Wikipedia translates the Greek philosophical concept of Eudaimonia as “Human Flourishing”, particularly on the spiritual level. It refers to genuine happiness and fulfillment over hedonism or GDP.
The modern world feels meaningless at times. Instead of hunting or farming to put food on the table, many of us sit at a computer or stand behind a counter, far removed from the fruits of our labor—if our labor even bears fruit. Our screens bombard us with videos of people more beautiful and successful than we could ever hope to be while we stay inside, alone.
I recently read Zen in the Art of Archery, which isn’t a book about archery as much as it is a book about zen. The book describes author’s journey learning archery from a zen master. I highly recommend it, the book is a short read–I finished it in a day.
Is it better to have no facts about a topic and thus no opinion, or have access to a few “out of context” facts and thus a misinformed opinion?
TL;DR: Either start learning about issues you care about, or stop caring about them so much. It’s more honest, less mental effort, and is less likely to ruin Thanksgiving.
You can’t be well-informed on every topic; It’s just not possible. That’s why world leaders have advisers. Yet somehow, if you look at anyone’s Facebook account, you don’t have to try too hard to figure out their view on any political issue.
Not all rules are made equal. Some rules, like the speed limit, are broken by everyone and their mother, and are enforced (mostly) when people are breaking them to a dangerous point. Other rules, like “don’t murder people”, are enforced far more. Why is that?
Different Rules, Different Tools
Some rules are in place to assign blame to someone with bad judgement. There’s nothing morally wrong with jaywalking when there are no cars coming, but you are at fault if you walk into oncoming traffic.
Some rules are in place to discourage bad habits from forming, like the drinking age. This law is so commonly broken that it’s expected behavior at this point, and yet I’ve never seen someone get arrested for under-age drinking. Despite this, the law conveys the dangers of drinking, makes it harder for minors to acquire alcohol, and prevents students from openly sharing alcohol in schools.
Some rules, like mandatory attendance, exist to get people to show up to an event or perform an activity. Even when attendance isn’t taken, many people will still show up to prevent unnecessary trouble. College orientation activities are a prime example.
Some rules exist simply because they haven’t been updated. Before 2020, some companies – especially older ones – didn’t allow employees to work from home. Working from home was seen as an unnecessary risk by upper management with no tangible benefit to any of the executives. Along comes the coronavirus, and suddenly the jobs people have been doing in an office for decades are suddenly doable from home.
Rules for Rules
Rules should be justified. If a sign on a fish tank says, PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH GLASS, do you think most people, especially children, are likely to obey? Does your answer change if the sign were to say PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH GLASS, IT SCARES THE FISH?
The more I learn about the world, the less certain I become about it. There are so many conflicting views and information taken out of context that it’s hard to discern fact from truth. Below are some notes I keep to help navigate the sea of information that is modern society.
TL;DR: Don’t get fooled by facts if they have no context, don’t discount an opinion because it’s biased, and hear out crazy ideas.
Happiness doesn’t come from wealth. Otherwise, therapists and anti-depressants would have to be much cheaper.
If happiness came from consumption of goods and services, it would therefore follow that once those goods and services are reduced or cut off, one would no longer be as happy. If you can cut off happiness, it’s more akin to a drug than an emotion.
“Close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives.” While financial security is ideal for easing pain and suffering, significant amounts of money can strain relationships and cast doubt on who your friends really are. If solid relationships are a path to happiness, the drama and expectations caused from wealth differences in the relationships might very well block that path.
Forgiveness has a negative connotation these days. We see forgiving each other as weak — as not standing by one’s values, as giving up one’s pride. This view is incredibly counter-productive and, in my opinion, the cause of many problems in today’s society. Here is the actual definition of forgiveness:
forgive (verb)
to cease to feel resentment against (an offender)
Source: Merriam Webster
This definition is all that forgiveness has to be — not pardoning or excusing someone for their actions, but instead letting go of anger towards them. Grudges may appear to make someone “tough” and “strong,” but all they do is keep someone’s mind tormented by the people they despise. It is very easy to hold a grudge—grudges make one feel powerful without requiring them to do anything. However, true power in one’s life stems from overcoming this negativity and taking control of one’s emotions.
Choosing sides is fun. Be it politics or pop culture, nothing validates an opinion better than classifying opposing opinions as wrong. Sometimes, as seen by Holocaust deniers or the anti-vaccine movement, it’s possible people can be completely and utterly wrong. However, in the general case, both sides have merits and both sides have pitfalls. When trying to gain a perspective of the bigger picture, it’s best to position oneself somewhere in the middle.
