Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change It summary

The first entry in Klein’s notebook is a quote from the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus: “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”

Epicurus is making two points. Firstly, wanting something that we don’t have negatively affects our appreciation of what we do have.

And secondly, when we think about the outcome of getting that thing we want, we realize that it puts us back to where we were before – in a state of desiring something else. So, the big lesson here is: appreciate the present. It doesn’t get any better than this.

The philosophy of Epicurus resonated with Klein as a young man. And interestingly, it seems that he still appeals to many students today. Perhaps it’s because there’s something almost New Agey about Epicurus, with his pithy, Zen-like aphorisms.

In today’s world, there’s a lot we can learn from him. Many of us are waking up to the fact that constantly striving for more – more things, more achievements – isn’t actually making us happy. We’re also realizing that perfectionism is a trap – a way to never be satisfied.

Now that Klein is older, the words of Epicurus resonate even more. They make him reflect on his tendency to drift away from the present by thinking, “What’s next?” Even if he’s not necessarily desiring something, he’s always thinking about the future.

For instance, while he’s eating dinner, instead of focusing on the food, he’s thinking about what he’s going to do after dinner – what book he’s going to read, or what movie he’s going to watch.

It’s been this way his whole life. As a child, he was always thinking about what he would do when he grew up. At college, he was focused on what he would do when he graduated. And so on. 

But when you live like this, you’re essentially diluting your life. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “We are always getting ready to live, but never living.”

Now, if you’re religious, and you believe in the afterlife, perhaps this makes sense. Perhaps you think that this life is just the preparation – the warm-up for what really matters. 

But that’s not what Klein believes. And at his age – in his eighties – he knows “what’s next.” Without the payoff of an afterlife, it makes sense to focus on the here and now. Rather than wanting what we don’t have, or fantasizing about the future, let’s just enjoy the present.