! So cool! Anyway, I really liked how you discussed how this can still be applied today. I really like how you spoke the truth when it came to money. My whole life has been surrounded with "do what you can to be successful/have a ton of money" and not "do what makes you happy/feel fulfilled". I have never wanted a ton of money because it stresses me out, and I don't even have the money! In class you talked about how different philosophy and psychology are, but you were able to smash them together to bring in more credentials to your speech, which is impressive. With inflation however, I do think that we need more money now to feel "comfortable" with where we are today. I also liked all of the jokes thrown in to make the Ted talk more enjoyable. I think I needed to hear this today. Thank you!
Epicureanism hits so close to the way I try to live ( sometimes successfully and sometimes not so much throughout my 39 year long journey so far ). Its funny how we can make these internal excuses as to why we "need" more, but we really don't. The times in my life where I have owned almost nothing real to speak of, I can truly say that my stress level was at its lowest points. I didn't work much nor did I worry about work. I did have amazing experiences and those were the "possessions" that I valued and kept. As my family grows and I have more than myself to look after, things have changed. That is not to say I have any less amazing experiences. My stress and worldly possessions have skyrocketed but I always try to remember to live simple for myself and my family. As far as work goes, I am skilled at what I do. Over the years I have found that the better I get, the more of a piece of the cog that I am for some one person's wallet getting fatter. Never have I gained any more fulfillment or satisfaction at my job because of progressing within the field. Another testament to what Mark said about Epicureanism and how it can make our lives better is the fact that though I make more money than I ever have before in my life.. I am no richer. Epicurus knew what he was talking about! And I believe its not too extreme for any of us to fully or even partially embrace to make this life better and the world in general.
I really like the fact that you compare Epicureanism to "Millennials." It is very accurate in my opinion. As a millennial, I do believe that nobody should work their lives away unless that brings them happiness. I personally work a job where I have the freedom to work as many months out of the year as I want and this personally brings me happiness. There is a balance for me. Of course, I know this is not realistic for alot of people but for me it works. I am not rich but I am not poor. I live a simple life with my family.
I find it hilarious that he uses a new Lexus being scratched compared to an old rust bucket and shows a picture of a Lexus is, I relate to this very much because I just bought a Lexus is 300, and I'm the one worried about it getting scratched !!!!! Although even though I am slaving my life away to afford the car and at times I am unhappy, The car brings me so much happiness. I wouldn't consider myself happy if I didn't have the nice expensive material Items that I own
This was very interesting, It reminded me a lot of our slideshow in class but the Ted talk format gave It a different feeling. I think that the explanation of Epicureanism makes sense to me, as a way to distance yourself from jealousy and a constant desire for more. I know that there are things in my life where I am never satisfied with what I have. But I think there is real wisdom in these teachings. Especially when It comes to learning to be happy with your current status. This can be anything from personal looks to guitar gear for me. I’m going to try and take a step back and be appreciative of everything in my bedroom, and I’m going to just be happy with the things that I have there. I’m blessed to be in America and to have clothes, a good family and a warm house in the winter. My guitar plays just fine and I’m honestly happy right now. I think that I will try and stop comparing myself to others and to their lives as well.
