People's Aspiration for a Decent Life
People all over the world aspire to enjoy a decent life, and as a result, the majority of them suffer through life in search of so-called happiness. In reality, a decent life is the outcome of hard work through the school system. When people speak of the good life, they are speaking to a life that is void of everyday hardships and pain.
Aristotle's Perspective on Pleasure and the Good Life
Aristotle opens the audience to the essence of pleasure through his philosophies, mentioning that fate rewards a handful who wind up with a nice life. As much as he holds some truth, my idea of the good life is that one has to struggle through school and develop either their academic abilities or any other talent or both, then use the acquired knowledge and skill to conquer the world so that they get paid. I am strictly in school so as to earn my degree in English, get a nice job in a field that promotes my interaction with the rest of the world and out of that, I presume that I will be living the good life. Finally, no one should look for happiness using unconventional ways such as stealing since it impacts negatively on the life of other people in society.
Obsession with the "Good Life"
People all over the world are fast becoming obsessed with attaining the "good life," and this is traceable to the beginning of the civilization of man. No one wants to live a difficult life where they have to struggle to eat, dress, and shelter themselves. It explains why through civilization several revolutions took place and all of them were aiming towards making life easier for everyone. But all through time, the accession of a better life- the "Good Life" as I call it has been out of sheer desire coupled with hard work, luck, and a "do it or do it" attitude.
The Definition of the "Good Life"
In today's world, the good life comes at a cost, which involves a thorough dedication towards schooling and education throughout one's lifetime. According to Veenhoven (195), quality of life, wellbeing, and happiness are terms that are used to connote an aspect of life that either reduces or increases the enjoyment of life. In essence, the "good life" is a life devoid of struggles and suffering.
Aristotle's Criteria for the "Good Life"
In the words of Aristotle, "to live the good life, one had to be born into the correct family, social class, a Greek, male* and be of the right age (thirty to forty years)" (Haslip para.4). Here Aristotle was trying to prove that while many desire the good life, certain external constraints may never allow it to happen. For instance, he noted that one has to be born in the right family, meaning that a child born of a slave has no option to the "good life" since he is in the wrong family, but those born in the master's household have it all. Moreover, his acceptance of the fact that social class is a determiner brings to the realization that good life is some mirage chased by people of various levels, age, gender, and religion. He makes the meaning of "good life" sound like a boomerang; something that cannot be defined from one angle.
Elements of the "Good Life"
However, through time, civilization has shown that the good life, though a mirage, or of boomerang shape has some elements that reduce it to something that is achievable. In economics, we learn about welfare and measure it regarding money available for expenditure. By all means possible, it is believed that a wealthy person will be happier than a poor one and that the societal standard would be that the rich man is living his dream- a good life. Just as envisioned by founders of the US Federation, the American dream envisioned a country where everyone has enough to spend and save for following generations. In a bid to make it happen, they developed a culture of hard work, schooling, and technical education. The problem is that the systems put in place emancipated those who were already doing well by the time the British left the country and continued to hound the less fortunate.
Chasing the Good Life Through Education
The income differentials are growing, and meritocracy in schools is keeping the talented child out of formal employment just because they lack a college degree (Johnson 1-27). But the truth is that education is for people like I with no talent, and that is why I take my studies seriously so as to enjoy life once I complete college. Today, I am currently in my first year of college and am looking for a degree in English. That sounds funny given that I am a native English speaker. As far as my view of good life is concerned, I want to move out of the ordinary and seek life in the first lane. I want to take on a career that brands me as a product to sell- maybe advertising, administration or even marketing. I would like to take on a job where I meet different people at all times. My wish is to travel the world several times a year talking to people and using my limited ability to change the world. I look at happiness through the lens of both financial and social wellbeing. While Aristotle believed that luck is one of the ingredients for a happy life, I am not leaving anything to chance, and I will work my way up through strategy and determination. Let luck find me prepared. If it is a UN job, it must find me ready for the same, so that I will enjoy my status and position.
Seeking Happiness and the Ethical Means
While many people seek happiness, some of them do so through unconventional means such as stealing. Aristotle mentioned that happiness, which contributes to what we call the "good life," is as a result of means achieving the ends. For instance, a person who wants a car can work for it, steal it, or save and borrow some more to purchase it. Based on their abilities and one which will expend less energy, the person with such ends decides to pursue one or two courses. Whether the means are ethical or not, it doesn't matter. But in the spirit of humanity, men should seek happiness through conventional means like schooling or developing talent since hurting others to enjoy life does not make meaning at all. That is why I work hard at school and hope to live the "good life in the end."
Work Cited
Haslip, Susan. “Aristotle’s Theory of the Good Life: A Consideration of the Role of Luck in the Good Life and the Concept of Self-Sufficiency.” Quodlibet Journal 5 (2003).
Johnson, Heather Beth. The American dream and the power of wealth: Choosing schools and inheriting inequality in the land of opportunity. Routledge, 2014.
Veenhoven, Ruut. “The four qualities of life ordering concepts and measures of the good life.” The exploration of happiness. Springer Netherlands, 2013. 195-226.
