The only authentic good, says Epicurus, is pleasure, hedonism.

However, in order to secure it for ourselves unperturbed, we must turn to forms of pleasure that can be controlled and do not entail unpleasant consequences.

Let us therefore avoid anything that could cause us pain or disturb us emotionally and let us content ourselves with the warmth of a small circle of friends, where, while eating some cheese and drinking some wine, we will enjoy delightful companionship: it is the best we could do for our happiness.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]