Summary
In the TED Talk There Is More to Life than Being Happy, Emily Esfahani smith says that our culture is obsessed with happiness. However, even though our life is getting objectively better, more people feel hopeless, depressed and alone, and the suicide rate has been increasing around the world. There are lack of something else in our life; lack of having meaning in life. The presentation identifies what is happiness and what is meaning of life, and shows the interesting points of creating meaning of life, which are four pillars: Belonging, Purpose, Transcendent and Story telling.The presenter gives her own powerful experience and it impressed the audiences.
Happiness comes and goes. But when life is really good and when things really bad, having meaning gives you something to hold on to.
Response
“Meaning of life” “Purpose of life” and “Mission”, these words have been interesting me since I was a child. I realized happiness is not purpose of life and happiness itself is always unstable. I needed more and I understood it in my own idea and feeling, but this was the first time I knew such a clear principle how to live a meaning of life. I was also interested in Positive phycology.
Eighteen months ago, when I just came to Thailand, I got crazy. I quite my job that I had engaged for 20 years, at the same time I quite take care of my father who underwent artificial dialysis and entrusted him to three nurses. I lost the meaning of life; work and take care of my parents. After coming here, I was able to use all my time for myself. However I was always anxious and frustrated. I did not know why at that time, I just understood slightly the feelings that people, who don’t suffer from serious poverty or disease or unavoidable situation, commit suicide. After I came across this presentation, I was so impressed to decided to start rebuild the pillars of mine.
Fortunately, I met a person who encourages me enthusiastically anytime and the friendly and warm attitude made me feel a sense of belonging. Unexpectedly I can cultivate a new relationship other than my family in Bangkok. It give me a power. And I started play saxophone in a band again to get the transcendent moment. I tried to go out to make friends and talk my experience and anything related to how I became me. The most important pillar for me is “Purpose”. I strongly agree the presenter’s opinion “Without something worthwhile to do, people flounder”. Serving others using your strength is the most important element in my life. I want to contribute and feel needed so I started work again. Consequently, I got better week-by-week. I stopped feel anxious and got back my sense of taste that I lost.
Actually, I still don't know exactly what is meaning of my life but I know what kind of things give meaning to my life. At least, I understood what make me depress and feel adrift. I believe my all experience will turn out to be a great meaning in my life and one day I wish I could contribute others telling my experience in some form or other.
Are you seeking Happiness? What kind of Happiness satisfies you? When you realize meaning of your life, you can have different points of view about Happiness.
I enjoyed Junko's summary of her chosen TED Talk, which I also listened to a couple of times. And as I read her thoughtful response to the ideas raised, I also made similar connections to Junko to the ideas in the talk. Even when I was in high school, I worried about the kinds of issues that the talk raises, and that Junko effectively relates to her own experience. I think that was what pushed me into studying philosophy. I loved science and mathematics, but they could not answer the deeper questions about meaning, purpose and transcendence.
ReplyDeleteIn the talk, the speakers ideas about story telling also reminded me of the supreme importance that Harari gives to our stories in the TED Talk that I've summarized below. Our stories, especially the fictional ones, might be more important than traditionally thought, or not.