The happiness theory I find most helpful, isn't necessarily the one I relate the most to. I find in my own life that my different types of happiness change on a day to day basis. I may tend to agree with the Epicurus one day and Aristotle the next. I'm defiantly not a stoic today. I had a bad day which happens once in a while. So to fix it i decided to feel sorry for myself and buy my favorite candy an Almond Joy.
The most helpful theory of happiness in life should be incorporated a little into each day. I believe that Buddhism has a clear path to happiness that everyone can bring into their lives no matter what or who they believe. The buddhist main points are that they don't like to conform and are non-materialistic. If no one in the world is trying to conform we are coming up with fresh new ideas everyday. A majority of the time we can benefit from these ideas and try to create the ideal society. Another believe of Buddhism is that you try to help yourself more than the world. There is an idea I have always liked: the biggest change you can make in the world happens with yourself first.
I have always tried to incorporate this thought into my life. I found I am most happy when I try to loose myself in others or creating something for the better good of life. I noticed that when I am less focused on the materialistic things of the world, I achieve this idea better. Which is the next part to the definition of Buddhism; don't be materialistic. The items or thoughts in life that are non-materialistic will last the longest. Take a birthday present as an example. You could go to Wal-Mart and buy a DVD from the five dollar bin or you could spend five minutes to an hour making something nice for that person, or writing them a note. Fast forward thirty years to this persons funeral. You are going through their closet to sort through things. You can't find that DVD you bought nor do you remember buying it. But that homemade card that went along with it, is in a box full of their most prized valuables. They kept it for life, because it meant something to them that nothing could replace. This in the end turned out to be a non-materialistic act or idea.
“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
― Mother Teresa
Another concept of Buddhism I like a lot is the eight fold path to enlightenment. You must have a right UNDERSTANDING, right THOUGHT, right SPEECH, right ACTION, right LIVELIHOOD, right EFFORT, right MINDFULNESS, and right CONCENTRATION. Doesn't this sound like it would create the ideal world if everyone tried to incorporate one of these right enlightenment's into their life? I'm going to focus on the one of CONCENTRATION. You can achieve what you put your mind to. If you think about it, you are the only one limiting yourself. Who told you that you couldn't be whatever you wanted to be, or pass that humanities test? Yourself. You are your worst weapon and biggest fear. But when you are conscious and focusing on these acts nothing can stop you. Concentration is everything, its finding out what works best for you. Tying it back to the non- materialistic idea, if you concentrate on the things you can take with you in the next life you won't need to focus on the materialistic things of the world. It doesn't mean that it's not nice to have them sometimes. For the most part though, the eight enlightenment's are going to fill the void in your life that you were previously trying to fill with the materialistic items of the world. A concentrated thought doesn't leave this world when you do. It stays so future generations can improve on it.
The theory of hedonism to me is slightly conflicting and helpless for the world . Carpe diem " Seize the Day" is a term that many may live by. Yes, seizing the day can be good sometimes, but what is going to come of a short lived moment that left no lasting value? You may seize the day, but are you seizing you personal future or the future of others? Many link seizing the day as not having to think of the rigors and downfalls of tomorrow. Lets live in the day, so maybe tomorrow will go away. Tomorrow is always going to come no matter what you do. It's already tomorrow somewhere half way across the world.
A quote from the book on page 386 says " Hedonism ( from the Greek for "delight") is the name given to the philosophy that happiness is equivalent to physical pleasure and to the possession of things that provide us with pleasure" I do not like this definition. Unavoidably, happiness will often thrive off pleasure in small amounts. One person may find pleasure in something that causes others pain. Often time at a dinner table the blonde becomes the personal joke. Others find it meaningless and pleasureful but the blonde does not. Just like above stated there are things about hedonism that I like and don't like. Always pleasure seeking for yourself, would be one of my dislikes. Hedonist often times try to do the most with their potential. I often times wonder that the thing that bothers me most is hedonist reach their potential for a reward based on pleasure. Not because they want to gain something meaningful. Hedonist are always wanting. Wanting is a never ending cycle of wishing as we learned in Into the Woods. Overindulgence in one item like with the M &M's won't bring you pleasure the next day.
Each one of these types of happiness is good in small amounts. The best to me is Buddhism because it encompasses a lot of learning to better ones self and world. This week I am even going to try to work on my right of CONCENTRATION.
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
No comments:
Post a Comment