Editing Epicureanism (section)

== <span style="color: #FFFFFF;">Understanding</span> ==
Epicureanism is understood through '''Fear Removal''' and '''Desire Management'''.

'''1. The Science of No Fear''':
Epicurus believed that most human misery comes from two fears: '''Gods''' and '''Death'''.
* '''On Gods''': He argued that if gods exist, they are perfect and happy. Why would they care about punishing humans? They aren't watching you.
* '''On Death''': "Death is nothing to us. When we exist, death is not; and when death exists, we are not." There is no afterlife, so there is no hell to fear.

'''2. Managing the 'Pleasure Trap'''':
Epicurus categorized desires to help us choose wisely:
* '''Natural and Necessary''': Food, water, shelter, friendship. (Easy to get, leads to peace).
* '''Natural but Unnecessary''': Fancy food, expensive wine, sex. (Nice, but you can live without them).
* '''Vain and Empty''': Fame, power, immortality. (Impossible to satisfy, lead to constant anxiety).
He taught that if you stick to the "Necessary" things, you can be as happy as a god.

'''3. The Power of Friendship''':
Epicurus said: "Of all the things which wisdom provides for the happiness of the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friendship." For an Epicurean, a simple meal with friends is a "Higher" pleasure than a solitary feast in a palace.

'''The Hedonic Calculus''': This is the Epicurean practice of calculating the "Long-term" cost of a pleasure. Drinking an entire bottle of wine feels good now (Kinetic Pleasure), but the hangover tomorrow (Pain) makes it a bad deal. Wisdom is choosing the "Sober" path that leads to long-term '''Ataraxia'''.
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