philistine philosophizing.

I was having a semi-philosophical late-night discussion recently and a question came up which intrigued me: is it really a privilege to consider one’s own happiness when charting a course in life?

I don’t deny the privilege that a minority of the world’s population enjoys when it comes to wealth. I’m not wealthy enough to live a sedentary life, true, but I also don’t really have to worry about putting food on the table. At the same time, those who are both more and less privileged than I have the same entitlement as I do to at least pursue a longterm, philosophical sense of happiness. Not everyone will be fortunate enough to achieve that happiness, but isn’t just actively pursuing something you really, really want a big part of what makes you happy?

Personal happiness must, of course, be balanced with more practical concerns. But we’re all limited mostly by ourselves. I had a friend who, unlike most people I know, really knew what he wanted to do with his life. He passed away on this day 9 years ago, and won’t ever have the chance to attempt that pursuit. Aren’t we all fundamentally more privileged than he is?

-Derrick