"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."
— Ethics in Bricks (@EthicsInBricks) May 23, 2021
- Epicurus pic.twitter.com/U8bTjjL6t9
"The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things."
— Ethics in Bricks (@EthicsInBricks) September 1, 2021
- Epictetus pic.twitter.com/sTDYNIJnmT
The second quote in particular reminds me of Boethius in his consolation of philosophy where he gains a sense of at least atunement if not necessarily endorsement while awaiting execution by meditating on the value of internal virtue regardless of external circumstances. When Haybron was discussing the death of Socrates I couldn't help but imagine it as common principle running through both's philosophy, and it seems to me a point that the epicureans and those who tend towards stoicism agree on with some differences of qualification.
ReplyDelete"The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things."
ReplyDeleteI cannot count how many times I have given this exact advice to a person. External sources of happiness, while valuable in their own sense, cannot stand as the sole source of happiness. If this were true, then happiness could be pulled away from you at any instance by an outside force outside of your control. Consequently, your happiness in circumstantial to your environment and a steady supply of your "external supplier." Instead, if one can find a way to be happy with their self, to find internal happiness, then it can never be robbed form them. Unfortunately. such form of happiness requires constant attention in may ways. Just because you are happy with yourself does not mean your cannot improve. In fact, it would seem that internal happiness necessitates self improvement and adaptation to one's environment.
I try very much to not rely on external happiness. But I feel that in today's age it is very hard to do that when social media exists and that it feels like sometimes advertisements are shoved down our throats so that we over consume.
ReplyDeleteI understand his method of thinking, but in a day of instant gratification, is it necessary, if even applicable?
ReplyDelete