I am concerned largely with the exploits of the mind. Whether they are material or insubstantial, I am interested in them, but the topics of philosophy is where I find the most comfort. I will be explaining what a quote means from my perspective, and I hope that this will start a discussion so as to further any who read.
"Happiness is unrepentant pleasure."
-Socrates
Background:
Socrates was a Greek philosopher during the years of Plato. There are no surviving works of his own, and the only reason we know him is Plato's own writings. From those writings, we know that he was a man who believed the he was the wisest man in all of the state of Athens. He was confronted on this account by several prominent people and was asked why he was the wisest. His response was: I know that I know nothing.
"Happiness is unrepentant pleasure."
I believe that this statement means:
Pleasure is a universal term. Happiness is a particular. Pleasure can happen without happiness even occurring, but happiness cannot occur unless pleasure is involved. Pleasure is anything that is good for you regardless of if it is wrong (a sin) or right. If one does not have any "forces" that could make him atone for his pleasure, then one can feel unrepentant pleasure. Unrepentant pleasure, of course, is the same as happiness. Any pleasure that a person can be punished for is a repentant pleasure and does not offer happiness. Drugs are a good example because people use them in search of happiness. People more often misconceive the concept of happiness and they don't feel it when they use drugs because it is a repentant pleasure. Drugs are only more commonly a repentant pleasure, but they could very well be an unrepentant pleasure depending on the morals of the person. This quote is merely to dispel the misconception that pleasure is happiness and that happiness is easy to attain.
Very deep thinking going on here. I totally agree with what you are saying, teenagers especially think they are making themselves so happy by indulging in things like sex, drugs and alcohol, and conforming with their fellow teenagers, when in reality they are only causing themselves pleasure. I believe the way for people to obtain actual happiness is to make it themselves. Without doing things just because they know other people are watching, to do things for their own personal well being, without solely trying to be like anyone else.
ReplyDeleteI think conformism due to happiness is caused when one person gets happiness from something and everyone else sees that happiness and wants to have it too so they do what that person is doing, without ever making their own happiness.
I am not putting forth that sex, drugs, or alcohol aren't ways of attaining happiness. On the contrary, I would urge people to experience anything and everything that they can. If it happens to be illegal or harmful then I wouldn't recommend getting caught or doing enough to cause actual harm. There is an individualistic side to life where the only harms are from people who act against it, and I pride myself in attempting that individualistic approach with all the free will and happiness that comes about with it.
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