Description
If we all want happiness and pleasure so much, then why are we so bad at getting it?Pleasure feels amazing! Anxiety, however, does not. The Ancient Greek Philosopher Epicurus rolled these two strikingly intuitive claims into a simple formula for happiness and well-being--pursue pleasure without causing yourself anxiety. But wait, is that even possible? Can humans achieve lasting pleasure without suffering anxiety about failure and loss? Epicurus thinks we can, at least once we learn to pursue pleasure thoughtfully.In Living for Pleasure, philosopher Emily Austin offers a lively, jargon-free tour of Epicurean strategies for diminishing anxiety, achieving satisfaction, and relishing joys. Epicurean science was famously far ahead of its time, and Austin shows that so was its ethics and psychology. Epicureanism can help us make and keep good friends, prepare for suffering, combat imposter syndrome, build trust, recognize personal limitations, value truth, cultivate healthy attitudes towards money and success, manage political anxiety, develop gratitude, savor food, and face death.Readers will walk away knowing more about an important school of philosophy, but moreover understanding how to get what they want in life--happiness--without the anxiety of striving for it.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Maybe We're Doing It WrongChapter 2: Epicureanism, The Original CastChapter 3: Happiness, Theirs and OursChapter 4: Why Hedonism?Chapter 5: What do you want?Chapter 6: The Fourfold RemedyChapter 7: Why Can't We Be Friends?Chapter 8: Let Me Be FrankChapter 9: Why Be Just?Chapter 10: Imposter SyndromeChapter 11: Living Unnoticed: Politics and PowerChapter 12: Living Unnoticed: The Tyranny of the 'Like'Chapter 13: Wealth and What it CostsChapter 14: Ambition, Work, and SuccessChapter 15: Greed for LifeChapter 16: Misfortune and ResilienceChapter 17: Of Sex, Love, and Harmless PleasureChapter 18: Building the Tranquil ChildChapter 19: Drugs and Other Short CutsChapter 20: Foodies, Dinner Parties, and Wine SnobsChapter 21: Science and AnxietyChapter 22: That Old Time ReligionChapter 23: Experiencing DeathChapter 24: Pandemics and Other Comforting HorrorsChapter 25: On Practicing Epicureanism
