A happy life is one which is in accordance with its own nature. – Seneca
Does this look like a happy person, one who knows themselves well and is living their life in accordance with their own nature?
What does that mean?
To me, that sounds a little clunky. I presume it has to do with how Latin references work, and how they are translated then into English. I would like to restate it in a more personal form:
“You will live a happy life if you live your life in accordance with your own nature.”
Hopefully that clears things up a little. At least, I think that it does.
The only question left is what does “your own nature” mean? To me, it is the understanding of who we are and what we stand for. Then, to understand that, we are going into the realm of self-knowledge.
Why is self-knowledge important?
How can we behave in accordance with something, about which we know so little? Yet many of us do just that, and for most of our lives. Yes, some of us have good instincts, but that’s not the same as self-knowledge, right?
Self-knowledge begins with self-examination. To know yourself, you need to question yourself, and be honest in your answers. Self-deception won’t help you to truly know yourself, will it? Your questions will also be key. If you ask bland, general, ‘softball’ questions, you won’t get much in the way of useful information. You must ask pointed, sometimes painful questions. Does that make sense?
Where can I apply this in my life?
From what I know of primitive cultures, most seem to have a rite of passage that involves a lot of self-examination. Self-examination is the usual course to self-knowledge. Fasting, Sweat Lodges, other tests of endurance and spirit seem to be among the more common methods. They all sounded a bit severe to me.
Some of you have a fairly good sense of yourselves, and have done well by trusting your instincts, your gut, your intuition or what ever you call it. But to me, that’s relying on luck. Yes you may have a tremendous store of luck (by my definition), but does it always hold up? Are there situations where you fail? If, instead of guessing, you actually knew the answer, would that help?
As an example, they say opposites attract, and for my ex and I, that was true. She was just about 110% extrovert, and I’m as far away from that as you can get. Back then, I didn’t really know myself, and had never really taken the time to look. Love took control of my brain, and my instincts failed me.
Can you imagine how happy I was being dragged from group of people to group of people to group of people. My life wasn’t happy because I wasn’t living in accordance with my own nature. After the breakup, I spent a lot of time examining myself, and was more careful in my choice for the second wife, for her sake and mine.
I did my self examination the same way I do everything else. Slowly and methodically. With paper in hand and extensive notes as a result. Each time I sat down with my notebook, I’d make sure I’d finished the prior session’s topic, and then start on the next topic.
I had a list of things that I was unhappy about in my life. Presumably, and in accordance with this quote, they were places where I wasn’t living my life in accordance with my nature.
For each topic, I would start with a list of what I didn’t like, what I was uncomfortable with or what just didn’t seem right. Once I had my list of complaints, I would ask myself about each complaint. Why is this so? How could it be better? What could I do differently?
I would question myself about these specific areas, and answer with brutal honesty. Nor did I stop with one or two questions about each complaint. This wasn’t a casual Q&A session with a date over dinner, I was searching deep enough for a life-long commitment to myself. I hope you can understand the difference. You will get out of this exactly what you put in, no more.
When I had answered each question, and finished all the complaints for that topic, I would review what I learned. I would take notes about patterns I saw and answers that seemed at odds with each-other.
By the time you’ve done a couple topics, you will start seeing patterns across topics, things that are part of your core. For me, my introverted-ness (if that’s a word) was one of them. I don’t hate people, but given a choice, I’d rather stay away from large groups of them. A few close friends seemed to be a pattern for me, and it holds true to this day.
In keeping with the subtitle of the blog, it’s time for you to examine your life. I would recommend a small notebook, one you can come back to every few years and examine. Ask the questions I mentioned above, or come up with your own method. The more you know about yourself, the easier it will be to help yourself find happiness.
From: Twitter, @philo_quotes
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/luciusanna155005.html
Photo by eye of einstein
