4. Discuss your view of the definition of happiness as it relates to what you choose to do with your life.
Aristotle talks about happiness as it relates to your entire being--from your status in society to how successful you are in your chosen field. Happiness is not just a feeling, but is instead a quantitative quality.
I suppose this definition exemplifies why most of us chose music as a career...and why we measure said happiness by whether or not we have a job. So many musicians go through huge periods of their life completely miserable, thinking they will be happy with they finally land a gig.
Long ago, I came to realize that this is not the case. Yes, being successful in one's chosen path has something to do with being happy, but it definitely doesn't create happiness on its own. Why else would members of the Cleveland Orchestra still complain?
This realization though, can be hard to swallow. We have spent so much time thinking that the job was 'it', that now understanding that complete happiness will take much more can be quite overwhelming.
I believe this is where I am right now. I know Aristotle's definition is important...to be happy, you must feel content as a whole, not just in certain aspects of your life. However, just knowing that doesn't make me happy. In fact, I am definitely more unhappy now, as I realize how far I have to go.
Choosing music as a career is important to me. I love music and I cannot imagine my life without it. But, perhaps something else will ultimately win out career-wise, because a different choice could very well lead me closer to that level of complete happiness.
3 comments:
Interesting, thanks for posting this.
I really hope you sort this out and feel comfortable with the decision.
(Since you have posted about going to synagogue)
"The word shalom derives from the root shin-lamedh-mem (ש.ל.ם), which has cognates in many Semitic languages, and means completeness, fulfillment, wellbeing, a concept usually encapsulated by translation in the word peace."
Sounds similar to what you and Aristotle are writing about.
thank you, Su:)!
another thing to consider in the equation of happiness would be the definition of success. for example, i just sold a photo for more money than i could have fathomed a year ago. so it could be said that it's been a recent success of mine, and it should contribute towards my overall happiness, but this said photo is one of the biggest failures of my life, if that makes sense.
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