Question

Although Epicurus advocates pursuing pleasure for the good life, discuss a few reasons why he does not advocate a life completely filled with immediate gratification.

Answer 1

Epicurus, born in 341 BC, was an ancient Greek philosopher. He proposed a system of philosophy that teaches that the greatest good is to seek modest pleasures in order to attain a state of tranquility, freedom from fear [ ataraxia] and absence from bodily pain [aponia]. According to Epicurus, there are two self-imposed beliefs that do the most to make our lives unhappy or full of pain. The goal of human life is happiness. The Epicureans defined pleasure as the absence of pain, both mental and physical. Pleasure can only increase until the point in which pain is absent.

Immediate gratification makes a man complacent. It prevents people from developing courage. This is evident in one of Epicurus's quotes- " You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity."

Moderation in life is necessary to taste the joys in abundance. If something is achieved easily in life, the value is not appreciated by the receiver.

Many a time, the expectation of immediate gratification and quick rewards make people ignore future outcomes and simply give importance to those decision choices which give quick rewards. It might seem to be fulfilling the immediate desires but may prove to be harmful in the long run. Sometimes delayed gratification proves to be a boon in a person's life as it makes them work with a greater zeal to achieve the target.