> Is the greatest possible boon, fortune, or blessing never to have been
> born??
>
> And the second greatest, to die as quickly and painlessly as
> possible??
>
> This philosophy is said to have been expressed by the mythical ancient
> Greek satyr Silenus:
>
> [From:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silenus]
>
> "Silenus shared with the king a pessimistic philosophy: That the best
> thing for a man is not to be born, and if born, should die as soon as
> possible."
>
> [From "A History of Greek Philosophy" by W. K. C. Guthrie, ISBN
> 0521387604 , Cambridge University Press, p. 66-67 ]
>
> On Aristotle's lost work (of which we have fragments) "Eudemus": ...

> Are you really advocating suicide? Suicide is a serious problem and
> advocates of it should be condemned.

>> Are you really advocating suicide? Suicide is a serious problem and
>> advocates of it should be condemned.

>
> Hi Michael:
>
> A good question.
>
> I am not advocating suicide, no. I'm just raising the question in the
> way that the ancient Greeks, Shakespeare, Camus, and others raised it.
>
> Personally, I'm quite happy to be alive, but I have also had some good
> fortune in my life -- so my disposition (more than my circumstances)
> favors a basically happy mindset (at least under moderately pleasant
> conditions.)
>
> But I am very interested to hear what others feel about this subject.
>

> Is the greatest possible boon, fortune, or blessing never to have been
> born??
>
> And the second greatest, to die as quickly and painlessly as
> possible??
>
> This philosophy is said to have been expressed by the mythical ancient
> Greek satyr Silenus:
>
> [From:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silenus]
>
> "Silenus shared with the king a pessimistic philosophy: That the best
> thing for a man is not to be born, and if born, should die as soon as
> possible."
>
> [From "A History of Greek Philosophy" by W. K. C. Guthrie, ISBN
> 0521387604 , Cambridge University Press, p. 66-67 ]
>
> On Aristotle's lost work (of which we have fragments) "Eudemus": ...

> Is the greatest possible boon, fortune, or blessing never to have been
> born??

> And the second greatest, to die as quickly and painlessly as
> possible??

> A second question, related:
>
> Nietzsche articulated the doctrine of the "eternal return" -- the idea
> that the universe would "repeat itself" over and over and over
> throughout eternity, resulting in each person living their life over
> and over and over again throughout eternity (though, of course, they
> would have no knowledge of their previous lives, the events of which
> were exactly the same as this one.)

> Is the greatest possible boon, fortune, or blessing never to have been
> born??
>

> And the second greatest, to die as quickly and painlessly as
> possible??
>

> Is the greatest possible boon, fortune, or blessing never to have been
> born??
>

> Berkeley Brett wrote:

>> Is the greatest possible boon, fortune, or blessing never to have been
>> born??

>
> I find it difficult to associate the concept of complete non-existance
> with words like boon, fortune and blessing, that could only convey
> meaningful content in the context of a person that is currently alive.
>

>> And the second greatest, to die as quickly and painlessly as
>> possible??

>
> No problem with that

> Is the greatest possible boon, fortune, or blessing never to have been
> born??
>
> And the second greatest, to die as quickly and painlessly as
> possible??
>
> This philosophy is said to have been expressed by the mythical ancient
> Greek satyr Silenus:
>
> [From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silenus ]
>
> "Silenus shared with the king a pessimistic philosophy: That the best
> thing for a man is not to be born, and if born, should die as soon as
> possible."
>
> [From "A History of Greek Philosophy" by W. K. C. Guthrie, ISBN
> 0521387604 , Cambridge University Press, p. 66-67 ]
> ...