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Tetrapharmakos is basically a four-part "cure" to living the best life possible. Traditionally, the four parts can be explained as follows:
1. Don't fear God
2. Don't worry about death
3. What is good is easy to get
4. What is terrible is easy to endure
I can tell that a lot of you are already having issues with this already. Particularly the God-fearing part. Most religions say that we must fear God as part of our faith. What we must understand is that the Greeks looked at the gods in their own special way. Basically, they thought that if you didn't appease the gods (with slaughtered goats and virgins) that they would wreak havoc on earth (volcanoes, pestilence, etc..)
Second issue I fell you may have: hedonism... Tetrapharmakos sounds an awfully lot like hedonism. For those of you who don't know what hedonism is: it's basically that we as humans want to avoid pain and maximize pleasure (in all its naughty forms). But tetrapharmakos is a bit different from hedonism, which I believe you will see later in this post.
Now that I'm done fortifying my position, lets get to the nity gritty.
1. Don't Fear God: What I tell you, dear reader, is that you shouldn't fear things that are beyond your control. You must accept these things as inevitable and continue living your life. This does not mean that you shouldn't take an active role in your government, or be involved in helping a poorer nation. It means that you shouldn't fear, for example, Wall Street. Why, you ask? because Wall Street does not decide whether you will live or die, it does not decide if you will eat well or eat poorly. Wall Street is an easy way for people to gamble their money. Some make fortunes, others do not. What I want you to take away from this is that, essentially, you shouldn't waste your time and effort on things like stocks; you're better off saving your money and spending it on charity, trips, and food. Then, make sure you put some away for retirement in a retirement fund. I realize that retirement funds are linked with the stock market, but leave that up to the people who guarantee your fund to worry about.
2. Don't worry about death: This is a big one. Some philosophers have even suggested that the only motivation we have as human beings is that associated with death. For example, making a lasting impression on society, saving money for your children etc... So why should we not worry? Because if you don't worry about death, you will have no regrets when it happens. So instead of worrying about what will happen to your children after you die, just live in the moment, enjoy yourself now rather than worry for tomorrow. This might sound a little fishy to some, just remember: everything in moderation. Don't go spending $340,000 on a car when you know that you cannot afford it. Just don't worry when, how, or why you'll die.
3. What is good is easy to get: This one is really simple. The Beatles really had it when they said "All you need is love". Essentially, all you need in life is food, water, shelter, social relations (romantic and otherwise), and a sense of choice in your decisions. The rest is superfluous, so keep it simple. Have your core needs taken care of (by working..... duh) then take the rest of your time to do things that you enjoy doing. If you don't know what you enjoy doing, then you definitely need to get out there and have a hobby or two. If you are incredibly unhappy in your job, quit and move on. If you want to do something, make a plan so you can attain that goal and work tirelessly towards it. You'll find that motivation to, for example, save for a trip to Cambodia will come naturally. You'll enjoy the trip, and you'll enjoy working toward that goal. Because life is essentially just working toward a goal and enjoying yourself when you get there.
4. What is terrible is easy to endure. This is probably the hardest one to wrap our heads around. Basically it is not talking about disease, torture, and bad things like that. What it means is that if you have to live through some uncomfortable circumstances in order to attain your goal, then they are easy to get through. Think about it, the last time you were living paycheck to paycheck it may have seemed like the end of the world. But in actual fact, there is a way out, and you made it (or are still on your way out). So take the initiative and make that path. The other thing that makes this last point work, is if you follow the first three, the fourth comes by itself. If you're care-free, happy, and you know what you can and cannot control then there shouldn't be much horror for you to endure.
To sum up, and give you the first push toward your new life, I would like to tell you a little theory of mine. Get your finances in order, work to pay of any debt, and spend your money in two ways: cover your basic needs (few frills) and spend the rest on activities (not items). Do you really need that new flat screen? or would you rather take a trip somewhere....? your call!
