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Because Epicurus' ideas have been misunderstood, it is important to delineate the key ideas he developed and what he intended by them. His core ideals can be described as atomistic materialism, which held that all things are made up of atoms and that voids separated these atoms. Because gods do not control pain or pleasure, and that they are likely unable or uninterested in causing pain or pleasure to people, one should pursue pleasure as a key goal in life. However, the danger that Epicurus realized is that this simple pursuit can lead to indulgence that then leads back to pain. Therefore, moderation is key so that one does not become over zealous, or essentially addicted, to the pursuit of pleasure where they are unable to function and pursue a balanced life. Minimizing pain and suffering are critical to this. Thus it is not pursuit of lusts or desires so much but it is seeking knowledge, good friendships, and banishing ideas that bring difficulty and problems to our life. He stated that one should never fear death, as death simply means the end of what one can feel and not something that would be painful. Moderation was critical to all of his philosophical ideas of pleasure, as he warned against pursuits of love or other pleasures to the point where one becomes so enchanted by them that these pursuits could ultimately lead to pain.