Are You Playing the Status Game?

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The author says Epicurus would be OK with people playing the status game. He argues that it's almost impossible to make a lot of money without engaging in wicked deeds, like cheating or jockeying for power and unseemly ways. The best response might be Frank's speech, which addresses how to speak frankly with people.

The Greek philosopher Epicurus made a rather bold claim over two thousand years ago. The key to life, he said, was simple: pursue pleasure and avoid pain. Around this maxim he developed a school of philosophy, Epicureanism, which promised its adherents that if they took care of their basic needs, surrounded themselves with trustworthy friends, and developed a basic understanding of science, they would be happy. But is it really that simple? Can the advice of someone born 2,363 years ago still hold true? To answer these questions, we turned to Emily Austin, professor of philosophy at Wake Forest University and author of the delightful new book "Living for Pleasure: An Epicurean Guide to Life.”

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