As we near the end of 2022 it's a good time to wish everyone happy holidays and take stock of where we are at EpicureanFriends.com.
Next month's Twentieth will be the best time to observe Epicurus' birthday, and the topic it looks like we are going to choose to discuss is going to be something like "The importance of not just studying Epicurus, but making Epicurean friends." We've been discussing lately that a significant number of fans of Epicurus are somewhat introverted, and that's probably related at least in part to the tendency of such people to dig deeper into things that interest them regardless of how interesting that topic is to "the crowd." In turn that is likely to be directly related to the general observation that Epicurean philosophy has never been the numerically dominant point of view, and given the "bitterness" of the medicine that Lucretius repeatedly mentioned, it's up to us to "rim the cup with honey" and find ways to get the longer range and ultimately more important benefits of it despite the initial discomfort we may experience in pursuing it.
The choice to debate the finer points of philosophy has to be judged by the same test as everything else: does it lead to happier living for us? Philosophy is enjoyable in itself, but debate is not always so enjoyable, and Epicurus said.
PD27. Of all the things which wisdom acquires to produce the blessedness of the complete life, far the greatest is the possession of friendship.
So all our dexterity in being able to be precise in our debates, as important as it may be, is not "by far" our greatest possession -- that would be "friendship."
The ability to interact with so many smart and friendly people is a great benefit of what we have going on here at Epicureanfriends.com, and we need to continue to work in 2023 to make this community of even greater value to us as we also "strike a blow for Epicurus." It would be helpful to discuss how we can work toward that goal, and any ideas would be appreciated. Our regular Wednesday and 20th Zoom meetings have become an important part of my own regular routine, and there are no doubt many other ways that we can adapt technology to bring our like-minded friends closer together.
So thank you all for your involvement in the forum over the course of 2022, and please post your suggestions on how we can have an even better 2023. How can the forum and our efforts be of more benefit to you in the coming days and years?