In Friday’s class, there was a discussion on the different elements that make up happiness or “eudaimonia.”\u00a0 Some of these components included the “measures of health: courage, wisdom, piety, moderation and justice, along with moral character and external characteristics.” Discussion also led into Socrates’ insistence on knowledgeability in academic regards as a key to happiness and virtuosity. I agree with Socrates in the sense that knowledge is truly important and with more wisdom comes the ability to make better decisions and in some light live a happier life.\u00a0 However, I do not necessarily agree that academic prowess leads to a happier life for every individual.<\/p>\n
For instance, there are many people who decide not to attend college or take a year off and travel as an alternative.\u00a0 These people may not be participating in academic activity but they still have the opportunity to learn.\u00a0 Oftentimes, people who go this route embark on adventure and really get to explore the world around them.\u00a0 They trade the teachings of mathematics and sciences for the involvement in communities or even time to truly soul search.\u00a0 Instead of classroom experience, they gain life experience by trying new things and just being out and about in the real world.\u00a0 With this being said, the argument can be made that someone can be just as happy, if not happier, without an extensive academic background.<\/p>\n
This point of view is surely not meant to discredit the academically gifted and certainly not those who currently attend any sort of academic institution.\u00a0 The goal is rather to shine light on the fact that virtuosity and happiness cannot rely more heavily on academic ability because not everyone in the world is guaranteed to be academically successful.\u00a0 Everyone is wired differently and some people take more towards arts or other involvements outside of academics such as music, dance, crafts, etc.\u00a0 If these skills are matched with good moral character then these people could be destined to be much happier than those who spends countless years in undergraduate and graduate school only to realize that they spent so much time trying to obtain a degree that they cannot utilize once they graduate.<\/p>\n
Once again, the point of this post is not to condemn academics in any matter.\u00a0 Instead, it is meant to serve as an example of an alternative means of achieving eudaimonia.\u00a0 It is possible for anyone to achieve it, whether scholarly adequate or borderline illiterate.\u00a0 The key to happiness relies on how content the person is with themselves and their surroundings, not just how much they know academically.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In Friday’s class, there was a discussion on the different elements that make up happiness or “eudaimonia.”\u00a0 Some of these components included the “measures of health: courage, wisdom, piety, moderation and justice, along with moral character and external characteristics.” Discussion … Continue reading