What is the Good Life?

What is the good life? When I was young boy, I dreamt of being a superhero, an astronaut, perhaps even a rock star. Fast forward to today; I have one specified goal: architecture. I ask myself the question frequently of, “Do most teenagers experience the same condensed goal (in respects to their own majors)? Why did such broad aspirations suddenly turn in to an abridged and cemented obligation?” The anecdote serves to portray an analogy. How can there be such a definitive answer for the good life? I ultimately believe that happiness is the key to the good life, but, I believe happiness is a broad topic. Dalai Lama stated it best when asked about the key to life, “The meaning of life is happiness.” He continued however, “Hard question is not, ‘What is meaning of life?’ That is easy question to answer! No, hard question is what make happiness…” (Preston, 2014)

Happiness, in my understanding of the word, has two definitions. My first definition is, “transient pleasure” (Kolakowski, 2012) - a feeling in a current moment. My second definition is fulfillment. Fulfillment is the apex of what I consider, “happy”. Happiness is not a solitary item. Happiness is fulfillment, in the sense that the individuality and mindset of a human is met. The human body needs to experience a broad range of sentiments, including but not limited to: fear, pleasure, anxiousness, anger, disgust, and sadness. “Happiness is something we can imagine but not experience.” (Kolakowski, 2012)

The good life is fulfillment. I have learned (through my experiences and observations) that prosperity and status have no influence with fulfillment. Affluence brings moments of happiness, but affluence does not necessarily answer fulfillment. I have personally observed occurrences of people with a high accumulation of wealth that have coped with depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and pessimism- the same can be said for people with a scarcity of wealth. What is the missing ingredient in the concoction of fulfillment? My answers are both love and compassion. The human mindset is meant to have an impact on somebody’s life. From movie stars, to engineers, to local gas station workers, to businessmen even, every one of their goals is to have an impact on peoples’ lives. Of course the human mindset requires reciprocation. Once love and compassion, reciprocation, and fulfillment is achieved, it is then that a human can live the good life.

The analogy presented in the beginning lies as a comparison to the good life. The good life is an accumulation of factors. For example, the Dalai Lama, can be deemed as a man with a great life- achieving fulfillment through his impact on peoples’ lives and, the giving and reciprocation of love and compassion. For me, architecture is a journey, but not the goal, and the difference between the two is vast.

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