I was having a discussion with my room mate the other day on what was the importance of life. He said it was to be happy, which admittedly is a fair purpose or want in life. I said remembrance, which was then led on to being happy and being remembered.
I then seemed to have made a point that great men and women throughout history have not in the normal sense, been happy people. Although being happy may in fact be better in a lifetime, being remembered transcends throughout the ages. A happy man will not be remembered and will fade away in the sands of time, a person of greatness, though unhappy will survive the sands; as seen in the tale of Achilles.
Never has a great person who will be remembered been happy as seen in Obama, Gandhi, FDR, Achilles, Alexander, Ceaser, Atilla, Aetius, Machiavelli.
To become great, sacrifice seems to be demanded which in turn leads to unhappiness.
But as my roommate so put it, why not be happy in this lifetime, as after one dies, one does not care anymore.
But being remembered for all eternity seems to be a way to evade complete death, a way to be immortalized for all time, always being around, an escape to eternal life and remembrance , achieving immortality.
Why is this so important?
I do not know.
As a child, i was brought up on Greek and Egyptian myths, the stories of Perseus and Heracles, the epic of the fall of Troy; those who did great deeds are remembered for all of time- which in a way influenced me to a large extent.
So,
Can a Happy Man be Remembered? If anyone has an example, please reply.
x
1 comment:
Happiness is a great thing when it decides to appear, but it's like a cat- it never sticks around for very long and often distracts people from doing important things. Immortality, virtual or otherwise, is, I would say, the grander pursuit.
Think about it, why is being happy important? What does it profit you? After it leaves, are you any better off? Has it changed anything? Some people become famous and powerful in an attempt to attain happiness, which often results in overindulgence because pleasure, in any form, is fleeting. You just get used to it.
Then there are people who become famous and powerful in an attempt to be remembered forever. But they are no better off than those who chase happiness. What good is it to be talked about when you're gone? It is foolish pride that motivates this pursuit, and its fulfillment is also a form of happiness. What virtue is there in being remembered? Men may tell their sons, and they may tell their grandsons, but who shall they tell when there are no more sons? That path to immortality is a dead end. Meaningless- like chasing the wind.
I think we've gotten it mixed up. People shouldn't do great things in order to be remembered. People should be remembered because they did great things. Lincoln, Gandhi, Achilles- they believed in something and fought for it. It was a fight that affected many people and perhaps even changed the course of history, but it was not for the sake of being remembered.
Great men can be happy and happy men can be remembered, but not all men can be great. As for the true path to immortality, that's another matter entirely.
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