In Epicurus's Own Words
“Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little.”
— Epicurus, Vatican Sayings
This line comes from the Vatican Sayings, a collection of short sayings attributed to Epicurus that survived in a manuscript later found in the Vatican Library. In it, Epicurus argues that happiness depends on limiting our desires, since a wish that grows every time it is met can never be satisfied. It still fits any modern household where the want for one more gadget outruns the pleasure of the ones already owned.
Who Was Epicurus?
Epicurus was born on the island of Samos in 341 BC and later settled in Athens, where he founded a philosophical community known as the Garden. He taught that the best life is built on simple pleasures, close friendships, and freedom from needless worry. Most of his many writings are lost. What remains comes to us through a few surviving letters, collections of sayings such as the Vatican Sayings, and later writers who admired him. He died in 270 BC, and people still read him for his calm case that having enough is a kind of wealth.
Try This Today
Pick one thing you own in multiples, such as pens, mugs, or tongs, and choose your single favorite. Use only that one for the next seven days. Notice whether you miss the others. Then write down one sentence about why the favorite earned its spot. Chances are the answer has more to do with how it feels in your hand than with what it can do.
Your Turn
What is one thing you already own that gives you real pleasure, and how often do you stop to notice it?
Letters are composites written by the Lifted Words editors. Replies are written in the spirit of each thinker; the quote in the blue box is their own.