Living for Pleasure: An Epicurean Guide to Life (Guides to the Good Life)

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. 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. Cover Series Living for Pleasure Copyright Dedication Table of Contents Series Editor Foreword 1. Maybe We’re Doing It Wrong 2. Epicureanism, the Original Cast 3. Happiness, Theirs and Ours 4. Natural Hedonism 5. What Do You Want? 6. Why Can’t We Be Friends? 7. Let Me Be Frank 8. The Pleasures of Virtue 9. Imposter Syndrome 10. Wealth and What It Costs 11. Living Unnoticed: Politics and Power 12. Living Unnoticed: The Tyranny of the “Like” 13. Ambition, Work, and Success 14. Greed for Life 15. Misfortune and Resilience 16. Of Sex, Love, and Harmless Pleasure 17. Building the Tranquil Child 18. Foodies, Dinner Parties, and Wine Snobs 19. Science and Anxiety 20. That Old Time Religion 21. Experiencing Death 22. Pandemics and Other Comforting Horrors 23. The Fourfold Remedy 24. Practicing Epicureanism Acknowledgments Notes Suggested Further Reading References Index Emily Austin walks readers through exactly how Epicureanism might help them in daily life in practical, practicable ways: valuing friendships, giving advice, combatting imposter syndrome, pursuing life goals, and thinking about everything from dinner parties to sex, drugs, dying, and disease.