Life advice society doesn't want you to hear... (Level 1)

Everyone wants to be happy. Most people think happiness comes from money, marriage, and children. Society tells us to work hard and follow the crowd. However, some famous thinkers disagreed. They believed that a normal life often causes stress. Arthur Schopenhauer was a German philosopher. He said that people always want more things, which makes them unhappy. He believed the secret to peace is wanting less. A Chinese thinker named Zhuangzi agreed. He said people try to do too much. He taught that a quiet life is better for our health. Other thinkers spoke about family. Thales and Democritus were ancient Greeks who did not want children. They thought raising children was too difficult and caused too much worry. Finally, a thinker named Epicurus talked about pleasure. He did not care about being famous or rich. He liked simple things, like eating good food with friends. In the end, happiness is personal. You do not have to follow the crowd to find peace.