Starting My Greek Philosophy Journey
I got this idea to dive into ancient Greek stuff after chatting with my barista about Marcus Aurelius. She kept calling him "that Roman meditations dude," and I realized I'd never actually read the Greek originals myself. Grabbed three cheap paperbacks off my shelf collecting dust: Plato's Republic, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, and that brick of a book The Complete Works of Epicurus my aunt gifted me last Christmas.
The Reading Marathon Begins
First I cracked open Plato after dinner. Made it two pages before my eyes glazed over. Those Socratic dialogues felt like watching people argue in circles at a college party. Tried reading aloud with British accent – helped for ten minutes then my throat hurt. Switched to Aristotle next morning with coffee. His logic stuff made my brain itch like algebra homework. Highlighted every third sentence then gave up when he started dissecting "the nature of happiness" like frog in bio class.
Epicurus was last chance. Turns out his writing's mostly fragments and letters. Blew through fifty pages feeling proud til I realized half were footnotes by some professor named Reginald. Threw all three books on my bed and stared at them like failed baking projects.
The Comparison Breakdown
Next day I made this chart in my bullet journal:
- Plato - Dialogues that twist your brain, needs 100% focus time
- Aristotle - Textbook vibes, good for arguments at parties
- Epicurus - Quick wisdom bites, no Ph.D required
Realized I'm more "microwave meal" than "three-course dinner" reader. Started carrying Epicurus in my backpack for bus rides. Those short letters about friendship and fear clicked way more than Plato's cave shadows.
Final Choice and Lessons Learned
Kept Epicurus by my toothpaste for morning reads. Found some podcasts explaining the tougher Plato bits. Aristotle? Still looks fancy on my shelf but mostly collects coffee rings. The big takeaway: philosophy ain't one-size-fits-all. Now I recommend:
- Busy parents? Grab Epicurus' letters
- Debate club nerds? Plato's Republic
- Want to sound smart? Aristotle - but actually read it
Funny how three dead Greeks can frustrate you then suddenly make subway rides meaningful. My barista got Epicurus quotes with her latte this morning – she called them "ancient Instagram captions."
