Letter to Menoeceus Reading Response

I did this for a class and wanted to share.

In Epicurus’s Letter to Menoeceus, Epicurus explains that the goal of life is to simply be happy. Which comes from peace of mind as well as freedom of pain (physically or mentally). This happiness does not come from wealth, luxury, or fear-driven beliefs. Despite how many nowadays live, where luxury and wealth is what many sought for. In order to be happy you only have to be one thing, which is, to be content with your life. Living comfortably as some may call it. 

He explains “For no age is too early or too late for the health of the soul.” (Epicurus). It's never too early or too late to learn how to live well or to start living life to its full potential. As someone who has witnessed many people restart their lives or change careers I fully agree with Epicurus’s. Life is to “seek wisdom” as Epicurus says. To never stop learning is what I take from that. Always seek new. New adventure, experience, people, and knowledge. As a young adult I think it is especially important to always be curious. I want to travel the world. Use my free will as it is intended. Not to sit at a desk doing something I hate for the rest of my life. 

You need to be curious in order to find what you love. Which from there can be turned into a lifetime of passion. Whether or not it brings you wealth or luxury, it shall bring you happiness. It shall bring you purpose. Something to fulfill you till your days end. Your days end being something we all fear.

Death.

But why fear something we have never experienced. Epicurus says "Accustom yourself to believe that death is nothing to us - understanding that death is nothing to us makes the mortality of life enjoyable, not by adding to life an unlimited time, but by taking away the yearning after immortality” (Epicurus). Why do we as humans focus so much on what is to come instead of what is happening now.  If we focus on what is happening now we remove the anxiety of the inevitable.

We as humans are so good at taking our minds off other life problems. Our sorrows, defeats, and failures. Often through drugs and alcohol, though others reach for comfort in friends, family, hobbies, sleep, exercise, and even therapy. If we treat death as though it is nothing, like we do with other aspects of our lives (when they get too much). If we could keep living our lives as if there is no end. How would that feel? How would people act? What if we didn’t know there was an end to this all. Possibly we would be more careful in the fear of the unknown. However we know what is going to happen. So why do we keep walking around like we have all the time in the world? 

Why aren’t we living as life is meant to be lived.