Life is an onus. Sanction eudaimonia.
Lend me your attention, I think you will enjoy this post.
I have been on the board for some time now and have debated with great minds. Yet, I have not shared my beliefs. These beliefs are not dogmatic or require leaps of faith, they can be applied to anyone. Consider my line of reasoning and I hope to enlighten you on any certain level.
Chaos:
- A system that embraces exponential growth in relation to non-linear systems that can be measure by sensitivity. For example; weather can be profoundly changed by a simple shift in wind pattern. This is where the "butterfly effect" comes into manifestation. The application of chaos is to concentrate it on the individual and how they can affect the world. ie. you open the door for someone, they feel better, they say something nice to someone, etc. etc.
Eudaimonia:
- A state of happiness, integrity, and virtue. The importance of this will be elaborated.
Onus:
- Burden of responsibility.
Importance:
You were thrown into this world without a choice.
You have a choice how to feel about leaving this world.
You can choose to leave this world or live in it's chaotic system.
The worlds chaotic system offers you the choice of being: eudaimonic, not-eudaimonic.
A philosopher professor of mine once said, "This is a major ultimatum in life; you can choose to either be sad and pissed off with your life or choose to laugh at it and be happy."
Thus, if you choose to continue living in the chaotic system, I suggest to sanction eudaimonia.
Applications:
Loved one dies:
- It has now happened. Nothing you can do will bring them back. Grieve their loss but do not let it dominate your life. They would not want you to live your life in constant grievance over them. In this sense, it is actually selfish and takes away meaning of your life.
- As Jet Li says: "If you're sad, then cry. But remember that, after you cry, you must still live life."
Finding a loved one:
- If you find that your lifes purpose is to try and find a companion, then you are really avoiding the fact that you have not found a reason to live. You are trying to find something to fill in that gap of emptiness where you are unsure as to how to live your life. Realize that your life is ultimately in your control. Sanction eudaimonia in the sense that you can choose to be happy at any given moment.
Being crucified:
- Even in the most difficult and enduring times you have a choice of how to feel and think. Think back to the "Life of Brian" where Brian was crucified and began singing "Look on the brightside of life *whistle*". If you are being crucified, or already are, there is nothing you can do to stop it. Thus, sing and dance while you still have a chance!
The real onus in life:
+ Existentialism shows that there are three choices you can make in life, as shown by Sartre:
- To live in-itself; this is where you attribute your lifes meaning to other things. ie. job, companion, social group, friends, community, furniture, etc. You have no self-identity and are incapable of living as an individual guided by individual providence.
- To live for-others; this is where you live with the constant policing of your thoughts by how others perceive you. You are constantly worried what others think and how others feel about you. You are not living as an individual but as an essential "dream character" to other peoples lives. There is complete loss of individuality as you sacrifice it for others.
- To live for-yourself (what I call "individual providence"); you are guided by no other principle but what you deem. Your emotions, feelings, thoughts, etc. are all guided by yourself. Do not mistake this for egocentricism; you still absorb all things around you, learn from your external, watch others, laugh with others, but maintain a sense of individuality.
The onus in life is to decide one of two things:
- To die miserable; you worked hard, you kept healthy, or you hated life, you died "for a cause" (that was not of your own providence), etc.
- To die of eudaimonia; you did all the following, but because you chose to do so, you reasoned it from your own individuality that all things you do are simply a contingent of your individuality.
In the words of Jet Li:
"One cannot choose how ones life begins or to begin. One can choose to find the courage to take the final step to death."
I hope this has been enlightening. What do you think...?
~