Posts by Kalosyni

Quote from Pacatus

but I was struck by the reference (quoting the SOFE folk) to Eikas as a kind of “sabbath.”

Thanks Pacatus, this article presents the Epicurean practice of Eikas, and it is mostly a good write-up. I think it may be important that as we move forward, we make sure to describe what we do much more precisely as well as avoid calling it an "Epicurean sabbath" -- especially since Epicureanism is very different than the Jewish faith, and we have very different beliefs -- and Epicureanism is a philosophy not a religion.

For now we refer to the Twentieth as a "commemoration" / "gathering" / "celebration".

...and by the way...Happy Twentieth everyone!

...and Happy Winter Solstice too! (tomorrow)

I've been listening to these lectures (one per book - a total of 6 separate videos) and he mentions in part 2 (on book 2) that there appears to be a missing section of the text, because it skips suddenly to speaking about the gods. It's possible that this is most observable in the Latin text - have not located the section yet (not able to read Latin, and tried finding it in the English translation at the Perseus-Tufts site).

I think these are very good lectures, as I've only skimmed parts of Lucretius, and so this helps flesh it out.

From Martin's photo we can see that it is a very straight look on the lips of Epicurus. Also he seems to be looking downward -- if you factor in that the statue is placed upon a pedestal then you see that that downward gaze is actually a place of power, as he is looking down at the viewer (the pedestal lifts up the form slightly higher than the viewer). So it seems that this seriousness conveys power.

As for a smile, it can convey comraderie, affection, and enjoyment and as modern people I can see that we do need that conveyed at times, whether in one's imagination or in new artistic works.

And as far as creating more graphics which show Epicurus extolling the teachings, I would appreciate anyone uploading images (both serious or slight smile) which you think would help convey wisdom and the aura of a great teacher. And specifically state those that you think would work in graphics.

Welcome kasprowy !

Just in case anyone else is interested...I wanted to share what I've been finding regarding space weather, and since we are nearing the solar maximum of sun flares and sun spots.

This is interesting to me both because of the science and also because I am attempting to assess the probability of whether or not a strong CME might hit Earth and affect technology, the electrical grid, and of course the internet.

At first glance it may seem like a "dooms-day" scenario, but as I've been reading that there is as high as a 25 percent probability of something really strong occuring (have to go back and find the source on that statistic).

For myself, it seems relevant to the Epicurean understanding of the nature of things...and also it lends itself to remembering to consider self-sufficiency (although I am no prepper, but possibly this may turn me into becoming one ).

So from a purely scientific stand-point here are five webpages:

Space weather: What is it and how is it predicted?

Space weather can wreak havoc on our technological world.

www.space.com

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There are two distinct types of solar storm: Geomagnetic storms and solar radiation storms.

The first of these refers to strong disturbances to Earth's magnetic field caused by ejected solar material called a coronal mass ejection (CME). The second. refers to a stream of much faster moving particles ejected by the sun. According to NOAA's National Weather Service, solar radiation storms involve large quantities of protons and electrons which bathe the near-Earth satellite environment, these storms can last from a few hours to days, depending on the magnitude of the eruption.

A large solar storm could knock out the internet and power grid — an electrical engineer explains how

Every few centuries the Sun blasts Earth with a huge amount of high-energy particles. If it were to happen today, it would wreak havoc on technology.

www.astronomy.com

Space Weather Enthusiasts Dashboard | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

NOAA Space Weather Scales | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

Space weather effects on technology

Martin do you have any close-up (just the face) and straight-on photos of Epicurus from your museum tour?

As I look at all the images that Eikadistes shared, it does seem that the low brow bone and furrowed forehead is a distinctive feature of Epicurus' face.

I would say that "serious" falls into "a knowing face (neither smiling nor frowning)".

Of course everyone has individual preferences. I notice too that whether the face is looking directly forward or 3/4 angle also changes the feeling...as does eyes looking up or straight forward. And whether there is a slight smile - that is up to individual perception perhaps (how slight a smile could be to qualify as as being slight).

Sometime in the future I would hope that our logo could be upgraded...and I would propose a knowing face (neither smiling nor frowning).

It looks likely that the source for the current drawing might have been this:

But you can see it is a slightly different facial expression on our logo.

Okay, I have been pondering this (which I didn't fully explain in the first post above) ...bear with me here...I think that there is a time and place for a "smiling Epicurus"...

...but I am now thinking that perhaps that place is in one's imagination. Likely if Epicurus was teaching about the nature of things (atoms and void, etc.) then he had a serious expression. Smiling evolved from primates as a sign of submission, and even now a lecturer or presentor who smiles too much appears less confident.

So I am thinking now that the Epicurus who represents the teachings should be somewhat serious looking.

I often wish that the imagery of Epicurus had more "warmth", however smiling in portraiture is a late modern phenomenon which came about following advances in photographic technology.

Back in ancient times, for the likeness to be captured correctly I would imagine that people would sit and pose for the sculptor.

In early photography the subject had to hold still for a certain length of time.

Mark Twain had this to say: "A photograph is a very important document, and there is nothing more damning for posterity than a silly smile captured forever."

Likely people in ancient Greece felt the same (about sculptures), and this article sheds further light:

Why Is No One Smiling in Classic Portraits and Photographs? | Blog | Domestika

Learn why smiling was so uncommon in paintings and early photographs "Smile!" We listen to this phrase practically every time we pose for a photograph.…

www.domestika.org

Just found this article and wanted to post it (not sure if this is already on the forum) ...haven't fully read it yet but seems relevant to this thread discussion:

A New Defense of Hedonism about Well-Being

Quote from BrainToBeing

I think constantly in terms of "we" rather than "me". And, in the consideration of "we" I need to ask who would pay the price if I think only of me.

I've been thinking lately about modern civilization and the idea of "progress". Are we happier now than before we had all the modern inventions and modern medicine? Why are teens commiting suicide and shooters going to malls and killing people? Perhaps "progress" has not been made in the right places. People fear death and then try everything to prolong life, even though their quality of life is very unsatisfactory (if they cannot do everyday things and must have an attendent wash and help them toilet). Modern medicine is failing us, in that we live long but then are plagued by dementia.

So perhaps BrainToBeing your deep question is likely: "Who will take care of society and all the things that are required, including the self-sacrifice of leaders and workers, and all who do the work to make things "better"? In response I say: all over the world you can see that the political realm is full of corruption. And people are polarized between "religious-conservative "right-wrong" vs. democratic freedoms.

So I say the the "we" is not working. The "we" is corrupt. And we don't currently have a solution for this problem.

People ignore the fact that if they act in a manner in which others are harmed, then there will be bad consequences. The consequences I speak of are multifaceted. Epicurean philosophy reminds us of these consequences -- in which my long-term well-being will have a poor outcome whenever I cause harm to others - because by human nature we all have a drive to survive and stand up for ourselves when we are harmed (except for some who are so downtrodden that they cannot stand up for themselves). What ever we do will turn around and come back to us in some manner - and we can see that at play in current world events.

Today we posted a brand new YouTube introduction! And also updated some of the graphics on the page. You can check it out here:

I just found an NPR article and also a website called Project UnLonely... some excerpts:

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The Three Types of Loneliness

Feeling lonely doesn’t just mean you feel alone. You can be with many people but still feel like you are not really connected to them. Just like there are many types of love, there are also different types of loneliness. Knowing the different types can help us address them effectively.

To find out what kind of loneliness you’re feeling, you can ask yourself a few questions:

1. Psychological - This might be the “flavor” of loneliness you’re most familiar with. How we feel about our social connections and close relationships can contribute to feelings of interpersonal or psychological loneliness.

“Does someone have my back?”

“Is there someone that I can tell my troubles to?”

2. Societal - This type of loneliness is all about belonging -- experienceing acceptance and safety. Societal or organizational loneliness can impact anyone in workplaces, schools, or communities.

“Am I welcome and valued?”

“Am I safe?”

3. Existential - Having existential thoughts or spiritual questions is a part of life, but if someone has these types of thoughts very often, or is upset by them, they can result in feelings of isolation and loneliness.

“Does my life matter?”

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The Five Territories of Loneliness

Trauma -

Trauma refers to a kind of harm that can be physical or emotional, happening suddenly or over a long time. It can be caused by stressful events like war, sexual assault, terrorism, childhood abuse, natural disasters, mass shootings or even the COVID-19 pandemic.

Illness -

Getting sick can sometimes make a person feel separated from their friends and family, as if they are dealing with life’s problems all by themselves. This can happen with many kinds of illnesses, including cancer, cardiovascular issues, obesity, and mental health problems.

Aging -

Older people might feel lonely due to loss of friends or family members and cognitive decline. They might also feel left out of society due to financial issues or health challenges. Additionally, they might feel a deep kind of loneliness as they think about the end of their life and what they will leave behind.

Difference -

Feeling different from others can make it hard to feel confident about who you are, leading to societal loneliness. This can be experienced by first-generation immigrants, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, people with disabilities, or anyone who may feel different.

Modernity -

The modern world has changed the ways people socialize. Instead of meeting in person, we now have options like social media, chat forums, and online dating apps to connect with others. Even though these platforms can help us connect, they can also make us feel lonely.

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Modernity is a major issue, and makes it difficult to build and maintain friendships. The website Project UnLonely suggests making art and connecting through art (but that probably only appeals to a certain number of people who already have art as a hobby).

I do think it would be a very interesting project for us here on the forum to help facilitate the development of in-person Epicurean Philosophy meetings. We could create a guidebook for how to run the meeting as well as suggesting discussion topics, and also this forum could have a section for posting info about in-person meetings.

Part of friendship is creating the skills for making friends and being a better friend... and there is a Friendship subforum:

Friendship

Thank you Cassius for posting...I definitely want to use this to create a personal "Kalosyni version" and may use the platform Tiddlywiki

Quote from Eoghan Gardiner

Social media too, if you want to be filled with anxiety about your weight, finances etc... spending an hour on insta or tiktok is a great way to achieve it.

Some anxiety is your conscience warning you of possible pain in the future. Of course things on the internet can often be "over the top" and annoying.

Yet these are practical issues...when is comes to weight, modern medicine gives tips for a range of what is considered a healthy weight based on height and gender. As for finances, it is important to consider your long-term situation, and thus relieve the anxiety by brainstorming solutions to any improvements that are needed and thus increase confidence in a sense of long-term security ...and this includes knowing which friend or family member would let you sleep on their couch if things went really wrong for whatever reason (but hopefully you've got all bases covered so nothing really wrong will ever happen).

An fyi - I will be getting back to doing some refiling of threads in the coming weeks...We now have 700 posts in the General Dissussion Forum, and due to the complexity of the forum layout I know it can be hard for all of us (myself included) to determine the best place to post. This also brings up to mind that there could be the necessity for further reorganization of the forum, to make it easier to post and to find things.

Right now we have a large number of threads dealing with "Ethics" and "Lifestyle" and "Virtues" which are all related but currently filed under separate areas, and I will be thinking about possible ways to restructure the "Forum List" page so as to quickly find subsections.

So if something that you originally posted in "General Discussion" is no longer there, you can check your personal postings page (under your profile) to see where it has been moved, or send me a message with any questions.

Regarding the Stoics, we can look to the Wall of Oinoanda:

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Fr. 32

...

If, gentlemen, the point at issue between these people and us involved inquiry into «what is the means of happiness?» and they wanted to say «the virtues» (which would actually be true), it would be unnecessary to take any other step than to agree with them about this, without more ado. But since, as I say, the issue is not «what is the means of happiness?» but «what is happiness and what is the ultimate goal of our nature?», I say both now and always, shouting out loudly to all Greeks and non-Greeks, that pleasure is the end of the best mode of life, while the virtues, which are inopportunely messed about by these people (being transferred from the place of the means to that of the end), are in no way an end, but the means to the end.

Let us therefore now state that this is true, making it our starting-point.