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If we all want happiness and pleasure so much, then why are we so bad at getting it?
Pleasure feels amazing! Anxiety, however, does not. The Ancient Greek Philosopher Epicurus rolled these two strikingly intuitive claims into a simple formula for happiness and well-being—pursue pleasure without causing yourself anxiety. But wait, is that even possible? Can humans achieve lasting pleasure without suffering anxiety about failure and loss? Epicurus thinks we can, at least once we learn to pursue pleasure thoughtfully.
In Living for Pleasure, philosopher Emily Austin offers a lively, jargon-free tour of Epicurean strategies for diminishing anxiety, achieving satisfaction, and relishing joys. Epicurean science was famously far ahead of its time, and Austin shows that so was its ethics and psychology. Epicureanism can help us make and keep good friends, prepare for suffering, combat imposter syndrome, build trust, recognize personal limitations, value truth, cultivate healthy attitudes towards money and success, manage political anxiety, develop gratitude, savor food, and face death.
Readers will walk away knowing more about an important school of philosophy, but moreover understanding how to get what they want in life—happiness—without the anxiety of striving for it.
Chapter 1: Maybe We're Doing It Wrong
Chapter 2: Epicureanism, The Original Cast
Chapter 3: Happiness, Theirs and Ours
Chapter 4: Why Hedonism?
Chapter 5: What do you want?
Chapter 6: The Fourfold Remedy
Chapter 7: Why Can't We Be Friends?
Chapter 8: Let Me Be Frank
Chapter 9: Why Be Just?
Chapter 10: Imposter Syndrome
Chapter 11: Living Unnoticed: Politics and Power
Chapter 12: Living Unnoticed: The Tyranny of the 'Like'
Chapter 13: Wealth and What it Costs
Chapter 14: Ambition, Work, and Success
Chapter 15: Greed for Life
Chapter 16: Misfortune and Resilience
Chapter 17: Of Sex, Love, and Harmless Pleasure
Chapter 18: Building the Tranquil Child
Chapter 19: Drugs and Other Short Cuts
Chapter 20: Foodies, Dinner Parties, and Wine Snobs
Chapter 21: Science and Anxiety
Chapter 22: That Old Time Religion
Chapter 23: Experiencing Death
Chapter 24: Pandemics and Other Comforting Horrors
Chapter 25: On Practicing Epicureanism
Description
If we all want happiness and pleasure so much, then why are we so bad at getting it?
Pleasure feels amazing! Anxiety, however, does not. The Ancient Greek Philosopher Epicurus rolled these two strikingly intuitive claims into a simple formula for happiness and well-being—pursue pleasure without causing yourself anxiety. But wait, is that even possible? Can humans achieve lasting pleasure without suffering anxiety about failure and loss? Epicurus thinks we can, at least once we learn to pursue pleasure thoughtfully.
In Living for Pleasure, philosopher Emily Austin offers a lively, jargon-free tour of Epicurean strategies for diminishing anxiety, achieving satisfaction, and relishing joys. Epicurean science was famously far ahead of its time, and Austin shows that so was its ethics and psychology. Epicureanism can help us make and keep good friends, prepare for suffering, combat imposter syndrome, build trust, recognize personal limitations, value truth, cultivate healthy attitudes towards money and success, manage political anxiety, develop gratitude, savor food, and face death.
Readers will walk away knowing more about an important school of philosophy, but moreover understanding how to get what they want in life—happiness—without the anxiety of striving for it.
