Welcome Todd!

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    Welcome @Todd !

    When you get a chance please introduce yourself and tell us about your background and interest in Epicurus. It would be helpful also if you could include how you found the EpicureanFriends forum, as that would help with our publicity efforts in the future.

    I'm a software engineer in the Phoenix, AZ area. Several years ago I went through a period of studying different philosophies as guides to living. I found it frustrating that so many involved mysticism, or required the practitioner to take it on faith that believing or acting as prescribed would produce the desired results. It was refreshing to discover in Epicurus a philosophy clearly grounded in reality, surprisingly in accord with modern science, and intended specifically as a guide to a happy life.

    I was fortunate to find NewEpicurean.com early on, as one of the few active blogs dedicated to Epicurus. So I didn't have the problem of starting from a Stoicized interpretation. I was on the Facebook group for a bit, but I incline more toward lurking than active participation.

    Aside from philosophy, some of my other interests include economics, history, strength training, and quantitative trading/investing.

    Yes Todd great to have you here. There are many many issues with Facebook and I hope here we have more focus and less distraction.

    If we are going to get the most out of Epicurus and of life we have to take control of our own time and spend it more wisely than mindlessly scrolling through largely idle chatter. FB has its uses but it will never be the community we need.

    And the community we need has to be built with our own efforts and initiatives. We now have enough numbers in the USA that it is realistic to talk about group projects and even meetings on the horizon. I hope we are soon off the ground with a regular podcast, as we already have a regular Skype conference call on Sunday mornings which is a prelude to that.

    It will continue to be a challenge to develop new content in the face of the knowledge that much of what is already out there is essentially advice to be passive and reclusive, but that is what Epicurus and the other initial founders did -- they stood up and opposed what they thought was wrong.

    Even if you only continue to lurk you are welcome, but if on any aspect you have a special interest please let us know and we will work to incorporate that talent.

    For example I am sure you have seen Joshua's poems, Nates and Ellis graphics, JAWS's outline, Martin's research posts, and Hiram's work. (And although it wasn't focused on this forum, what about Michele's festival?)

    There is a lot to be done and its in the doing that we get the most benefit. This is a good place for us to collaborate free of any agenda but Epicurus.

    So welcome aboard!

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