Most people think hedonism means being reckless. Partying. Excess. It doesn’t.
Epicurus — the original hedonist — lived on bread, water, and conversation with friends. That was his idea of the good life.
He thought most pleasures weren’t worth chasing. They create anxiety. You want the fancy meal, then you need the money for the fancy meal, then you need the job for the money, then you’re stressed about the job. The pleasure got buried under everything required to reach it.
His advice: figure out which pleasures are simple and reliable. Friendship. A calm mind. Enough to eat.
Then stop.
This sounds boring until you try it. I spent last Saturday reading in the sun with coffee and no plans. Nothing Instagram-worthy happened. But I felt better than I have in weeks.
Epicurus divided pleasures into categories. Some are necessary — food, shelter, friendship. Others are vain — fame, luxury, immortality. The vain ones promise happiness but deliver anxiety.
The necessary ones are right there.
I think about this when I’m scrolling my phone at midnight, looking for something to watch. I already have everything Epicurus said I need. I’m just too restless to notice.