Wednesday, December 05, 2007
"The fear of death is more to be dreaded than death itself." - Publius Syrus
What is happiness?
No, not the worldly things which drive it such as genes, beauty, money or family, but instead what its true essence is. What drives us to seek happiness and avoid sadness?
"You must be mad," you say.
Look deeper and wonder: What causes us to feel happiness - could happiness simply be caused by electrochemical reactions in the brain? A by-product of evolution? (No matter how preposterous) God!?
What exactly made us seek for happiness? Why is the feeling so pleasant? After all, it's only a reaction occurring somewhere!
The realisation of the simple fact that this question exists made me lose my appreciation for happiness, and at the same time, my fear of depression.
Ultimately, all philosophical quandaries link back to questions with no solution.
"Why are we here?"
"What is our purpose?"
"What is the point of living only to die?"
What is happiness?
No, not the worldly things which drive it such as genes, beauty, money or family, but instead what its true essence is. What drives us to seek happiness and avoid sadness?
"You must be mad," you say.
Look deeper and wonder: What causes us to feel happiness - could happiness simply be caused by electrochemical reactions in the brain? A by-product of evolution? (No matter how preposterous) God!?
What exactly made us seek for happiness? Why is the feeling so pleasant? After all, it's only a reaction occurring somewhere!
The realisation of the simple fact that this question exists made me lose my appreciation for happiness, and at the same time, my fear of depression.
Ultimately, all philosophical quandaries link back to questions with no solution.
"Why are we here?"
"What is our purpose?"
"What is the point of living only to die?"