Visits to Greece, an ancient fidget toy, and Aristotle’s thoughts on happiness.
Few Americans have ever heard of a “komboloi,” also known as Greek “worry beads.” Yet flipping these simple strings over one’s fingers has occupied Athenians for hundreds of years. A komboloi is about as low-tech as it gets—a little cord, a handful of beads—yet it speaks to the Greek tradition of balanced living.
Notes and Addenda
- There’s no right or wrong way to manipulate a komboloi, but there are lots of tricks that a user can master. Here are some basics.
- English is replete with Greek words and concepts, though “Eudaimonia” doesn’t come up as often as “hubris,” “Isosceles triangles,” or “Sisyphean tasks.” If you’re feeling cynical (another Hellenistic concept), it might make sense that modern Americans would think more about Greek concepts of geometry than Greek concepts of happiness.
- Curious where this footage was taken? Some clips were shot in Athens, others on the Island of Rhodes. To learn more about the 2009 visit, check out The Arhipelago: A Balkan Passage.
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