Mythic Mind 154 - Epicureanism & Stoicism
Mar 30, 2026
A lively dive into Epicurean and Stoic outlooks on happiness, pleasure, and fear of death. Discussion of prudent pleasure, simple living, and why virtue links to a pleasant life. Exploration of Stoic ideas about fate, inner serenity, and acting according to nature. Attention to compassion for wrongdoing and how ancient thought shapes later Christian reflections.
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Epicurus on Pleasure Death and Happiness
- Epicurus defines human happiness as pleasure and absence of pain, rooted in sensation as the basis of good and evil.
- He argues death is nothing to us because it ends sensation, so overcoming the fear of death frees us to live calmly.
Choose Long Term Pleasure Over Immediate Gratification
- Live by prudence: choose pleasures that avoid larger future pains and accept pains that yield greater future pleasure.
- Practice long-term rational moderation rather than pursuing every immediate appetite for a calmer life.
Independence From Desire And Simple Pleasures
- Epicurus values independence from desire and simple pleasures because desire is a kind of dis-ease that undermines contentment.
- He recommends finding joy in few basic goods like bread and water to reduce anxiety and work burden.
