Posts by Kalosyni

AaronSF Welcome to the forum!

Thanks Little Rocker ..."blow up your TV" . Good thing it was "throw away your papers" and not your books! Also liked the line "try to find Jesus on your own". The equivalent might be find Epicurus on your own (It's not possible to start a meet-up group unless you are in a big enough city).

But the true reality of living out in the country these days is it can be hard to (or expensive) to get internet, or good quality internet. (Starlink can be spotty and slow).

Although, living out in the country could include "blowing up your internet" ...but I couldn't live without it!

Here is the text of the presentation I gave this evening:

What do Happy People Do?

Vatican Saying 14 says: "We are born only once and cannot be born twice, and must forever live no more. You don't control tomorrow, yet you postpone joy. Life is ruined by putting things off, and each of us dies without truly living."

This brings up the idea of "carpe diem", since it reminds us not to postpone joy. But I don't think that this is the kind of carpe diem mentality that simply reminds us that we better go take that vacation that we've been putting off.

In another Vatican Saying (Vatican Saying 52): "Friendship dances around the world, announcing to each of us that we must awaken to happiness."

When is comes to happiness, positive psychology authors and researchers all seem to have their own favorite recipe for how to become happier. Some of the ingredients are the same and others are different. They are often "masters of the obvious", and studies often contain disclaimers such as this: "Additional research is needed to test whether these results replicate and generalize to other samples and situations."

Positive psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology which began in the 1990's and focuses on eudaimonia - the pursuit of happiness and the good life.

Recently I found an article titled: "What happy people do: The behavioral correlates of happiness in everyday situations". A study was done on the subjective versus the objective evaluation of happiness while observing participants being interviewed about themselves, and secondly, they were observed while participating in a social interaction with strangers. The patterns of observed behaviors associated with happiness were highly similar between the two situations. Happier people smiled more frequently, acted playful and behaved cheerfully, while unhappy people expressed criticism or guilt, or acted irritated or anxious. "Overall, the greater positive affect and more enjoyable experiences that happier people have in their daily lives is to a considerable degree reflected in their observable behaviors."

In another article titled "The number one thing to change to be happier" - Dr. Robert Waldinger, author of "The Good Life: Lessons from the world's longest scientific study of happiness", says the single most important thing to do to increase your level of happiness is to prioritize and invest in relationships with other people.

I have only just scratched the tip of the iceberg, in presenting some ways to increase happiness. In the reading that I have done over the past week, I've seen referenced many aspects of life that are touted as important to happiness: exercise or physical activity, optimism, self-confidence, and emotional resilience are all thought to be important.

Action for happiness.org - Has a page titled "10 Keys to Happier Living. Their homepage states: "Everyone's path to happiness is different. Based on the latest research, we have identified 10 keys to happier living that consistently tend to make life happier and more fulfilling." (I'll add emphasis onto the word "tend").

And it lists the following:

Giving - do kind things for others

Relating - connect with other people

Exercising - take care of your body

Awareness - live life mindfully

Trying out - keep learning new things

Direction - have goals to look forward to

Resilience - find ways to bounce back

Emotions - look for what's good

Acceptance - be comfortable with who you are

Meaning - be part of something bigger

It's important to remember that everyone's recipe for happiness is going to be slightly different, and we have to decide for ourselves what works for us.

As Epicureans, we take the art of taking pleasure seriously. Our recipe for happiness and joy includes paying attention to what our senses tell us, and using our mind's ability to imagine and plan for the best outcome, through our wise choices and avoidances.

And as Epicurus already knew, over 2300 years ago:

"Of all the things that wisdom provides for the complete happiness of one's entire life, by far the greatest is friendship." (PD27)

As for actionable steps, from the first two of the positive psychology studies that I referenced above...smile more and consider all the ways you can improve the quality of your interactions with people, and be sure to make it a top priority to schedule time with your family and friends.

Sources:

What happy people do: The behavioral correlates of happiness in everyday situations

What's the one thing to change to be happier

10 Keys to Happier Living

Godfrey Thanks for let us know!

I'll post the text of my presentation after the meeting (it is about 5 minutes long).

Hopefully the power will stay on tonight (thunderstorm rolling in with a potential for high winds).

There is a strong thunderstorm on its way, and just in case I can't present tonight during our Happy Hour Zoom, here are some slides:

I've been editing post 1 above, so a few added points, (so re-read post 1) and if anyone has anything else to add, would enjoy any additional ideas.

What would be some competencies of understanding, which could be broken down into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels? This could also be used for Epicurus College and the "Seven Steps to Epicurus" program.

Here are just a few ideas to get the ball rolling (lots more needs to be added still).

Beginning competencies:

Who was Epicurus?

What is pleasure according to Epicurus?

What is the guide of life?

What are the three parts of Epicurean philosophy?

What are the extant texts of Epicurus?

Intermediate competencies:

What is the talos according to Epicurus?

How does the guide of life differ from the goal of life?

What are the core themes covered in Epicurean ethics?

Why has Epicurus' philosophy been considered controversial?

How can we begin to apply Epicurean philosophy to our own lives?

Advanced competencies:

What are the Epicurean canonics and why are they important?

Why do we believe there is no life after death and no afterlife?

Why do we believe there are no supernatural God(s)?

Why do we believe we have free will?

What are the differences between Epicureanism and modern Stoicism?

What are the differences between modern Western culture and the Epicurean worldview?

How do we develop a proper understanding toward death?

According to Epicurus, how does a wise person live?

What is the correct way to use pleasure in our "choices and avoidances"?

Do I consider myself an Epicurean, and why?

I am just a little out of touch with the moon.

It occurred to me to compare the moonrise time of East Coast USA with Athens, Greece...and the moonrise is at an earlier time in the evening over there!
https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/greece/athens

Quote

The moon’s orbital motion is toward the east.

Each day, the moon moves another 12 to 13 degrees toward the east on the sky’s dome. Then, Earth’s rotation takes a little longer to bring you around to where the moon is in space.

Thus, the moon rises, on average, about 50 minutes later each day.

The later and later rising times of the moon cause our companion world to appear in a different part of the sky at each nightfall for the two weeks between new and full moon.

Then, in the two weeks after full moon, you’ll find the moon rising later and later at night.

View larger. | The moon’s (and Earth’s) orbit in one lunar month (new moon to new moon) as seen from north of the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane. The sun is at the top, outside the illustration. New moon is at extreme right and left. Full moon is at center. Click here for larger chart and more detailed explanation. Image via Wikipedia/ Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.

https://earthsky.org/moon-phases/understandingmoonphases/

Just a reminder: Tomorrow night is First Monday Epicurean Happy Hour! 8pm ET

Super excited...I'll be doing a short presentation, which will touch on "What do happy people do?" But of course we can't say the word "happy" (or happiness) without diving into the meaning of it (perhaps it will be part of the follow up discussion). I'll be combining some findings on modern positive psychology together with Epicurean text.

And remember you can...byob - bring your own beverage, lol

Meeting is open to forum members, message me if you need the Zoom link

Okay, Don, taking up the challenge...

A "pleasure-filled life" sounds better than a "pleasurable life".

"Life of well-being" = this is like a bird's eye view, and it is a long time extending all the way to the end of one's life.

"Well-being" - this could be pointing at specific goods.

"Life of pleasure" - more active, and enjoyment of experiences.

"Life of well-being" - more restful, with a focus on a healthy body but with more emphasis on the health of the mind.

"A blessed life" - fate or God was, or is, smiling upon you.

A "joyous life" sounds better than a "happy life", in that there are probably more fun gatherings of friends and family happening in the joyous life.

(just my own subjective ideas )

Quote from EricR

Words evoke specific reactions in people. The word "pleasure", while having a wide interpretation in Epicurean Philosophy, it seems to have a much narrower one in general. Specifically, immediate transitory pleasures.

This could be a problem or a blessing in diguise, because it requires some contemplation. We can see in the Letter to Menoceus that Epicurus had to explain the nature of pleasure, and we also have to make sense of this for ourselves. So then we can contemplate for ourselves what "pleasure" means. And we need to reclaim the word "pleasure".

PD8 says:

"No pleasure is bad in itself; but the means of paying for some pleasures bring with them disturbances many times greater than the pleasures themselves."

And why is there distrust of "pleasure"? In modern civilization perhaps there are people who are living "like mice in a cage addicted to sugar water". Perhaps because they are unable to find the necessities for the happiness of the soul.

Quote from EricR

So I was wondering if the focus was a "pleasant life" as the goal might be more immediately evocative of that wider interpretation.

A pleasant life will contain pleasures of both the body and the mind. But the phrase "pleasant life" seems a bit bland. It is the difference between "happiness" and "well-being". Of course we want a pleasant life, but I think we also want happiness too.

@EricR - Are you interested in the Wednesday night Zoom on the Vatican Sayings?

Two possible ideas:

1. If all attendees like the idea, then we could record just the audio, and post it. However there may be attendees who feel uncomfortable with recording it, because it may interfere with the free flow of conversation.

2. Taking notes of important points and posting them on the forum.

Cassius, what do you think?

Hi Everyone,

Join in on the fun! This next Monday night at 8pm ET. I'll be presenting on the the topic: "What do happy people do?"

Open to forum members. Let me know here in this thread if you need the Zoom link.

We'll go for about an hour. If you like, you are welcome to sip on a beverage of your choice during the meeting.

(fyi - Cassius will be attending and will help guide the philosophy discussion, and keep us all on the right Epicurean track).

Quote from Don

...it is not out of the question in my opinion to consider periodic fasting or intervals of caloric restriction to be well within Epicurean practice. I'm not ready to call for either as a regular lifestyle but could easily see the teachers and students of the Garden periodically taking part in these and comparing results with each other. When you pay attention to your feeling of pleasure, is your meal truly satisfying?

The idea occurred to me that I could make the 20th more special if I refrained from sweets for the week or 10 days before the 20th. The modern world makes sweets way too easily available, and so having a sort of "reset" period would make the experience more enjoyable. (It shouldn't be like the Christian Lent, but simply a voluntary individual thing).

Quote from HsiehKW

I think a close community can be very helpful to practice. For me, I think this forum is a great way to compensate for the lack of face-to-face fellowship and the opportunity to learn from others, especially from those who have been at it longer, have some mastery, and exhibit impressive scholarship. But I wonder if any of us here have a sort of close community of Epicurean friends nearby, how that helps, and any tips on how you go about it if you are without such.

I hope to one day start an in-person Epicurean philosophy group, and it would meet weekly. I need to get some materials together for that still (some hand-outs for reading) and it would be both a study group and a social group. There is the logistical hurdle of deciding where to have the meeting and how to advertise it.

Here is another good article about Existential Therapy, and the givens: "the tension between life and death, between isolation and connection, between freedom and responsibility, and between meaning and meaningless[ness]."

Facing the Unavoidable Challenges of Life

Some struggles are universal, but that doesn’t mean we are helpless.

www.psychologytoday.com

The Letter to Menoeceus brings up some aspects of the givens in addressing death...and also recommends to not engage in the overindulgence of the profligate (and overindulgence may be a distraction away from properly dealing with the givens). And the Letter to Menoeceus recommends studying the Epicurean philosophy with others of like-mind, which would be a way of both finding meaning and connection.

Letter to Menoeceus

Today another outline:

Why Study Epicurean Philosophy?

I. It is a worldview in sync with modern science which is free from supernatural and superstitious beliefs

A. Why this worldview makes sense:

1. In Ancient Greece Epicurus asserted atoms and void as the natural basis of a material world. In our modern times with modern science we have a much more complete understanding of the nature of things.

2. Epicurus presented the epistimological canonics of the senses, feelings, and anticipations as the proper way to know things. Now in modern times we have the scientific method, which also relies on observation.

B. Why this worldview is beneficial:

1. Understanding the material nature of things helps reduce fear because we know that things have causes.

a. We no longer have to worry that there are supernatural elements present in the world, or that a cruel God in heaven is the source of everything.

b. We no longer have to fear what happens after we die

2. We can focus on doing what we need to do in this lifetime and in this physical world, since there is only this life.

II. It is a way to decide what to pursue in life based on Nature's goal combined with the use of self-awareness and wisdom in decision making

A. What is nature's goal - we naturally move toward pleasure

B. Why follow nature's goal...because it is in line with our body and our mind

C. Guidelines for what desires to pursue - pursuing things which bring happiness both in the present and in the future (and also a list of necessities which bring well-being such as food, shelter, safety, belonging, etc.)

D. Self-awareness - the feeling of pleasure and pain and the ability to monitor these in line with a healthy mind in a sound body.

E. Wisdom in decision making - considering both the present and the future, and considering the overall well-being of our lives.

1. Sometimes we endure pain so that a greater pleasure will happen later, but we also choose pleasure now if it doesn't lead to a bad situation later.

2. We don't have worry that we have to prove to anyone that we are a good or worthy person, since life is to be enjoyed surrounded by those we love and those who love us.

Here is a bit more about De Rerum Natura in Italy:

Quote

Lucretius in Florence

The period in which Leonardo conducted his work as an artist and scien-

tist coincided with the rediscovery of Lucretius and various aspects of the natu-

ral philosophy of Epicureanism. Although the text of De rerum natura had been

circulating for some time in manuscript form, the editio princeps was only print-

ed in 1473 in Brescia and, judging from the great rarity of the edition, in very

few copies.3 Other editions followed in Verona (1486) and Venice (1495),

culminating in 1500 with the first of two by the Venetian printer Aldus Manutius,

this one edited by Geronimo Avancio. The first commented edition, by Giovan

Battista Pio, was published in Bologna in 1511.4 It was followed one year later

by an edition printed in Florence by Filippo Giunta that – thanks primarily to

the scrupulous work of Michele Marullo – offered readers a text purged of nu-

merous errors. The editor, Pier Candido, dedicated his work to Tommaso So-

derini, a Florentine statesman who knew Machiavelli well 5 and was a great ad-

mirer of Leonardo. Eight years earlier, in 1504, the Florentine mathematician

Raffaele Francus had dedicated In Lucretium paraphrasis cum appendicem de an-

imi immortalitatem 6 to Soderini (Fig. 1). This treatise was published in Bologna

by Giovanni Antonio Benedetti, the father of Girolamo Benedetti, who was the

printer responsible for the 1511 edition of De rerum natura by Giovan Battista

Pio, as well as numerous other scientific texts.

In the annals of Italian typography, the Lucretian revival concluded in 1515

with the second edition of De rerum natura printed by Aldus Manutius, this one

edited by Andrea Navagero. Two years before the death of Leonardo, during a

synod held in Florence in 1517 after the Fifth Lateran Council, the Church for-

mally banned the study of Lucretius in schools.7 Although this measure was less

restrictive than those applying to works considered to be heretical, De rerum nat-

ura would not be published again in Italy until 1647, in an edition prepared by

Giovanni Nardi, physician to Ferdinando II de Medici.

No attempts to translate the text of Lucretius are known of before 1530,...

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https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292309282_Leonardo_and_Lucretius

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292309282_Leonardo_and_Lucretius

This looks to be a good article (PDF, by Marco Baretta, University of Bologna, 2009) about Leonardo da Vinci and includes history and reception of De Rerum Natura in Italy.

Excerpt:

Quote

Aware of the difficulties that may be encountered in any research on sources,

in this examination of the ties between Leonardo and Lucretius I have adopted

an approach that is intended to circumvent at least some of the obstacles men-

tioned above. While I have sought to identify the significant correspondences

between passages written by the two, it seemed to me necessary first and fore-

most to demonstrate that Lucretius was such a well-known author in the circles

frequented by Leonardo in Florence and Pavia that it would have been difficult,

if not impossible, for the artist to have remained unaware of the discussions of

certain themes that had been sparked by the diffusion of the poem. Therefore,

the historical and intellectual context in which Leonardo moved will form the

basis here for an interpretation of the text.

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Happy Birthday! Sorry this is a day late - hope you had a good one! (Hope to see you tonight at the 20th!)