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I recently became acquainted with the teachings of Epicurus. He advocated living a simple life of simple pleasures surrounded by friends. It's almost a truism t

I recently became acquainted with the teachings of Epicurus. He advocated living a simple life of simple pleasures surrounded by friends. It's almost a truism that seeking fame and fortune is a route to unhappiness. Not necessarily because these are bad things, but because the desires that drive these choices seem to be insatiable.

sokoloff 6y ago
For me, (very) modest fortune and essentially zero fame seems to be the ideal situation. Like a paid off house, a nest egg that throws off $10K/month, and only family/friends know who I am.
- closeparen 6y ago
  My goals are about the same, and sometimes I worry whether they're ambitious enough. But they really are. It takes a very particular reference frame to make them "simple" or "modest." $120k is a 90th percentile income! And that's among people working full time for it.
  - onecommentman 6y ago
    Yeah, I think $5K/mo with no mortgage is plenty in most parts of the US. In NJ with a big house, that can disappear into just property taxes... Regarding fame, I think the words of the late 20th Century philosopher David Cassidy summed it up best https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cassidy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cassidy If you are desperate for fame and fortune, try just fortune and see how that works out for you.
- redisman 6y ago
  Hah $10k/mo is modest? I agree I just want to retire in a forest or island a few hours from a major metropolitan area.
  - sokoloff 6y ago
    As an adjectival modifier of "fortune"? It seems to qualify.