I sometimes think I am doing the best and getting the best too. I think that I am enough and the world is enough, too. But occasionally my bubble breaks, and I catch glimpses of people dying in terrible conditions in Sudan, and it pains me. Then I see Palestinians dying in Gaza. Even in our own country I see people asking for justice. The narratives are long. But in my heart, I feel that it is not enough. That maybe we are not doing enough. That maybe the short spurs of happiness we seek daily are not “good”. Perhaps this is the curse of the modern age. With all the knowledge in our laps, we feel as if we sin by living our lives and as if we have become saints when we raise our voices in a void that does not make a difference.
The Question of a Good Life
What does it truly mean to live a good life? Perhaps it is to work on our purpose, to work for virtue and the betterment of society. I wonder what that could mean for us. What might Aristotle have said for us? Does the heart find its peace in this? In a society where virtue and good have become subjective to some extent, it becomes highly difficult for the sophisticated mind to find its peace. One’s right becomes the other’s transgression. Even one citizen paying taxes to its rightful government can be blamed as supporting an oppressive regime. In a stretch, one can proclaim that Eudaimonia is long gone. That perhaps there is only deceit and suffering left for the human being.
The Buddhist Point of View
But suffering is entirely inevitable. It is the first noble truth proclaimed by Buddha. To achieve Nirvana, one must first accept suffering and then accept its origin, the vicious cycle of life. Only then can we hope to detach ourselves from suffering. It is the act of attaching ourselves to things, feelings and people that, once we experience their loss, induces suffering in us. Is it really possible to be detached from the things we love? Because if we detach ourselves and feel less, would we still care for right and wrong? Would we feel less guilty when the oppressor oppresses, just because we do not associate with either of them? Maybe it is a middle ground, where we detach ourselves enough that it does not harm us and stay close enough that we remain to make the effort to maintain the good. But how many of us can truly achieve that?
Facing the Absurdity of Life
Some people could argue that since suffering is a part of life, why not smile at it? Why should we not accept the absurdity of life and smirk at it with our might? Wrong is being done everywhere, and we are just parts of a bigger universe that does not reward nor punish good and bad. Would it not be best to work in our own circumstances, with whatever we have, and smile at the oddity of life? Like Sisyphus on his journey uphill? Face the suffering of our world with absurdism in our hearts? In that way, we could say that since suffering is inherent to life, it is only natural that people suffer. That people will always suffer, including us too. But what we can do is rebel in our own way. Do what we love doing and proclaim our freedom in that way. But does that not make us slaves to the absurd nature of this world?
Nietzsche and the Creation of Values
Perhaps rebellion means something else. How could we accept the rules of suffering the world instills in us? How could we justify someone’s suffering with absurdity? Perhaps we should not. Instead, we could change the game and build our own rules. Topple the table of reality for what it really means to us. If slaves we are to be, we should be our own true goals. Not given to us by society, or some philosopher from the past. Sure, knowledge is a binding tree that is built upon the wisdom of humans, but it is not absolute. In such regards we could become the Übermensch Nietzsche talked about. In such regards, we could transcend humanity and be more than just part of the herd. Maybe each of us could find our own way in our very own circumstances to do what we define to be “virtue”.
Finding Peace
In that manner perhaps our hearts will find peace. Not with acceptance, not with stagnant observation and declaration of suffering as a result of merely existing. But perhaps with the values enforced in us, we would take action where we can in our own world, our own small bubble of life. Instead of throwing our concerns into the void which does not exercise any change, we could take it upon ourselves to use our rage to do what we consider right in our own domain. Perhaps in that way we could change the world for what we want it to be. And our hearts might find peace in this world knowing we did what we could to put out a fire that is burning it every second.