"Articulating a form of happiness called [[ataraxia]] (loosely, “absence of trouble”), [[Epicurus]] **found that the “trouble” of a troubled mind came from unnecessary mental baggage in the form of runaway desires, ambitions, ego, and fear**. What he proposed in their absence was simple: **relaxed contemplation in a community that was turned away from the city at large**. "“**Live in anonymity**,” [[Epicurus]] enjoined his students, who rather than engage in civic affairs, grew their own food within The Garden, chatting and theorizing among the lettuces. In fact, so much did [[Epicurus]] live by his own teachings that **for most of his life he and his school remained relatively unknown within [[Athens]]**. That was fine, since he believed that “**[t]he purest security is that which comes from a quiet life and withdrawal from the many**.”" ([Location 805](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07RHWKD7N&location=805)) --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[resting]], [[not-speaking]], [[anonymity]], [[ego]], [[fear]], [[mindfulness]] **Source** -- [[20251230081807 - B - How to Do Nothing]] See Also -- "Keep your identity small"