"Are not the majority of men disappointed with their lot, languishing in quiet desperation in their chains? *
A recurring subject in literature for centuries, with echoes of Karl Marx. Epicurus would shrug off such sentiments. He would urge us to be positive, be thankful for our blessings and enjoy food, drink and good company, without the fear that bedevils the modern world.
* Quote from Man Booker prizewinning novel The Sea, by John Banville.
This is why Epicurus could be the quintessential American, were he of a conformist, religious persuasion that is (which he is not!). Were he alive today I am sure he would agree with the public opinion polls, e.g the country is in a bad spot, but his personal and business life is grand,the future looks good, and there is no need to fear a thing. Confidence and optimism are both American and Epicurean.
Heh! Easy to say when your on top! Epicurus, after all, had his own garden, and all he had to do to make a living was think and write!
It will be interesting to see how optimistic Americans stay in the next ten years, I suspect they will be very trying ones. I get great amusement and satisfaction from the current “housing crisis” (more like a living beyond your means crisis, say I). There’s a new fellow at work, though, and he sits across from me. He was making a phone call, to re-finance his mortgage. Oh oh! Have to keep quiet now, when he is around, I am sure he is depressed enough as it is!
Yes, I like that , “a living-beyond-your-means” crisis.