The term Aponia (ἀπονία) emerges from Hellenism. Philosopher Epicurus viewed philosophy as a “practical exercise” as opposed to an intellectual one. Suffice to say, followers of Epicurus believed pleasure to be the yardstick for “judging every good thing” and living a “divine life on earth.” In claiming pleasure as the ultimate goal of human life (telos), he doesn’t mean excess or indulgence, but rather the absence of pain in the body (Aponia) and mind (Ataraxia).

While it is true that the greatest pains fester within our souls, physical pain is a constant across healthcare and is the raison d’être for the technologies we seek to invest in.

Stoicism and Epicureanism are both oriented towards leading an untroubled life, one by limiting fears (Stoicism), the other by limiting excess desires (Epicureanism).