The Baseline State: Happy To Be Alive

Vatican Saying 33:  The cry of the flesh is not to be hungry, thirsty, or cold; for he who is free of these and is confident of remaining so might vie even with Zeus for happiness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, this from Gassendi p 228 (chapter 2) “Seeing that to live without pain is sweet or pleasant, and to enjoy good things, and be recreated by them; it followes, that Felicity cannot consist without both, or at least one of these; (by pleasure, suavity, jucundity, and the like terms, I understand the same thing)…” I think that formulation sounds good: ***”to live without pain is sweet or pleasant”***. Which ought to be implied, but maybe is not explicit, when we take a shortcut and say “pleasure IS the absence of pain.” Seems to me it is much more clear to say ***”to live without pain is sweet or pleasant”***. This of course concisely and quickly cuts off the argument for killing oneself as the quickest path to “ataraxia.”