02 - Epicurus on Happiness - Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness
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- Опубліковано 23 вер 2024
- This six part series on philosophy is presented by popular British philosopher Alain de Botton, featuring six thinkers who have influenced history, and their ideas about the pursuit of the happy life.
Episode 2: Epicurus on Happiness - British philosopher Alain De Botton discusses the personal implications of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270BCE) who was no epicurean glutton or wanton consumerist,but an advocate of "friends, freedom and thought" as the path to happiness.
I had a philosophy professor whose question was, " Is Happiness passive or active?" The premise for this as is so much in this terrific series is based on being entertained, (passive) as opposed to an active state of happiness, which doesn't rely on fun. One participates in their state of mind. It's a wonderful link in this exploration of what is is to be balanced. It keeps you conscious. Thank you.
Brilliant series. Alain de Botton is a great populariser of philosophy.
Epicurus Philophphy strikes a cord in me. I think about my future a lot. I think about which to prioritize, Money or Happyness. All of the jobs that bring me excitement also will bring me into poverty. But happiness matters so much more. Another thing I struggle with is happiness in my own life. When I think about the places and times that make me happy I realize that all three rules are met. I need to now figure out how to meet those rules in my own life.
I wish we had more of his work.
Oh, so you kind of mean enough to live off of comfortably? I can dig that man. I think the quickest route to happiness is to be content with what you have, preferably to live with less because sometimes the stuff you own starts owning you if you aren't careful.
Being happier with less is so very important for those that have very little to those that have more than they need. I agree with your post and hope that humanity can learn that material goods are more of a hindrance to happiness than a path to happiness as many wrongly presume.
Don't be sad my friend for we are not all lost and there is people starting to look in the right place each and everyday! I think sharing good news daily with ones peers is a fantastic idea. - one love my brother
In my personal pursuit of Happiness. I was lead to this Epicurean concept of happiness. Epicurus says real happiness needs these three elements. 1. Friends, 2. Financial Freedom 3. an Analyzed life. Advertisements offer this to us by association with things we can buy. Thus we pursue things over essentials. LORD help us...
The best philosophical piece i have read so far.. Quite insightful...
yes quite insightful GHAFLA 254 Blog
Gratitude for Epicurus in Maryland, USA
this series is better than any self-help/new age book out there.
After watching this video first time mostly 10 years back I tried to implement .
Trust me it's tough.
currently ....
I became an endocrinologist owning my own clinic, independent from corporate jobs, married have a daughter home and have a tight group of family and friends
Will comment again after 10 years.good luck to you all
by accident it is the second of your videos I am watching, I love the structure of it, it is very well explained
love the idea that having too much is as useful as an overflowing pot! great doc!
Alain successfully fills out today's social holes with the help of ancient philosophy - that is , we hardy change
That's the way it should be. Can you imagine a world in which everyone thinks in an individual manner?
Yes.Yes. Happiness is a state of mind, it is our perception of the 'external world' which causes us to be unhappy. Given the right beliefs any one can be happy, the question is how stable is that happiness?
GS has that "viral" aspect to it that makes it popular. It's a well produced video about nonsense... that's what makes it endearing.
A basic human need is "Accomplishment", and true accomplishment requires hard work.. Epicurus is right about the fact that you need time for contemplation, but there has to be a balance with meaningful work. A life of complete leasure will absolutely lead to boredom and unhappiness.
And just to get back to the stability of happiness. I have no clue about how permanent happiness could be achieved or whether it exists, but i do know that i (think i) feel truly satisfied since 5 months, not being affected by real life problems, just having peace with the person that i am and not feeling an absolute urge for anything(maybe a neutral state of mind would describe this the best).
I find these mindsets frightening. They quickly become your excuses for your lack of success and you convince yourself you have accomplished the things you've wanted to... but you never had enough to feel genuiningly, personally successful.
well not directly; this includes other factors and other means. because we have bodies, we need security to be happy. money is one of the means to provide security (of course there are other alternatives like living in the forest and be self sufficient where currency is not valuable). However, there are numerous studies show that there is a certain point where money provides you with happiness but it becomes stagnant at a certain level of wealth acquisition.
Excellent documentary. Makes me happy just watching it. :)
This show was made 13 years ago, that means social networks didn't exist yet. I bet he today would make a different approach about the theme of happiness with the way our society is influenced by facebook.
You can follow him on facebook now! heehee.
facebook.com/alaindebotton
Art Trivia no, it would not. Despite our modern arrogance, people don't change
IKR JEEZ LOUISE
Cool video. I found a lot of interesting perspectives about being happy.
I agree with you on that question. I like to think that everyone achieves happiness in a different way (This is a form of happiness which is influenced by "the external world"). A more scientific way of putting this would be that everyone's brain is different (on atomic/molecular level). Since human's are nothing more than a bunch of atoms our free will is formed by atom's and currents. The result from this is that our happiness is also solely a way of satisfying our brain.
watching this made me feel at peace :)
Well I applaud you for your steadfast belief in the infallibility of the human mind. Please, enlighten me by answering the question "What is knowledge?"
your reply is interesting because you've seen it from an angle slightly different from my perspective...but very valid in its own right. For me, "accomplishment" is things like scientific discoveries, artistic achievements or leaving behind an effect on the world that outlives our short lives...such as the philosophic thoughts of a man from 500 B.C. Greece I don't see Accomplishment as piles of possessions or numbers in a bank account.
But surely understanding is inseparable from memory.
Smoking marijuana in prayer with friends, getting really high laughing unable to smoke more, then meditating together to the awesome 60s music rainbow body meditation
Thank you, I will be checking it out soon. Have a great day, keep up the good work and peace to you.
its not the destination, its the journey
Id rather get the shit out of me then enjoy it pass through my asshole
@@macdiggins2107 then you surely not know how to shit
Haha, don't worry I would heartily agree with Epicurus before the Keynesian school any day of the week. Theirs is one of the most destructive of all modern economic philosophies. I think the sarcasm in my comment didn't exactly come across ;)
I totally agree with Andrea. Y lo de escribir en las paredes Great! Tambien lo hacía otros grandes. Si se hace con cuidado, no en plan asesino en serie, puede quedar fantastico.
Love the idea of philosophical advertising.
I think its manipulating
kostaz8 Would you rather be manipulated into spending all your money on crap you don't need, or manipulated into not spending it? In any case, it's the opposite of manipulation; essentially the advert is saying the promises of regular advertising might not be true, and that's about thinking not manipulating.
Karmic Lawyer - Living according to a moral code that acknowledges karmic law, that good deeds causing longterm joy and wisdom cause good rewards, whereas bad deeds, causing longterm sorrow and foolishness, cause bad reward. Practicing optimism, and enjoying the good feeling of practicing a good deed, as well as knowing that in benefitting another we also benefit as well.
What I was getting at was that if you are a whole lot poorer than everyone you have ever met or known, you might be unhappy. No, your happiness isn't in anyone's hands but your own, but it's not uncommon for people to compare themselves to the people around them.
Having money is very helpful towards happiness in today's world. In fact, even having more than the average person can help a lot. Money pays for health bills (even here in Canada, not everything is covered 100%, such as dentists or psychiatrists); it pays for nourishing, quality food; it allows us to provide for our families; it buys us the luxury of travel, and the time needed to do it; it pays for education, undeniably important to our happiness; and it allows us to participate in enriching activities, such as attending the symphony, seeing a play, or going camping. It's true that there are some things that are vital to happiness that money cannot buy, but, spent wisely, money provides us with the opportunity to live longer, healthier, more enjoyable lives.
The happiest people in the world have no money? How can that be then.
Mackenzie Usher I don't think the point is that one should strive to have no money, but rather happiness is not necessarily found in money no matter what amount you have.
That does not deny the fact that today it is easier to breathe with sufficient income, due to the modern monetary system built upon debt. It pretty much requires us to work, which is why "finding a slightly meaningful job" or "dialing back" or not working for other people is emphasized...
Mackenzie Usher we need money because we have o friends in this world so use money to attract compassion ,meet your friends and don't work much
sounds like the school of life guy
maybe it is him
This is the creator of The School of Life precisely
that's because it is :)
the agora with his scriptures is very interesting
I think so too(not sure about the plants since i haven't ever heard of a plant with ears ;P.. they are a whole different type of organisms that are build up from a different set of basic cells and survival strategies. So im not sure about plants being able to listen to music.) However the problem I have with decide whether music can make you happy (temporary/permanent) is that i only have a mostly empirical argument and no solid thesis.
maybe this is where we get the saying "written in stone" !!!
no u fkn dumbass
advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. - fight club
To impress those we hate
There's a lot of empirical evidence to support the notion that money or wealth or indeed material possessions do not lead to happiness. Success doesn't mean happiness either, because society is happy with you doesn't necessarily mean that you're doing something you love, or for that matter that you're happy at all. Many seem to seek this kind of acknowledgement from society, however fruitless. If you wish to be a cog in a machine more than anything else, then you're exactly what they want.
I think happiness can not be defined in general(for everyone), however it could be possible that those three factors make you happy;). Nonetheless happiness is found within yourself i believe.. (and here happiness isn't about being happy, but about being contempt with the life that you live at every single moment of your life)
this is reality, we need to root ourselves deeply in good, make this the overseeing heaven realm, then in dreams, in video games, we can sometimes indulge in other stuff, but the root and main thing we see here and should express in art meant for this place should be good, this is sage wisdom... otherwise we hold ourselves back, never let the base reality become evil... it needs to be Good, a neutral being (in terms of good, neutral, evil) would even agree.
On a more realistic level, this means that happiness cannot be achieved by everyone according to the same ideology. Everyone's brain is different due to different experiences and inherited features(nature/nurture).
You responded to this old comment at just the right time.. :) I just made a video about happiness as a perspective independent to each individual.
Peace-
Thank for sharing;)
Epicurus - The father of all hippies
BAHHHAHHAHAHAHAAHHAH LITERALLY
wrong
Mr. Logicstorm -- No, not that other people decide what our happiness is.... What I mean is, so many people base their self-images on how "normal" their lives are. Yes, we can live on $1000 per year, but if we make an amount that is comparable to the rest of the population, we might be happier. Money doesn't make your life, but for some, feeling "normal"does.
the good side of the conscience is a lot better than the bad side, the good side seems to eventually include all the benefits of the bad side, without its downfalls, the bad side of conscience actually has no benefits, its only illusion. if your third eye is open you realize bad isn't really even possible and you are always doing good bad only seems to occur to a not fully functional third eye. in fact conscience is not split into sides at all (an illusion perceived by those whose third eye is still reaching maturity), but is actually a circle, revealing the processes of karma. - AJNA CHAKRA
That's an interesting definition of knowledge, in particular the "true" part. Does this mean that scientific knowledge is not knowledge since it has a tendency to be updated?
10:45 the cute happy :-) face
I want to be the person that finds Epicurus' books!
+Gideons Doggown Well, a couple guys just found the nazi train in Poland. Get to it. All it takes is someone willing to go to all ends.
Gideons Doggown let's hunt the hunt of hunters
go to a library
wowee im enlightened i luv the erth and all its peeks
Advertising probably existed as long as the sale of products. Whether it be modern adds on TV or an ancient stall owner telling you how much more the ladies will love you with his new musk ox fragrance. As long as people have sold things you can bet they had a pitch to convince you you needed their product.
This is the bloke that runs the School of Life UA-cam Chanel
What i am not able to figure out is how come philosophy only flowered in one part of the world?. I mean what was so special about Greece?
Epicurus missed one important factor for happiness: Having work that satisfies your soul. My work gives my life meaning - I would not be happy without it. Most people trade their lives away in work that isn't fun or satisfying for them - thus, unhappiness.
what do you do for work?
Firinne tha boidheach(The truth is Beautiful)
I recommend the book happiness is a serious problem.
And MrLogicstorm, how do you think about the effect of music on the emotional state of people (or sense of happiness)? (Scientificallly: sound is converted to electric currents/waves, words and tune translated by the brain, --> leading to a temporary sense of happiness?
Gratitude for the suburbs, studies show that suburbs are slowly invading the cities making them nicer and less polluted big buildings are being dismantled and there are lots of wooded and forest areas interspersed among buildings. The middle class is very multicultural and very wise..
Suburbaners respect trees give to charity and live by ecofriendly methods
My feeling is that having what you need to survive and exist in a way that is comparable to the majority of the people in the area and time that you live, as well as doing something valuable for other people, and examining your life are the three things that you will need to be happy.
don not lease a car , stay in university as long as you can, if you buy a residence, do not go by American standers( big big) and exercise and read .period
sakura z forgot love the one you’re with
Well said but I am afraid that there are some who can't or won't see or understand your point and will wrongly believe that you must be unsuccessful and envious of others success which leads you to hold on to your false bellief.
Haha, it's good to see a fellow skeptic. I can best describe my view on the subject using the metaphor of a mirror. Now, I hate to use this hijacked language because it makes me sound like a dunce, but hear me out. Knowledge is like a mirror. It reflects the 'ultimate reality' of the universe (shudder). But knowledge itself is not the reality and depending on the method you use to gain the knowledge your mirror may be very dirty or may just have some smudges on it.
I find it hard to believe that they had advertising in 341 B.C.
Ok I'm angry how come they put up that happiness not included poster then took it down like that's a continuity error right there and thats FACTS
The sad part about the 'sarcastic' advertisements?
They exist. As real ads.
How are there still no captions?
i am enlightened
why is it friends freedom and an analyzed life? what makes him think this is a complete and generalized list?
Having a lot of money is happiness no doubt so that I can live happily in nature without worrying about anything
You really think there will be no worries? Lol.
Greeks and Romans gathered their knowledge from the ancient great Nubian cultures of Middle and Northern Empires. If scholarly people dug a little deeper on research as our professors should have you'd understand that they are so many African philosophers and powerful ideologies that you will never get to study.
Heart Chakra is Outpouring a love eclipsing the physical world today
Impossible to fight, world peace, we must remember Israel means Heart, like Heart Chakra, then we understand, world peace
Wow just wow.
I respectfully disagree with your first proposition. To say that happiness requires conformity to the majority is to say that your happiness is in the hands of others and not just yourself, which I do not think is the case.
Isn't this peculiar, because I believe the same of you. I have thought about this a considerable amount and have not just 'reacted', though thought without action is useless. I don't want to assume what you believe since I don't have much information to go off of, but I assume that you believe that striving for the assertion of material wealth is a good? And that by doing so you can find happiness? If I were to attempt to vent some anger I would start by writing a journal.
Epicurus was wrong, according to the Keynesian school of economics.
If we don't go out and spend our money on things we don't need, our credit card bill will be lower. The ensuing reduction in consumption spending will cause aggregate demand to collapse and imperil the fragile economic recovery. This would cause net unhappiness to increase sharply.
lol
Great, but why oh why the awful, awful soundtrack?
i fart on you
3:29 "send me a pot of cheese" quoted from the man whose hairline reaches his asscrack
*sends healing energy*
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I COULD REFERENCE THE FRIENDSHIP QUOTE (8:20)?
I don't know if this counts, I couldn't find anything else:
www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/a-good-idea-from--epicurus-1114368.html
Not Quite, but None the less thanks for taking the time to look. I greatly appreciated. Also do you speak spanish? just curious.
This is the school of life guy
Read de Botton's How Proust Can Change Your Life.
That sure is the truth of it!!!
Do you think someone can ever find happiness? and if so, does this count for everyone?
>Shows you videos of 21st century Greece that has absolutely nothing to do with ancient Greece
What if I can't make friends?
Then you're probably boring or an a-hole..become more fun and interesting.
to find the right friend or friends at the present time is quite difficult
wiki has a good article on how to tie a noose if ur interested
The writing on the ad is not big enough to catch the passing eye.
you said that 1 month ago and now it has 39,400!
lets try focusing on the moral people who have charisma, not the evil ones, is having a huge cult following really charismatic in reality?
In this age friendship is just transactional
Sounds like you're looking in the wrong places, and with a rather pessimistic and nihilistic view on life.
Now if only all humans watched this instead of the billions of views music videos and product advertisements have the world would be a better place, but most of them can't wrap their brain around most philosophical concepts.
it's not subscribed?
This is great, thanks for your contribution. Check out Adbusters magazine anti consumer adds!
14:44 look at the top of his head
LMFAOOOOOOOOO
too much thinking, both