Epicurus

Like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, Epicurus was an ancient  Greek philosopher who founded a school of philosophy called Epicureanism. This is not the same as epidural which in ancient Greek means on/upon dura mater. It is a regional anesthesia resulting from an injection into the epidural space of the spinal cord; sensation is then lost in the abdominal, genital and pelvic areas. It is often used in childbirth and gynaecological surgery. It helps in relaxing the labouring uterus to allow a woman to push more efficiently without suffering too much pain.

When you read his quotes later, it should make you laugh because almost everything he said is correct and his purpose was to achieve a happy and tranquil life with total peace and freedom from fear. So for childbirth ask for epidural and in life ask for Epicurus.

I like that because it kind of describe me and what is important - happy, tranquil, peace and freedom from fear. Aren't these quite all you need in life? One of Epicurus's emphasis was on friendship as an important ingredient of happiness. He also emphasized maximizing happiness and minimizing harm of oneself and others as an ethical guide. Let us learn his wisdom by absorbing some of his quotes. There are some quotes so simple and yet profound which I like much and I'll highlight them.

Quotes

We do not so much need the help of our friends as the confidence of their help in need.

There is no such thing as justice in the abstract; it is merely a compact between men.

If God listened to the prayers of men, all men would quickly have perished: for they are forever praying for evil against one another.

It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself.

It is better for you to be free of fear lying upon a pallet, than to have a golden couch and a rich table and be full of trouble.

The misfortune of the wise is better than the prosperity of the fool.

Skilful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempest.

Riches do not exhilarate us so much with their possession as they torment us with their loss.

It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and well and justly. And it is impossible to live wisely and well and justly without living a pleasant life.

A free life cannot acquire many possessions, because this is not easy to do without servility to mobs or monarchs.

Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little.

I have never wished to cater to the crowd; for what I know they do not approve, and what they approve I do not know. 

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.

Misfortune seldom intrudes upon the wise man; his greatest and highest interests are directed by reason throughout the course of life.

I would rather be first in a little Iberian village than second in Rome.

The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it. If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires.

The art of living well and the art of dying well are one.

Of all the things which wisdom provides to make us entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship.

Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.

You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.

I wish you all the success in the world in your pursuit of wisdom and happiness!