Posts by Kalosyni

New Graphics: Are You On Team Epicurus? | Comparison Chart: Epicurus vs. Other Philosophies | Chart Of Key Epicurean Quotations | Accelerating Study Of Canonics Through Philodemus' "On Methods Of Inference" | Note to all users: If you have a problem posting in any forum, please message Cassius  

  • Sensory Overload Article / Article on Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs)

    We can only guess why Epicurus chose to have the Garden in a private location (and not a public place like the Stoa). We can guess about the causes that lead Epicurus to decide to not teach in public, such as the controversial nature of some of his teachings. Another possiblity is that Epicurus was a HSP (20% of all people are).

    It is very possible that at least 50% or more of us here on this forum have heightened senses and are highly sensitive people who at times experience sensory overload.

    There are times I experience sensory overload in a noisy, crowded room. Also, I have noticed that I can often hear things (like alarms or a cell phone ringing off in a distant room, etc) that others are unable to hear. I am also sensitive to certain scents, usually ones that contain harsh chemicals or harsh perfumes in which the scent "hits me" over and over (it seems natural products don't bother me).

    Here is very good article (link is inside the following quote) explaining that there are multiple reasons why sensory overload occurs:

    And here is another good one...I may have already posted about HSP's elsewhere, but posting about it again (link is inside the following quote):

    Quote

    A highly sensitive person (HSP) is a neurodivergent individual who is thought to have an increased or deeper central nervous system sensitivity to physical, emotional, or social stimuli.1 Some refer to this as having sensory processing sensitivity, or SPS for short.

    While highly sensitive people are sometimes negatively described as being “too sensitive," it is a personality trait that brings both strengths and challenges.

    The term highly sensitive person was first coined by psychologists Elaine Aron and Arthur Aron in the mid-1990s. Elaine Aron published her book, "The Highly Sensitive Person," in 1996, and interest in the concept has continued to grow since then.

    Read more here:

    https://www.verywellmind.com/highly-sensiti…-stress-4126393

    We don't have any evidence that meditation was part of Epicurean practices. But I can completely testify that meditation has helped me deal with the internal feelings that arise during overload. If anyone struggles with this, I would recommend trying out a mindfullness meditation group (a group setting with a skilled meditation teacher is a must, for getting the most out of meditation and learning how to deal with this).

    And most importantly never feeling guilty about enjoying quietude!

  • Welcome Goblin

    Just for the record, there is nothing wrong with intense pleasure. Overindulgence which leads to pain is generally avoided. Epicureans do eat more than just bread and water, but if that is all there is they will be fine with it.

    The following Epicurean verses which further shed light on what is incorrect in the above text by IDRlabs:

    PD8: "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."

    VS21: "Nature must be persuaded, not forced. And we will persuade nature by fulfilling the necessary desires, and the natural desires too if they cause no harm, but sharply rejecting the harmful desires."

    VS59: "The stomach is not insatiable, as most people say; instead the opinion that the stomach needs unlimited filling is false."

    VS:71 "Ask this question of every desire: what will happen to me if the object of desire is achieved, and what if not?"

    From Letter to Menoeceus: "Fourth, we hold that self-reliance is a great good — not so that we will always have only a few things but so that if we do not have much we will rejoice in the few things we have, firmly persuaded that those who need luxury the least enjoy it the most, and that everything natural is easily obtained whereas everything groundless is hard to get. So simple flavors bring just as much pleasure as a fancy diet if all pain from true need has been removed, and bread and water give the highest pleasure when someone in need partakes of them. Training yourself to live simply and without luxury brings you complete health, gives you endless energy to face the necessities of life, better prepares you for the occasional luxury, and makes you fearless no matter your fortune in life."

    VS63: "Frugality too has a limit, and the man who disregards it is like him who errs through excess."

    For further reading visit:
    https://epicuruscollege.com/coursematerial…NotTranquility/

  • A Happy Life: the Emotional Feeling Tone of the Epicurean Lifestyle

    I've just posted this new entry on my "21st Century Epicurean" blog...

    Here is an excerpt from the opening:

    A Happy Life: the Emotional Feeling Tone of the Epicurean Lifestyle
    Does the Epicurean lifestyle lead to a happier life? I would like to present the idea that happiness is a practice that can be learned. ...
    epicureanphilosophyblog.blogspot.com

  • Welcome Yudaimon!

    Quote from Yudaimon

    Is there a zoom group this evening? If so how do I join?

    Welcome to the forum Yudaimon. Currently our Zoom meetings are only open to Level 3 members. There is a vetting process which takes about one to two months, before Level 1 members are promoted to Level 3. We would love to get to know you better first here on the forum through your posts, in this thread or in other threads. You can ask questions or comment. During the next 2 months we will evaluate your participation, and then at the end of 2 months time we will decide whether or not you are ready for being promoted to Level 3.

    You can start out by telling us a little about yourself, your background, any studies of philosophy or specific interests in Epicurus or any questions you might have about the Epicurean philosophy -- please share here in this thread.

    Looking forward to hearing from you :)

  • Major effort to read the the Herculaneum Papyri.

    Wow! Thanks Cleveland Okie ...This is a very interesting podcast presentation! -- some areas were buried in 50 feet of volcanic ash/debris...the papyri were discovered in 1752...untold numbers of scrolls were burned or thrown away before someone realised what they were! (this is from the first few minutes and I hope to listen to the rest of it still).

    Quote from Cleveland Okie

    ...found out about the Emily Austin book, "Living for Pleasure." I bought it and I'm reading it now, very interesting so far. After I finish it, I'll look for comments about it in this forum.

    For ease of reference here is a link to the section of the forum set up for Austin's book:

    Living for Pleasure: An Epicurean Guide to Life - Emily Austin

    We may do a Zoom "book reading/review" starting end of April or beginning of May (or maybe in the fall).

  • Visiting Herculaneum Travel Tips

    Are you able to read them? I only have android, so seemed like it wouldn't open for me. What was on there?

  • Visiting Herculaneum Travel Tips

    I found this interesting article, newly published, with tips and also compares Herculaneum vs Pompeii. Perfect for "armchair travelers" (such as myself) ...or others who may hope to some day travel to Italy. ( Martin)

    The Villa de Papyri is in Herculaneum, but I am not certain if that is open.

    This article is long (be sure to keep scrolling past the many pictures/ads, as there are lots of details).

    How to visit Herculaneum (and 3 huge reasons why you should) - Helen on her Holidays
    Visiting Herculaneum, a Roman city destroyed at the same time as Pompeii, is really rewarding. Here's how to visit Herculaneum on your trip to Italy.
    www.helenonherholidays.com

  • Thinking About Death - Preparation for Death and Dealing With Death of Loved Ones

    In Letter to Menoeceus, it says:

    "...train yourself to hold that death is nothing to us, because good and evil consist in sensation, and death is the removal of sensation. A correct understanding that death is nothing to us makes the mortality of life enjoyable — not because it gives you an unbounded span of time, but because it removes the desire for immortality. There is nothing terrifying in life to someone who truly understands that there is nothing terrifying in the absence of life."

    Joshua brought up during the last podcast the phrase "accustom yourself" to hold that death is nothing to us -- and that can be contemplating that the dying process is a natural process. And we have modern medicine now to help with the process.

    Here is a very good article about the process of dying -- death due to incurable illness in old age.

    Quote

    It's hard to ask your doctor what dying will be like. Death is a reality everyone will face one way or another. If you have an incurable illness, knowing what to expect as your body shuts down helps you prepare for as "good" of death as possible.

    https://healthnews.com/family-health/end-of-life-care/what-is-dying-like-a-nurse-explains-what-dying-bodies-do/

    I think it is important to contemplate this, and to let this be motivating toward living a full and pleasurable life.

  • Dealing with the Feeling of Frustration - a practical method

    Quote from Matteng

    Stoics tend to see the happy life as erasing frustrations ((a)pathe).


    What would be the alternative in Epicurus' philosophy?

    Here is the Vatican Saying 21:

    "Nature must be persuaded, not forced. And we will persuade nature by fulfilling the necessary desires, and the natural desires too if they cause no harm, but sharply rejecting the harmful desires."

    For Epicureans it is important to pay attention to needs -- needs of the body and needs for happiness. And to find practical solutions -- by asking "What is in my power to change?"

    And in the Letter to Menoeceus: "...keep in mind that some desires are natural whereas others are groundless; that among the natural desires some are natural and necessary whereas others are merely natural; and that among the necessary desires some are necessary for happiness, some for physical health, and some for life itself."

    So for practical application, from modern psychology:

    Painful emotions and painful feelings are like a warning light that a need of the body or of the soul is not being met, or we are in danger of losing something we believe that we need. The problem being that when we only have one way to meet a need, than we are stuck if we don't get that one way (or can't use that one strategy). So getting unstuck requires us to see other strategies for meeting our needs, as well as making peace with situations in which can't be changed.

    Signs that a need is going unmet, or may go unmet in the future:

    sadness

    frustration

    anger

    fear

    anxiety

    worry

    Signs that a need is being met effectively:

    happy

    enthusiastic

    thankful

    peaceful

    satisfied/content

    Some universal human needs:

    food/water/shelter/clothing

    safety/trust

    competence/skills

    rest/play

    belonging/understanding

    respect/consideration

    autonomy/choice

    etc.

    I haven't yet studied Philodemus, so can't add anything from that.

    Quote from Matteng

    Emotions that cause suffering (pain ? )such as anxiety/obsessive-compulsive disorders should probably be countered as the Stoics or CBT envisage, but perhaps in a milder form?

    OCD is a complex issue and is a separate issue than just anxiety (and different than phobias) -- there is probably a lot about what kinds of modalities of modern psychotherapy work for these issues, but haven't researched.

    In another thread, there was something about CBT having some problems, and could make some conditions worse.

  • Starting a closed in-person/zoom/social media mixed Epicurean Study Group; Utilizing this Website and Where to Start

    I just realized that VS21 is another very important guide for interpretation of the Epicurean philosophy, and to point out that it is more than just necessary desires that we seek to fulfill -- and therefore a "simple life" of "minimalism" and "tranquility" is not the Epicurean goal. (And btw what I mean by "tranquility" is a life of dawdling or being like a stick in the mud, and so probably another word other than tranquility is needed.) And the true goal could also be better understood by the word "engaged" -- actively engaged with pursuing pleasure.

    Vatican Saying 21: "Nature must be persuaded, not forced. And we will persuade nature by fulfilling the necessary desires, and the natural desires too if they cause no harm, but sharply rejecting the harmful desires."

  • Epicurean Verse For When You're Feeling...

    Thanks Cassius for pointing that out, and this interesting quote:

    Quote

    The methods employed in CBT research have not been the only criticisms; some individuals have called its theory and therapy into question.[225]

    Slife and Williams write that one of the hidden assumptions in CBT is that of determinism, or the absence of free will. They argue that CBT holds that external stimuli from the environment enter the mind, causing different thoughts that cause emotional states: nowhere in CBT theory is agency, or free will, accounted for.[215]

    Another criticism of CBT theory, especially as applied to major depressive disorder (MDD), is that it confounds the symptoms of the disorder with its causes.[218]

    It would be good to evaluate any of the Epicurean verses in light of two factors:

    1) Does this Epicurean verse allow me to see and exercise my free will, and does it help me see that I have multiple options for solving problems in my life?

    2) Does this Epicurean verse confound (confuse or mix up) the symptoms (my feelings/emotions) with the causes? (Try to get rid of symptoms without understanding the causes).

  • Registered user private conversations

    Registered users please check to see if you have received a private conversation message (see below for how to do so). It appears that the private conversations option is not optimized when using your cell phone for viewing the forum.

    Almost all discussions are held on the public forum, because we all benefit from philosophizing together as a community.

    However the forum does give an option for private conversations.

    Private conversations are most often used to announce Zoom meeting links and updates.

    If you are a registered user and you are using your cell phone to read the forum, please be aware that the private conversations notification is indicated by a red dot on your round profile icon. You need to click on your profile icon which will open your "User Menu" and then click on "Conversations".

    Let us know if you have any further questions. :)

  • Starting a closed in-person/zoom/social media mixed Epicurean Study Group; Utilizing this Website and Where to Start

    Yes and I think audio material is great for "newbies"...for ease of reference here are some links:

    Part: 1

    Thread

    Episode 156 - Lucretius Today Interviews Dr. Emily Austin - Part One

    Welcome to episode 156, a special two-part Episode of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the only complete presentation of Epicurean philosophy left to us from the ancient world. Each week we walk you through the Epicurean texts, and we discuss how Epicurean philosophy can apply to you today. If you too find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at EpicureanFriends.com, where…
    Cassius
    January 10, 2023 at 12:58 AM

    Part 2:

    Thread

    Episode 157 - Lucretius Today Interviews Dr. Emily Austin - Part Two

    Welcome to episode 157, part two of a special two part Episode of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the only complete presentation of Epicurean philosophy left to us from the ancient world. Each week we walk you through the Epicurean texts, and we discuss how Epicurean philosophy can apply to you today. If you too find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at…
    Cassius
    January 19, 2023 at 10:13 AM

    And the YouTube version which is all in one piece:

    Also, this particular YouTube was helpful for me when I first started out:

    "Major Aspects of Epicurean Philosophy" (Cassius gives an overview)

  • Dealing with Marital Conflict

    Friendship is an important aspect of happiness and well-being. And, in marriage, friendship is considered very important now in our current times. Some people do not have any close friends other than their spouse. Having friends (other than a spouse) is especially difficult for those people who move to different cities for career changes. Of course this puts a lot expectation and pressure on marriage. It will be inevitable that differences in opinion will arise, and knowing how to work through that is of utmost importance.

    Here are some links to some very good information which explains a major source of conflict in marriage -- if one (or both partners) are "other-blamers" -- how to recognize it and what to do.

    Quote

    Other-Blamers manage the feeling of shame with a lack of accountability. The key behavioral sign is hyper-vigilance to and over-reactivity to criticism. Other-Blamers tend to argue or attack to keep any taint of blame from landing close.

    While these strategies provide comfort to the individual, they are counterproductive in relationships. Other-Blaming is often at the root of relationship problems, because of the reluctance to admit fault.
    Quote

    In some people, the experience of shame triggers a fearful response, overwhelming the cognitive functioning of the brain, leading to fear-based behaviors of reacting rather than responding thoughtfully.

    They are highly motivated to manage their shame and fear and respond with three predictable and easily identified behavioral responses called Counterproductive Shame Management Strategies:

    1. Other-Blaming
    2. Self-Blaming
    3. Blame Avoiding

    The simple key to understanding the three Shame Management Strategies is the answer to this question: How does the person handle criticism?

    When held accountable for a behavior, what does the person do?

    • blame others
    • blame themselves, or
    • preemptively try to avoid blame

    Be sure to read both of following links, if you are interested in learning more.

    Improve Your Relationships: Overcome Low Self-Worth • Harper West
    Stop arguing too much in your relationship. How to improve relationships by understanding the impact of shame. Anger and arguments may be caused by poor shame…
    www.harperwest.co
    How Do You Handle Shame? Learning Self Acceptance • Harper West
    Do you want to learn to handle shame better? How do you handle embarrassment? By blame yourself, blame others, avoid blame? Learning self-acceptance improves…
    www.harperwest.co

  • Dealing with the Feeling of Frustration - a practical method

    I created a flow chart to illustrate possible ways to deal with the feeling of frustration.

    Wikipedia: "In psychology, frustration is a common emotional response to opposition [or unexpected obstacles to goal fulfillment], related to anger, annoyance, and disappointment. Frustration arises from the perceived resistance to the fulfillment of an individual's will or goal and is likely to increase when a will or goal is denied or blocked." (Wikipedia article).

    Is the following chart helpful? Is there anything which should be added or changed?

  • Epicurean Verse For When You're Feeling...

    Quote from Nate

    His sweetest quote on pain management is useful to me in acknowledging the power of remembrance,

    Yes, and everyone will have varying results in how they understand and use Epicurean ephorisms, so it could be a very individualized process. Perhaps everyone should make their own collection of what they find helpful, as an exercise and to assist in learning.

    As for myself...there is now so much on the internet. And all I have to do is type in whatever problem I am encountering and then lots of practical advice comes up for me on various websites. I even can recommend Wikipedia, when I looked up the word "frustration".

    Quote

    In psychology, frustration is a common emotional response to opposition, related to anger, annoyance and disappointment. Frustration arises from the perceived resistance to the fulfillment of an individual's will or goal and is likely to increase when a will or goal is denied or blocked.[1][2][3] There are two types of frustration: internal and external. Internal frustration may arise from challenges in fulfilling personal goals, desires, instinctual drives and needs, or dealing with perceived deficiencies, such as a lack of confidence or fear of social situations. Conflict, such as when one has competing goals that interfere with one another, can also be an internal source of frustration or annoyance and can create cognitive dissonance. External causes of frustration involve conditions outside an individual's control, such as a physical roadblock, a difficult task, or the perception of wasting time.[4] There are multiple ways individuals cope with frustration


    Frustration - Wikipedia
    en.m.wikipedia.org

    Coping - Wikipedia

Finding Things At EpicureanFriends.com

Here is a list of suggested search strategies:

  • Website Overview page - clickable links arrranged by cards.
  • Forum Main Page - list of forums and subforums arranged by topic. Threads are posted according to relevant topics. The "Uncategorized subforum" contains threads which do not fall into any existing topic (also contains older "unfiled" threads which will soon be moved).
  • Search Tool - icon is located on the top right of every page. Note that the search box asks you what section of the forum you'd like to search. If you don't know, select "Everywhere."
  • Search By Key Tags - curated to show frequently-searched topics.
  • Full Tag List - an alphabetical list of all tags.