We have no reason to fear being dead since, as Epicurus so pithily put it, “When we are, death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.” But for me he misses the point. It’s not fear of death that makes me reluctant to receive it, it’s love of being alive.
ReadYou cannot find contained within short philosophical quotes all you need to properly understand them. They are not essence-capturing distillations but abbreviated summaries that make little sense by themselves and can be completely misunderstood.
ReadOur reassurance that we have lived life to the full should not come from being able to list an impressive number of exceptional experiences. It should come from knowing that we have appreciated as many moments as we could, as deeply as we could.
ReadThe central purpose of religion has historically been a change of heart, not a change in the world. Modern politics has things entirely the other way around: the state’s job is to change society and it oversteps its mark if it tries to alter the minds of the people.
ReadAn unwillingness to prescribe simple remedies makes philosophers the best kind of guides. Give someone good advice and they’ll make a good choice today, teach them how to make good choices and they’ll keep on making them.
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