“No,” Epicurus said gently. “I say: want what is enough. ”
He drew a third line and crossed it out. “Fame, limitless wealth, power over others. These are neither natural nor necessary. They are bottomless pits. The more you feed them, the hungrier they grow.” epicurus the art of happiness pdf
Cleon traveled the dusty road to the garden. He expected marble columns and lavish fountains — but found only a small vegetable patch, a few olive trees, and a low stone house with an open courtyard. A group of men and women, young and old, sat together on simple benches, sharing bread and figs. They spoke softly, laughed often, and seemed utterly at peace. “No,” Epicurus said gently
he said, “natural and necessary desires.” He pointed to the bread, the fig, the jug of water. “Food, shelter, friendship, safety. These are easy to satisfy. When fulfilled, they bring genuine peace.” “Fame, limitless wealth, power over others
Cleon frowned. “So you say I should want nothing?”
In the morning, he asked to stay.
He plucked a ripe fig from a nearby tree. “People believe happiness requires endless money, powerful friends, and exotic pleasures. But watch a child with a fig — pure joy needs no gold. The problem isn’t pleasure itself. The problem is empty desires.”