Annoyance Quote by Epicurus
“Whatsoever causes no annoyance when it is present, causes only a groundless pain in the expectation. Death, therefore, the most awful of evils, is nothing to us, seeing that, when we are, death is not come, and, when death is come, we are not. It is nothing, then, either to the living or to the dead, for with the living it is not and the dead exist no longer.”
About This Quote
Source Philosophy: Letter to Menoeceus, c. 300 BC
Pain from anticipation is unnecessary; death is irrelevant to the living and the dead.
In simple terms: Worrying about future pain is pointless; death doesn’t affect us.
Key Takeaway
Focus on present experience, not imagined fears.
Themes
mortality
anxiety
philosophy
Mood
reflective
calm
Type
philosophical
thought‑provoking
When to use this quote
- daily stress
- health anxieties
- life planning
- grief coping
Key Concepts
epicureanism
stoicism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does anticipating pain affect your actions?
- What does “nothing to us” mean in daily life?
A Different Perspective
Some may argue death has indirect impacts on the living.
