How Should One Live - Essay Example

Some others say that living for others is what adds value and meaning to one’s life. But some feel that altruism and egoism both add meaning to one’s life. “They are the reasons and motives that engage us in the activities that make our lives worth living; they give us a reason to go on; they make our worlds go round.” (Wolf, 2010, p. 2). Most of us people believe that a life devoid of sorrow or hardships is essentially the one that is desirable. Yet another school of thought holds that sorrow and happiness are the two sides of the same coin and that hardships are an invincible component of human life.

According to them, the true essence of life lies in the success in overcoming the difficulties and challenges posed by life. A balanced approach towards life is instrumental in bringing about a transformation of the mind and the soul. It is true that happiness and peace are the two major issues in human existence. But one can never get everything he/she wants because it is practically impossible. “The good for man is an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue, or if there are more kinds of virtue than one, in accordance with the best and most perfect kind.

” (Barnes, 2004, p. 16). One can learn to control his/her mind and live a restrained and satisfying life with a whole new viewpoint. Restraint and self-control help to purify the mind. It cleanses the thought process of negative feelings like greed, hatred, and jealousy that keep us enslaved in emotional bondage. It brings the mind to a state of tranquility and awareness and leads the soul to a state of concentration and insight.Another way of leading a meaningful life is to learn to love oneself.

It is a matter of great regret that most of us spend our entire life cursing ourselves for what we are and pondering over what we could or should have been. We feel ashamed and embarrassed to accept what we are and keep comparing ourselves with others. Instead of self-reproach, one should rather love oneself and one’s world. One should realize that pain and comfort are two facets of the same life. So if we are so eager to gain comfort, we should also not hesitate in facing pain. The idea that has to be reinforced is that one should be equally receptive to the sweet and the bitter components of life, instead of running after one and shunning the other.