Live a Happy, Simple Life by Alnaya

Live a Happy, Simple Life by Alnaya - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

The most important lesson I have learned from a teacher was in Fall 2014; it was ethics class taught by Professor Swanson. One of the most interesting lectures he gave was about Epicureanism. The central belief of Epicureanism is to enjoy and be content with the simpler things in life. Epicurus says that necessary desires will promote happiness within a person. On the other hand, unnecessary desires,such as desiring materialism and living a luxurious life. Unnecessary desires will produce unhappiness, for a person will struggle to obtain a certain way of life to keep having luxury items.

The ideas of Epicurus resonated with me as I listened to the ethics professor. For the past few years, I have realized that society is based on consumerism. We tend to have more than what we really need, and some people will only be satisfied if they have expensive items. After listening to the lecture, I made a decision to be a minimalist and embrace the simple things in life. I had to ask myself , "In order to be happy in life, do I really need everything I see?". The ethics lecture presented by Professor Swanson is easily one of the best lectures I have heard and changed my life forever.