The 3 Pillars Of Happiness According To The Oldest Study On Happiness
Happiness is the most important part of our lives
Epicurus was the first philosopher who studied probably the most asked question:
“What makes up happy?”
Philosophers before him argued that it was the length of life and fame that made us happy. But Epicurus refuted those ideas.
Epicurus was a very simple man and he possessed only 2 pairs of clothes. He lived most of his life on bread, butter, and olives.
Myths about happiness
People before believed him that sex, fame, and luxury items made people happy.
But Epicurus proved them wrong.
- Having a romantic partner does not always guarantee happiness. Epicurus observed many unhappy couples around him. So he concluded that sex was not required for a happy life.
- Epicurus proposed that fame and money did not make people happy because people sacrificed their health, time, and relationships to achieve that. He observed many wealthy people were living miserable life.
- Lastly, he said that humans did not need expensive houses and items to live happily. Because he observed that people were buying expensive things just to impress others.
So sex, fame, and luxury are not necessary for a happy life.
The 3 pillars of happiness
Based on his study, Epicurus came to the remarkable conclusions:
Friends
Epicurus observed how nicer friendships were compared to romantic partners. He observed friendships were free of jealousy and possessiveness. That’s so true.
Friendships are the truest form of a human relationship.
However, he observed that people did not see their friends enough. It was the regularity that mattered. For this, Epicurus bought a big house and started living with all of his friends. He found that people were so happy in the house because they were seeing their friends regularly.
Be in regular touch with your close friends. You will be surprised to see how happy you become.
I see my friends at least 2–3 times a week and hang out with them.
Servicing others
The second pillar of happiness is the work where you feel like you are serving others and making a contribution.
Epicurus found that people working in fields like pottery, gardening, and cooking were more satisfied than the richest people.
He concluded that when people felt they were making a difference (no matter how small) through their work, they were happy in their life.
For this, Epicurus and their friends left their high-paying jobs and started baking, cooking, and carpentering.
So find a job or work where you feel like you are serving others.
Calm and peace of mind
The final piece of the puzzle is a calm and peaceful mind.
Epicurus found that having luxury items did not bring calmness. People still felt restlessness.
He found that when people spent time alone on reflecting their life, wrote things down, and started meditating, they felt the peace of mind.
So Epicurus and his friends spent some time alone journaling and thinking about their life.
Journaling and writing are one of the best ways to free your mind.
Thanks for reading.