“λάθε βιώσας“ is one of those concepts that is not universal among modern Epicureans. I think that on a practical level living somewhat under the radar is not a terrible idea, but again this like all things requires prudent judgement. A person who decides to be a full blown hermit most likely cannot also live a truly Epicurean life due to lack of friends, social interaction etc. so to live unknown should not be taken to an extreme because this would certainly reduce pleasure.
But I began to think about the phrase as applied to social media and internet usage. This subject (internet usage) is really important to me and I have given it quite a significant amount of thought. Many of us have had a social media presence or currently do have one. This forum is my only presence now, but prior to this I had a rocky off and on relationship with Facebook. For me, Facebook made it easy to connect with family and friends, but often horrid toxicity (among a myriad of other social media offenses) caused the platform to feel more like a burden than not. What I have found is that I actually feel better when I’m away from platforms like that. This very specific Epicurean forum gives me feelings of pleasure, interacting with my friends and discussing subjects that are important to me. But there is just something about the other platforms that bring the worst behaviors and emotions out of people.
So thinking on this subject, I think that living unknown in cyber obscurity is not a terrible thing. Using prudent judgement to use only what platforms are beneficial and pleasurable for you, managing your time, and understand what your relationship is to the media you use.
