Greetings Friends,
A quick note before we begin,
As a reminder, the first live meetup for the free Wisdom 101 Course (register for free here) is today (Wednesday, 18 Jan at Noon EST). For the first couple of weeks, I’ll share the email meditations here on Substack — after that, it will only go to those who register. This week’s meetup includes a brief overview of the course and a discussion on Impermanence.
Here are the details:
When: 18 Jan at Noon EST (Wednesday)
What: Overview & Introduction
Where: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJckc-mqpzkrEt11WIvXovye_ZFhsHaUoSli
You can learn more (and register) at perennialleader.com/leading-a-life.
An Epicurean Guide to Life
On today’s episode, my guest is Prof. Emily Austin, the author of the new book Living for Pleasure: An Epicurean Guide to Life. Living for Pleasure is part of the Guides to the Good Life series by Oxford University Press. As many of you know, I’m a massive fan of the series. It is dedicated to the idea that philosophy can, as it was for hundreds of years in the ancient world – be a way of life. Prof. Austin’s book is another beautiful addition to the series.
In the conversation, Emily and I discuss:
Finding Philosophy
Who is Epicurus (and why his philosophy matters today)
Tranquility
Pleasure
Virtue
Gratitude
The fear of death
Wisdom in daily life, and much more.
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Wisdom Notes
Here are a few of my favorite highlights, notes, and takeaways from the book and conversation.
1. Why is pleasure important?
Prof. Austin writes: If I were giving a TED talk, I might ask you what single word applies to all of these features of your imaginary vacation. And then, after a pregnant pause, the tone of my voice would soften and I would answer my own question—“Pleasure.” Your days are shot through with pleasures. Even your dreams are pleasant! The story doesn’t fulfill its ambition unless you are feeling some kind of pleasure at every turn.
You might understand, then, how the Ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus could find himself thinking that pleasure is the source of our happiness and the only truly good thing. The technical term for this view is “hedonism.” As Epicurus puts it in his notoriously wooden prose, “pleasure is the starting point and the goal of living blessedly.” Happiness begins and ends in pleasure.
