Quote:
Originally Posted by FlorenceArt
In that view, the subject that has most of my attention lately is the subject of desire.
Common wisdom, in this early 21st Century, is that the way to be happy is to pursue the object of your desire until you achieve it, after which you will live happily ever after. This is a theory that is especially dear to the Hollywood school of thought.
I believe it's an extremely dangerous illusion.
In Seneca's Letters to Lucilius, there is a passage that I can no longer find but that I quoted somewhere in this thread. It says, in effect, that it is not the absence of means, but a surplus of desire, which constitutes poverty.
This was a widespread belief among philosophers at the time of Seneca, a belief that is shared by epicureans, stoics and others (Lucilius is an epicurean, and Seneca is trying to lure him to stoicism, and in the first letters he starts by emphasizing the common ground between the two schools, and he often cites Epicurus).
I think it's very true, although, not being a Roman, I cannot share the idea that if I just stare at my desires sternly for long enough I will conquer them and be happy. Or rather, I don't have the guts to try it for the rest of my life. It might work, but it would be a rather painful journey. My personal approach would be closer to Zen philosophy (what I know of it), and to practices such as meditation.
Someone who taught me a lot about desire is (again) René Girard, in his book "Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World". And he also pointed me in the direction of Marcel Proust, who probably knew more than anyone about desire, its illusions and disillusions.
|
Epicureans have received a bad rap (although certainly not from you, my friend). While it's true that they advocated pleasure as the highest goal, it is not to not to be confused with the "If it feels good, do it," mentality of popular culture. They considered the pleasures of the mind to be the most rewarding, and in seeking those pleasures, they were no so far removed from the stoics. It was their belief that living an honorable life while seeking intellectual pursuits was the best way to achieve a fulfilling life and lasting pleasure. I agree with you that simply seeking the object of your desire until you achieve it in hopes that this will lead to happily-ever-after results is a dangerous delusion. We see it every day in those who have accrued all the physical possessions one could possibly desire but are but empty shells emotionally.