On Possessions and Happiness

An ancient Greek philosopher, Epictetus, was a freed slave crippled in the service of his former master. He wrote that we should not consider possessions as ours. Rather, we should consider ourselves as temporary custodians of them. In this he included wives and children as well as objects such as lamps tables, etc. He believed much of our unhappiness was tied to the loss of or fear of losing those possessions. Here's a link to a thoughtful essay about the same idea. 

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