Why You Should Strive for a Meaningful Life, Not a Happy One
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- Опубликовано: 28 дек 2024
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In this video we argue that the pursuit of happiness is a futile endeavor, and that we should aim to live a meaningful life instead. We also explore how to cultivate meaning.
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Very interesting and thought provoking stuff... on another note, Freud didn't say people strive for happiness, he said pleasure (pleasure principle).
Anyway, great job man.
I'm surprised you didn't mention Aristotle. Many *people are unhappy bc they don't have enough going for them.* I agree with Aristotle that a life cultivating sport, many cerebral interests, relationships with friends/family, money, influence and status is what life is all about and *dissatisfaction with the quantity/quality of achievement in one or more of these areas* will affect a man's self-image to one degree or another.
Face it: EVERY MAN wants to be very intelligent, very rich, very influential and have many friends and family who love, respect and need him. But who's got all that at once and to a sufficient degree to be considered abundant?!
Only some wealthy and powerful people are truly capable of happiness. Not all. Not most. Not many. But some. And yes: having wealth and power is a prerequisite. I don't wanna seem crass. But don't kid yourself.
Quit begging for money.
Who Cares, I hate it when they do that too. WTF happened to selflessly creating content for fame or influence??? I will NEVER give money to any RUclipsr.
@@hiqhduke I don't charge a single penny for my truths.
Not a plug for views of my channel, but take a gander at my last video.
You may find it interesting.
You may not.
Either way, you'll have another tool for your box.
.·.D.·.
*WE MUST PROTECT THE ACADEMY OF IDEAS AT ALL COST*
Who is the attacker? How is academy endangered? How high is the risk of its extinction?
@@pawerymut9033 Lmao I guess the meme of claiming to protect things at all cost to show appreciation was more trendy back in 2019
Yes! We must!
Amen brother!!!
we still must.
if the far left had the chance they would ban this channel immediately for bringing awareness to the sheeple of the world
A meaningful life provides happiness.
not really,... it provides fulfillment. Different thing
Sexy Beast,
Same thing.
P S no it's different.
kb senger,
What's the difference?
Meaning in many cases is a source of happiness. So, happiness is still the end goal. It is just not as simple as many people think. For example, you may at times have to work hard and do what you don't want to do now to increase your happiness in the future. There are also many things that make us happy, and no it is not just comfort. For example, increasing your abilities and achieving goals may make you happy. Having a sense of meaning may also make you happy. All humans evolved based on survival and reproduction. It should be of no surprise that the things that make us happy tend to line up with those variables. For example, good food, quenching your thirst, good relationships with other people, and having a place (meaning) in society are characteristics that also help you survive and reproduce. Therefore, it should be of no surprise that they also make us happy. That is how evolution works. The main problem is people tend to get locked up into thinking only material objects provide them with happiness when this is not the case. Good relationships with people and and having a sense of a place in society are just as much, if not more important for your happiness. Another problem is that when humans first evolved, the meaningfulness of their actions was more concrete. If you helped a fellow sick or injured human, you directly saw the consequences of your actions. If you caught prey and helped feed your tribe, you directly saw the consequences of your actions. If you invented something new like the wheel or metallurgy, you directly saw the consequences of your actions. This helped give you happiness. Now this is not so much the case. If you are stuck working in a factory or in a drive through where results are expected or you don't even see the benefits of those results, you are much less likely to feel like your actions are meaningful, therefore you may not experience happiness based on those actions as well.
I'm an older lady who certainly hasn;t had what anyone would describe as a "happy" life, but I would describe it as a "meaningful" life. And I do not regret it.
Isn't that great act of someone.its nothing to criticise. Happiness is not sexual pleasure.
Truly madam ❤️
0:16 Happiness, the ultimate aim?
1:20 History of Happiness
2:18 Happiness : Virtue vs Pleasure
2:47 Hedonic Treadmill
3:40 The Alternative to Happiness
4:55 How to cultivate meaning
5:04 Ineffective approach : External Goods
5:46 Practical approach : Character
6:28 Role of Goals
7:10 The right attitude to Goal-setting
7:46 Not all goals are valuable
8:48 Happiness, a side-effect of meaning?
I hope both sides of your pillow are cool
I LOVE when people like you do stuff like this; often it is the first thing that I search for.
Eternity by William Blake
He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity’s sunrise
That is a poem that always stuck with me as well, words to live by.
Gold. Thank you for this
Philip S.
Replace joy with soundness of mind....and destroy to compliment.
Live in the moment!
I love Blake - such a beautiful poem - how true it is!
This channel needs to hit a Million soon. ♥️
They're reaching there. 870k+ now.
984k right now. Almost there
Two years later. It now has
Needs to, yes, but highly doubtful.
@@sharoncombs58 And here we are at almost TWO million now...
I think this is why many artists are able to endure great suffering, because they can find meaning in the things that make them miserable.
and this is also why success is the greatest tragedy to happen to an artist
@@DGP406braindead idea
@@Wolffanghurricaneatleast followup your meaningless opinion with a reasoning?
"Do what is meaningful, not what is expedient"
Tumble Sensei Did he say that in the video? Or was that a quote from Schopenhauer
@@therealtigertalk Jordan Peterson
Diana Mitford keep telling yourself that and you will eventually believe it:-//
@Diana Mitford There's no reason why you shouldn't mean something to yourself. Notwithstanding the pain.
@Diana Mitford Do good work- find what you love - find an interest - try many things - choose to be happy or at least grateful for your life - do not waste it - find your own meaning & stop the negative crying
"There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists"
Find peace within yourself and you won every struggle. When you do it, it becomes a job, a duty. Nothing gets you down and you keep it that way.
There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy-Nietzsche
True man 😀
Interesting to see the rest of the comments say this was influenced by Jordan Peterson.
It seems more likely that both Jordan and Academy of Ideas have tapped into the ancient wisdom of our ancestors and came to the same conclusion.
Academy of ideas is really a great channel. Gets into deep psychological and philosophical questions and does it more or less unbiased. People like Nietzsche and Jung are often misrepresented due to such bias and it's nice to see that non-existent here
It's Jungian Psychology/Philosophy that tie them together. I think most people don't realize that, or aren't familiar enough with Jung to notice. He's unfortunately often "swept under the rug" when it comes to both areas, but his teachings have been hugely influential. Similar to Kierkegaard and Existentialism/Theology.
Uhm, this is common knowledge for any religious person tbh. It's the core of all Abrahamic faiths for instance. Budhism and Hinduism have similar concepts. The pursuit of meaning over happiness is as ancient as humanity itself. The concept only seems "new" because modern society is based upon the pursuit of happiness/hedonism, so these ancient concepts break with what has been the norm for the past few centuries.
So no, JP or even Jung did not originate this idea.
AOI>JP
Alot of people don't understand philosophy is the art of concept thinking.
Yearn to feel every emotion, rather than just one
Wow!
You know, we would be much more balanced or if you prefer in-tune if we did yesrn to feel all emotions instead of one.
Spot on!
What most people call happiness nowadays is actually nothing more than gratification. Gratification increases dopamine, but serotonin is the hormone of true happiness (i.e. built on self-discipline, personal virtue), not dopamine. When your dopamine increases, your serotonin actually decreases. In other words, gratification decreases your happiness.
Happiness is overrated; exercise and peace of mind are the key to a good life.
@Diana Mitford You're not alone. I feel the same.. keep pushing forward, maybe our day to shine hasn't come ☆
Yes be a stoic.
@Diana Mitford Check out the writings of Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius (stoics) and even if you aren't religious, the book of Proverbs.
@Diana Mitford The way to calm the mind is to stop thinking.
The easiest way to stop thinking is by listening: let the ears hear whatever they want to hear and just listen, or dance!
Comedy - a good sense of humor - laugh & play & then get back to work - we all need breaks - I do thing exercise & eating healthy are part of the mix - challenges are great also - a push to more forward even difficulty can be great!
We cant control how outside forces effect us. Meaning brings a gift of spiritual understanding and euphoria that comes after overcoming hard times.
This is a beautiful experience.
Fulfillment is where I find joy, when I am constantly productive, mastering and sharpening myself, learning new things, conquering my goals, expending hard work and energy. It makes me feel satisfied.
I’ve reached a point where pleasure soon becomes guilt and depression for me. If I over-indulge, I get anxious and I want out, it doesn’t ‘satisfy’ me in the end, because I know I could be doing something way more productive and meaningful during that time.
Do not let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason that today arm you against the present.
-Marcus Aurelius
Great quote!
This channel is true to its title , Academy of Ideas. A big shout from Alexandria, Egypt.
Jordan Peterson said when happiness comes your way you should be thrilled.
I say when an Academy of Ideas video comes your way you should be thrilled.
stop trying to link peterson to this channel ...
Jed Car I was just pointing out an intriguing similarity. It is most likely because both parties involved have deeply engrained the teachings of Jung and Nietzsche in their works. Either way one should be happy that both parties arrived at this conclusion; whether or not you agree with one or the other.
@@johnbagel2560 Peterson is a pseudointellectual hack.
@@Chris-ci8vs Thank you for your constructive input
@Pete's Guitar Lessons TV what does that word mean
When you mix pleasure, with meaningful happiness and purpose of life that's when the troubles begin.
Be aware you guys because the system is always selling you one thing as substitute for another one. Choose wisely.
Great video by the way!
Wisdom is what leads to a much likelier outcome of happiness. There is an immense chasm between the endless shores of knowledge and wisdom.
Really great ideas that have extreme meaning to me, a 60 year old man who played the pleasure game early in my adult life but then decided to struggle and attain goals. I tell my students that if you want to be happy you must embrace difficulty and struggle in your life.
My generation needs this!
I would say strive for happiness by virtues and values. Strive for meaningful life by creating an art, valuable work, something you deeply care about,, passion about, or matters to you. The thing you care about should at least be (by the best of your ability) consistent with your values and virtues.
Thanks
A nice reminder when the world is swirling, you sometimes cannot escape. It's easy to fall. Then at the right time you hear the right thing to put you back in the middle. Thank you.
‘To merely float with the tide of life promotes a weak body and a soft mind, hence we need to learn to swim with the stream of life and fight for worthy goals.’ Really impressed by your words!
Your philosophy videos are the only ones that I value on RUclips. They give me clarity. School of Life and all the others only dilute my view of life even more.
So in short, striving a meaningful life is the source of being happy because without meaning, there is nothingness.
I don't think it means you will always be happy while striving for it. But it gives meaning. Happiness is just an emotion, while having meaning is an entire state of being.
yep, totally agree. Should be taught on the first day of every school year. Meaning, not chasing happiness
Realizing that life is not about being happy has actually removed a lot of pressure and thoughts about “what am I doing wrong, why can’t I just be happy”. It has improved my life and having meaningful goals to strive for instead has actually brought me more happiness.
@ academy of ideas... this channel has changed my life i was homeless before you... for the bottom of my heart thank you 😊 ♥
This had personal meaning to me, I'm 27 and have had depression and anxiety from the age of 10. The struggle to maintain happiness, and to rely on it for motivation, and discipline, is a chaotic inner battle. Great video, you have the most thought-provoking channel on youtube.
Mike Curtis Same here
damn, i got depression when i was 12 years old and i thought it was really stupid to have at such a young age. but i guess there’re even younger people with depression, makes me feel less dumb
@@drmosaddegh what you are doing now in life ?
I am also having existential since age of 15 , currently i am 18
@@pauldirc.. studying to be a software eng 😁 depression is cucked
@@drmosaddegh oh nice from which country you are
Because in my country even thinking of getting computer science in good college gives depression due to very high competition
This channel is gold.Please don't delete your videos.Ever.
Luke 17:33 “Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.”
Luke Reid What many rail to realize is that many parts of the Bible are not literal and therefore those that reject the Bible fall into the same category as those who follow it to the word. Both find it in literal translation. Christianity has been twisted out of Jesus’s words, it’s CHRISTianity for a reason it does not imply a following of a bible or church a trap many fall into. Many words of the Bible hold great knowledge that will be lost if people do not set aside their rejection of the unknown.
I seriously doubt that Luke had no idea how to use pronouns.
There is so much in the bible that would align with this video. How did we end up with this feel good happy clappy shit that is called Christianity?
@@johnrodgers2018 maybe because most people deflected themselves from the original Christian teachings that, as you said, are pretty much aligned with the material contained in this video
@@OkeyVision John 1:14 The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only son, who came from the father; full of grace.
...It's a rejection of your own rebellion and has nothing to do with rejection of the unknown
I can't even imagine how fulfilling it may be for you in getting these vids posted for all of us. A purposeful feat; you help replant these brilliant seeds for all us living, affecting all of us who fully watch, listen, ponder, rewind, ponder, and utilize. Mad thanks from me sir
You don't know how much I enjoy your videos. They are of great help dealing with everyday struggles and are very inspiring and thought provoking. I also really love the art you choose. Thank you, as soon as I get a job I'm going to support you on patreon.
Whoever has created this material and whoever funded it, and thought of it, I wish to thank.
How do you quantify meaning? What is meaning?
It seems so simple, yet when you think about it it’s so hard to conceptualise.
I would love to hear your thoughts on meaning and how one can increase their own.
I'm of the opinion that ultimately nothing has meaning. We are here by chance and we just exist. Thats it. Nothing more. My answer is, stop looking for happiness. Stop looking for meaning. Just stop looking period. Just be.
But is meaning to be quantified or experienced? What is meaning? You know it when you are living it, when you've got the things around just right so your life reveals itself to you as endanging and worthwhile, mostly, worth the suffering.
@Daniel Paulson as brian cox put it, 'we lead meaningful lives in a meaningless universe'.
That's why he said the importance of character. If you know yourself and your character, you're gonna know the meaning of life for yourself. You'll know what you want, your morals, the things you want to do etc. (just my two cents)
Just ask yourself what is important to you.
I've been feeling this for years now. This video describes my personal philosophy perfectly, and its so refreshing to see many philosophers who share similar ideas. Thank you for the video, keep making great content.
This is amazing! I really resonated with this video!! I love the layout of your videos and the quotes you use are very enlightening.
Love can make you happy.
Last picture of the boat was my favorite!
The content this channel provides has answered so many questions I have and it has even allowed me to debunk many false notions and fallacies told to me.
this channel is making people healthy.
YOUR BEST VIDEO YET!!! JUST WHAT I NEEDED RIGHT NOW!
Successfully raising children & developing ones self in a challenging career can give meaning to life. It is the depth of ones character which gives meaning to the pursuit & overcoming obstacles, personal growth & contributing to another's welfare can be so satisfying - this give us meaning. Without challenges we do not grow & we become dissatisfied - this is the human condition. This is what many face in our society today - a lack of satisfying challenges even the challenge of survival give us true meaning.
No wonder I love reading Berserk.
A character built through pain; made strong, resistant, through great pain
Never heard of it.
The god hand is truly the best thing about berserk. When griffith transcends to femto he realises that he has to trample upon the corpses of everyone else to get to the peak
Love Berserk!
Is it just me or is Alexander the same guy as Academy of Ideas? Both are extremely knowledgable and have a very similar voice lmao.
Never thought I'd see a Berserk comment on such a video.
love the Hunter Thompson quote: "We strive to be ourselves. The goal is absolutely secondary." This speaks to the deep drive we have towards self-actualization, and finding a niche in our society that enables us to self-actualize.
Sometimes I think people use the word happiness to refer to something different than what I use it to refer to. For me, happiness is not fleeting or unattainable, and it's not something that I associate with pleasure. Happiness and meaning are deeply intertwined for me. I don't know what people mean by "happiness" if not that. Do they just mean pleasure?
Happiness is the fulfillment of an infantile wish. That's why money gives no one happiness. Money has never been an infantile wish.
--Freud.
why have two words for one meaning? Whats the word that associate with pleasure then?
@@franciscorivera1638 But cocaine sure gave Freud happiness didn't it.
@@Morkagorka-m3i Freud used the drug as a remedy without realizing its strong addictive properties, to which he became addicted too. In fact, and I'm sure you're aware of it, cocaine was openly sold to the public at any pharmacy in the U.S.
I think they do, and totally ignorant of the likes of Aristotle, hence the Freud quotations as their idea of what it means.
RUclips suggested I watch this. I'm so glad I clicked. Just wanted to appreciate the level of subtlety in editing and good taste in fine art.
I love learning philosophy with you
This channel and thoughts from Peterson are breaking mental strongholds in my life.
I have known for a while that I have always caused my own pain, but this channel really breaks it down.
I have to disagree with the idea of happiness being fleeting.
If you accomplish a goal that brings happiness then, you can always reflect on your achievements, and derive further joy.
However it is true that happiness is fleeting in the cases of instant gratification, i.e. happiness without meaning.
Happiness is not defined as instant gratification. Check out Artistotles ethics re Virtue and Vice.
Life is only really meaningful when we can be ourselves. Happiness is not necessarily the goal, but the natural result. Grace follows this.
To answer the question of how will answer all. In the mean time, we are all both student and teacher to all.
All is synchronicity, and the incidence of this in seeing these videos is testament to their relavence. A great awakening is taking place.
Interesting times.
I like how I watch these videos thinking I'm intelligent and ahead of society. While I'm really just an idiot fooling himself. I'd like to believe I could achieve something great but most likely won't.
Maybe you won't, but that's not important, the fact that you strived and fought for it it's what's going to be meaningful and fulfilling in the end
I just want to find my "purpose".
You can. Set a goal. It doesn't have to be grand, you can start small. As you overcome obstacles and challenges to achieve your smaller goals, you'll start believing in yourself. What matters is youre striving towards it.
Idk how you are now 2 years have gone. But aim for something higher, read the books of- or listen to Jordan Peterson. His teachings helped me a lot.
Meaningfulness breeds happiness coz your existence starts making sense...thanks for sharing this uncontested wisdom.
I remember that time when I almost died in that moment I only thought "I want to live" even if moments before I was thinking to suicide and even then when death tried to take me I said no.
God bless you♡
Wel, thank you for posting, I had the same experience, it helped me gradually to overcome my depression..❤
I really like this channel!HOLOCAUST survivor Viktor Frankl once said, " Ever more people today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for."
In the last few years, ( I am now aged 66) I finally feel I have a PURPOSE; If I can( in some small way) disseminate an awareness of the dire nature of climate change and species extinction. I have been writing songs about these matters and uploading them to my UTUBE channel. It doesn't matter if only a FEW people actually view them---my doing so adds PURPOSE to my life.
What if a meaningful life is what makes me happy ? Even if it was hard and full of hardships
Perhaps you mean fulfilled. Happiness is a transient polarized emotion. Fulfillment/inspiration/meaning is a transcendent synthesized emotion
@@balboa-capital brilliant
Thank you for such a great piece of information. Thank you so much.
Having suffered from depression since childhood and been very involved in equality, fighting corruption I now know that it is more important to try to change society, change inequality and accept that my time on earth is not to be happy but to find meaning.
When you have brought happiness to, others.... you have brought happiness and meaning to yourself....
Happiness is only a state of mind.
Happiness? What’s that? I can’t feel it.
It's based off perception. Seeing the cup half full instead of half empty.
.. I was reading this book called "the art of happiness"
And what I learned is that you have to train your mind in being happy. While it's impossible to be happy forever. You can at least be content and grateful for what you have. And to love one another and show compassion, because like a virus, happiness is contagious. You handle stress better, you uplift the people around you, have a better chance of catching a mate, your more creative, and its been known people who are happy live longer. Why choose to live A sad life when you can have a happy life. And I feel you can find things you like to do meaningful and live a happy meaningful life. after all isn't meaning just biased opinion.
A friend can say his life has meaning because he is a racecar driver.
I for one don't like cars, and in fact I think it's meaningless. But it's an opinion..🤔
Pete's Guitar Lessons TV ... u don’t have to remind me...
heekyung Kim im sure youre great 😇
Pedro Solorio I think. Nobody choose to live sad life... it’s not a choice sometimes. The circumstances in life sometimes is unbearable and some have big depression that mind just gotten broken...
This has got to be one of the very best videos by Academy of Ideas.
A classic.
Thanks!
"Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient." - Jordan B. Peterson
Peterson's focus on "life is suffering" which he wants you to put at the pinnacle of presuppositions as his idea of meaningful, is a poisonous insidious idea that will lead you to Nihilism. He also says "take your damn pills" too. If you follow his rules to the letter, he will drag you down, not lift you up.
hes a punk
Great lesson. Better to suffer now for something meaningful and reap happiness as an accident.
My favorite video by far!
This is one of the most insightful videos in the entire series. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s actually the means that is the end.
statistics. how many people around your circle are happy? how many pursue meaning? how many achieve their goals? how many do not even care? we should be grounded, happiness is overrated, since we are here, at least lets be useful, eventually we may find a place and happiness will come naturally, but more importantly, fulfillment.
meaningful, not superficial- to work and do things courageously, regardless of the empty, opinionated hypotheses of the "well placed" who look down at us from a hieght but have no real comprehension of our tiumphant transformations from these struggles, which they will never fully understand. my bother this is indeed more than an academy of ideas.
Someone show this video to Bojack Horseman!
Is BoJack Horseman worth watching? Thanks in advance
@@cyaneyedlion8648 ABSOLUTELY
@@cyaneyedlion8648 definitely, just don't watch it looking for comedy; the characters and their stories are it.
Don't worry, I am already here.
@@cyaneyedlion8648 The first season I was kind of hesitant about it, I couldn't tell if I wanted to continue. By the time I had watched the third season, it was (tied for) my favorite show. I jumped up and down with excitement when the most recent season came around--it scratches itches that *very little* entertainment does.
I do have to respectfully disagree with Karen V, too. While the characters and their stories are what propels its from "awesome" to "insanely excellent," I think the humor is just as unique, witty, diverse, and always either current or even slightly ahead of the curve.
I don't want to spoil but--AHHHH fuck it, I can't spoil even a tiny detail. Please, watch it.
I want to thank the gods and the creator of this channel for the existence of such great material.
Thanks a lot for all of this.
Feeling pain or happiness is no different, it only depends on how you react to the situation that matters.
ruclips.net/video/X9Elg-Gav5s/видео.html
I am thankful for the internet at such times! Thank you Academy of Ideas🙌
A satisfying life is much more important than having a happy life.
Agreed - But they aren't necessarily mutually exclusive
One would imagine with a satisfying life you'd be pretty....happy?
@Pete's Guitar Lessons TV Judging by the number of disgruntled comments of yours I have seen on this video. Easier than you!
@Pete's Guitar Lessons TV 😂😂 Nice "I know you are but what am I?" playground crap.
I'm not a severely unhappy or disatisfied person. Things are good enough. I don't need any ego trips from internet argueing. As clearly you do by the sheer volume of your output.
Hey. Little lesson. Defining words clearly is not splitting hairs. Its very important. This video's claim that meaning is somehow disembodied from happiness is damaging. Happiness is the only reason one would seek meaning. Think on that
i see you under dan lok videos, now here too haha
Happines in the intelligence mind is the rarest thing i know... As Hemingway said... All my life i don't want happiness. I want silence and suffering to get my work done. I love this channel
How can one find and learn more about paintings as good as these?
OmnipotentPotato , go to an art gallery. Especially a renesconce exhibition.
"You are your experience."
- Alan Watts
Reducing your Being down to a single dimension (happiness vs unhappiness), you sacrifice the depth of human experience, which is where true meaning is to be found.
Live a meaningful life. Live a happy life. Live a meaningless life. Live an unhappy life. You still live it.
This video is the best video on this channel. i always go back to watch this
The "Persuit of Happiness" is a fools errand.
That Maya reference is so powerful , which basically implies that to find a meaning man seeks to have children , which they eventually use to find fulfilment, theri is nothing wrong in it , yet he fails to understand that it's just another illusion. True meaning is living life on your terms , based on ur decision, and following the process for augmented goal, instead of dreaming of the fruit
A nice video, although I don't see why one cannot strife to obtain both strong character and material resources that allow him to influence the world that surrounds him more efficiently. I personally see the process of building strong character as a process of gathering resources that can be used to influence one's internal and external reality. However these resources can be complemented by material resources, social relations, personal expertise and intelligence and all other resources that allow us to make desired changes to our internal and external reality.
The keyword to me is control. Over everything else we desire to be in control of our own fate. Developing strong character and beneficial habits allow us to gain control over our internal reality and prevents us from becoming slaves to our desires and other weaknesses of the mind. Building a strong social network, expertise in respected profession and amassing material resources are some of the things that let us influence and take control of our external reality.
To me strong character alone is not enough. More important is to be able to have desired influence to the world that surrounds you and to be able to choose your own fate.
Control is a limited commodity. If someone has ultimate control, the others have none. Is that a state of affairs you consider desireable, if the one in control is you?
@@Kumaryoku You're talking about something very abstract and theoretical here. No one can control everything, except in a computer simulation with mindless robots. What I'm suggesting is a pragmatic and practical approach to life. In our daily lives we constantly encounter moments where we would like to influence the outcome of events that we're involved in. The only question is whether you have the resources to make the desired outcome occur or not.
Let's take an example. An earthquake occurs. Two families are affected by the earthquake. The first family's father is a respected and loved working man, who is known locally for his convictions and high moral character. He has built a nice house for his large family, but he is not wealthy and his contacts are mostly locals like himself.
The second family's father is a highly respected business man, who has contacts all over the world and a lot of wealth and other material resources both locally and abroad. He has a large family as well and is also liked in his local community. He also has an extensive insurance policy that will most likely cover most of the loses caused by the earthquake.
The earthquake completely destroys the houses of both men and leave their families without food or shelter. In your opinion, which father is more likely to continue living a meaningful and fulfilling life?
@@Shaewaros
Control by using material resources gives one security (be it against earthquakes, or any other external danger / problem).
Security assures stability.
A stable life is a fruitful field for meaningful and fulfilling life.
It's all connected. So, in a way, I agree with your opinion.
In essence, striving to get better and more powerful, both internally and externally, is a desireable thing.
As others have talked about the synchronicity they feel about the timing of the video post, having dug through all the AoI member videos, scraping together pieces of the puzzle and after having finished the chapter about meaning in Jordan Peterson's last book, I'm stumbling upon this video here and something larger and clearer seems to suddenly form on a fundamental level of comprehension, putting the act of asking the same question over and over and over again into quite some perspective.
meaning is somhow tied with the service of others . when you say a meaningful goal my first thought is a goal boynd my selfish desires.
a meaning ful goal is a one that dosn't serves us alone but all of society and mybe humanity
is this irrational thinking or is pefectly reasnoable ? should one give all of his energy of making his evermoint better or only himself ?
exactly, in service of something transcendent, usually a concept or an ideal
I feel if you develop your character, the world would benefit by itself. You might not see that happening.
My favorite channel now. Thank you for the excellent content!
What does it mean to have a meaningful life ? Have a job, family, friends ? If you are not happy with your job, with your family, with your friends for just the sake of having all of those things, then whats the purpose of meaningful life ? Just so that others can see your life as valuable ? Doesnt person who smiles seem more meaningful to you than person who is sad but has a "meaningful" job. Meaningful seems to be the same as purpose, because you cling to it and you navigate through life with it. But Id rather be happy next to the person I love, job that makes me fulfilled, eventhough it might seem less meaningful than someone working for Nasa. People get depressed because they search for purpose, for aim, for something that will serve as definition to use against being unhappy. Why go against your instincts and always cite old philosophers ? Move on, progress people, smile, do what makes you happy and try to share some of that with others.
Bye
Meaning can be found in persons imo too. Also I'd argue that a job you consider "fulfilling" you would most likely consider meaningful as well.
Meaning is not found in the acquisition of something. Good family, good friends, good marriage, good job. Meaning is found in the realization that the pursuit of happiness is insufficient. This is because pleasure is fleeting as is pain, what one finds in the depths (key word depths) of these experiences and discovery of profundity in relation to the growth of the soul (the inner self) is what remains when desire fades after attainment of that. This doesn't mean that we throw away that which makes us happy, but that we understand the duality of material existence is meant to be contradictory in order for us to find out what real meaning is. Meaning in the truest sense is not working for NASA, nor is it remembering to smile, nor is it your ideal of family, friends, money, love, romance etc. It is the discovery of depth within the dual nature of these experiences that forces one to grow and evolve, thus forming a real relationship with others and with yourself (not to mention that which is beyond - God/Goddess, Divine Presence, etc...) that is not dependent on always being happy or getting what you want. Your comment displays a common misconception that is myopic in nature and betrays itself to the revelation of the trendy and neurotic post-modern/new-age ideals of mass-morality that wishes for the sun to never set and corners of ones mouth to always face upwards. Believing that somehow you can deny yin and always have your yang. Order will never exist without chaos and every single person contains a shadow within them. Watch the video again, and this time pay attention.
Rex autem Aeonem in lumine Thanks for your comment. I'm not denying that life includes suffering as well, that is obvious by all the means. Look at all the wars, at the pain that is being inflicted with every day. What I'm saying, don't let old idealogies and thinkings of people who never experienced life to its fullest posses you, fool you amd brainwash you from thinking straight, listening to your instincts when needed. Do we have a purpose ? Purpose as it seems is to continue the species, for every life form there is. Multiply and cling to life. Everyone has dark side, dark days. But the power of happiness is not materialistic one, its spiritual. Same is the love. Love as far as I know is not bounded by materialistic causes, the true love, its accepting other persons good and bad sides and loving them without expecting something back. Taking responsibility, caring for someone else, and trying to genuinely smile will take you a long way. Ascets lived a life by stripping themselves from all the pleasures. Doesnt seem to me in the end that they found a meaning, higher purpose or better life. We shouldnt complicate life too much, we already all know what should be done and how should we live. Anyway, would like to see your response, i respect diversity and different opinions.
@chessplays You seem like a good worker
Interesting discussion (on youtube?!). I do think happiness is the end goal. Yet, one shouldn't persue it, one should experience it. To be happy every moment of your life is a goal worth striving for and because happiness indeed isn't materialistic but a state of mind (spiritual you call it), mindfullness can help you achieve it. Of course, there's no meaning to life nor is there any inherent purpose (the continuation of human beings or other kinds of life is unfortunately meaningless too, survival shouldn't be a goal). And this means happiness isn't purposeful either. However, it's the most comfortable state we can achieve, right next to the prospect of death. Thus, why not live by it? I don't think there's any meaning in 'building' your character or discovering 'dualities'. Of course, if they give you peace of mind and can comfort you accordingly, who am I to tell you you're wrong?
Just my two cents, cheers.
Once again, an amazing video that brings so much value. Forever a fan of this channel.
Happiness Is Subjective... The Man On Shore Just May Be Just As Happy As The Man Who’s Weathered The Storm...
That sailor could've lived with scurvy for all we know
This video was really an eye-opener. The concept of the path is more important then the achievement really make me think about my current situation.
people consider the ultimate goal of life is happiness but forget that it ends in death which no one can escape.
Great! In Solzhenitsyn's Harvard Speech, he points out this contradiction:
"If humanism were right in declaring that man is born only to be happy, he would not be born to die."
Diogenes is my favorite philosopher.
@@ubbdaubermensch1528 i responded to your opening statement, yes. i feel ive experienced true happiness, i simply said that, i dont have much i want to say to the rest. i didnt say anything first... im not sure if youre talking to me or not. I deleted my comment for some reason, but i was just saying that i dont agree with that
edit: as in your first sentence specifically i dont agree with, the rest of what your saying, idk i might have some response to it but im tired at the moment
So would it be worth spending one's life time before death in misery? Or would happiness be preferable?
@@rezza6 your approach is quite hedonistic, Benthem -Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. You may be right, just go fort Kant categorical imperative, Bhagavadgita niskama karma, logotherapy of victor frankil(men search for meaning) ....., they will claim that duty for the sake of duty is the best path to live a good life. but to satisfy the common sense your absolutely right, but when you will wonder philosophically, i think you may change or concern about your statement.
Substance AND style-
The compilation of stunning 19th century art to accompany material this rich is sublime. Anyone who can use Hunter S.Thompson quotes in this context has my undivided attention & respect.
I quite strongly disagree with the main claim of this video. Hear me out: I do not believe that one can find any perfect meaning or purpose for their life beyond happiness. Whether we, for example, pursue money or fame, friends and family, serving humanity, creating things, art, or anything else, if we ask ourselves why, and ask why a few more times, we will eventually find that it is to make us happy. We make decisions that make ourselves (and the people around us) suffer a little bit less, and overall be a little more content with life. There is no inherent value in building character either; its only value is how it may prepare us to be happier in the future.
I certainly agree that blindly seeking vain pleasures will never quench our desires and only make us more empty, but unfortunately seeking meaning by "building character" can lead to the same feeling. Luckily, seeking happiness does not mean endlessly seeking more pleasure. Instead, I believe happiness comes from learning to be content with our lives and our world. In many cases, the only way we can ensure that we are happy is to learn to be content with little. We dont need lavish feasts to subsist, only a modest diet. We dont need the whole world to love us, just a one or two will do. If we learn to appreciate and truly love the things in our life that are not terrible, and if we lower our expectations enough to be happily surprised by the good, then we can start to find peace in our lives.
If you wish to seek meaning in your life, I think that that can be wonderful. But if you wish to find meaning in the world, dont be surprised to find that it's turtles all the way down. Just remember that, and don't waste too much time thinking you'll find meaning when all of humanity hasn't after thousands of years of searching.
For more perspectives on how to live a good life, I would recommend studying Epicureanism, Stoicism, and maybe some Buddhist philosophy. Thanks for listening to my ted talk
We were created to worship our creater. Since I been doing that I am so happy. I thank the lord for giving me Islam
Then I'll roleplay as a samurai.
Didn't expect to see a quote by Thompson, but wow, that was incredibly insightful.
About that quote, doesn't it say that it's all determinism? You are shaped by your experiences, taking free will away, which striving is essentially. To me that quote sounded off.
@@fairwind8676 I don't think he intended it to be wholly determinist. I think it refers both to the experiences that are forced upon us, but even more so to those that we seek out for ourselves. Because even though we are shaped by our environment, someone who has created meaningful goals for themselves will open up a myriad of alternative paths as they pursue their original goal. As new paths open up, the goal often changes according to what they find meaningful, but the general principles they find meaningful will often remain (although they are also subject to change).
But what is meaningful?
that is up to you
What you choose, but what if I choose happiness as my meaning
I love love love the classic ART that accompanies these videos!
You can browse a gallery with links to all the art on our site here: academyofideas.com/2019/01/strive-for-meaningful-life-not-a-happy-one/#art
happiness really is just based on other people's want for you: you looking good by having what others say is good (car, house etc). Meaning is what your soul is telling you is good for you. SO happiness is just to please others in reality whereas meaning is something good for you and others.
No that isn't what happiness really is. Check out Aristotle's "ethics" re Virtue/Vice.
Your videos are actually great. I've tried to compose a life path for myself, that would keep the most possibilities open for discovery while maximizing my joy from the journey, but as I am advancing through life, I have to make decisions, that would halt the potential progress for great many of them, what kind of parrallizes me and leads me to making risky decisions. This video has actually a great deal of wisdom in it for such a young age. I think I have a pretty similar mind set to yours, and it took me years just to get out of a metaphorical limbo state of mind to actually doing something for real because of all the paths that I am constantly modifying by my decisions. I think, that this video just helped me to cross out a lot of contradictory pathways, what should hopefully lead to increase of energy for action itself instead of dreaming about potentials all day long. Thank you. Btw, I've just realized, that I need to start reading again, it looks like the authors that are actually worth of reading are usually not in the book shops, I will need to sniff books somewhere else :)