“No pleasure is in itself evil, but the things which produce certain pleasures entail annoyances many times greater than the pleasures themselves.” — Epicurus
Costs. Penalties. Judgements. Punishments. So many annoyances. So little time.
A 12th-century bishop wrote that “the world is filled with Epicureans for the simple reason that in its great multitude of men there are few who are not slaves to lust.” Attacks on Epicurus were common in his own time, too. One disgruntled ex-follower said that Epicurus vomited twice a day from over-eating, and engaged in “notorious midnight philosophisings” in his garden with four women called Hedeia (“Sweety-Pie”), Erotion (“Lovie”), Nikidion (“Little Victory”) and Mammarion (“Big Tits”).
Exactly what Epicurus got up to in the undergrowth will never be known. Yet there is every reason to disbelieve his bad press. He espoused a revolutionary and irreligious theory of the universe that would have ensured his notoriety even if he had been a sober eunuch on a diet. The world consists, according to Epicurus, of tiny material atoms careering around in space until they randomly collide and form the things and creatures we see. When our atoms disperse and we die, that is the end of us. Even the gods are just collections of atoms, with no serious tasks to perform in the universe, and could not care less what people do with themselves or to each other. The aim of philosophy, Epicurus maintained, is to make people happy, and one of its biggest tasks is to quieten the unnecessary terrors caused by religion.
– from Epicurus Exonerated: Hedonism with Its Head On by Anthony Gottlieb from More Intelligent Life magazine; Autumn 2007
There always seem to be some annoying people trying to stop you from doing what you want to do. Watching your every move. Following you wherever you go:
If you must check for surveillance, don’t keep glancing over your shoulder. Appearing to suspect you’re being followed suggests you’re doing something to merit it. Anyway, if you’re being tailed by a serious outfit they won’t only be behind you, but ahead and to the side as well; there won’t just be one or two people on your case, but a whole team, with others in reserve. Maybe the whole street is following you. And your followers will keep changing their appearances in ways you won’t notice–women particularly can use a scarf, a shopping bag or a coat to alter themselves in seconds.
If you want to identify a tail, look at their shoes: they are hard to change. Move frequently between crowded and empty places: this forces them to keep closing for fear of losing you, drawing back, then closing again. This makes them conspicuous. But don’t jump on or off trains just before the doors close–that’s for the movies; and anyway, a good surveillance team will already have someone on the train, as well as on the platform. Remember they’re not trying to catch or chase you, just to “house” you–to see where you live, where you’re going, or whom you’re meeting.
– from Someone to Watch Over Me by Alan Judd
[ The above article made me laugh. If you knew where I live ... Clearly the author has never been far from the big city. ]
The two articles linked above have absolutely nothing to do with one another. I hope you appreciate the effort needed to contrive a connection so I could use them here just because I like them both.
And now, to further connect them to photography …
Consider the annoyance photographers feel when friends, family and other animals don’t want to be looked at; aren’t happy about being photographed or won’t pose for the five hundredth time (photographers: note the advice above about changing your shoes).
Then the inverse annoyance when friends, family and other animals don’t want to look at the pictures after they have been made. If, “appearing to suspect you’re being followed suggests you’re doing something to merit it” is true, then perhaps doing the inverse of the advice given above will make people appreciate the merit of your photos: try glancing repeatedly over your shoulder and jumping on and off trains. And don’t change your shoes. Soon your pictures will be in all the best galleries.
-Julie
