I have been wondering. . . are the pursuit of greatness and true happiness mutually exclusive? At first glance, they would seem not. . . for why would anyone pursue greatness if it wouldn't lead to ultimate happiness? ,But, in life, it is often small pleasures, shared moments with loved ones, etc. that bring the most happiness, or at least the pleasantest feeling of contentedness. While pursuing greatness, there is often not much time to accomodate these little things . Of course, the ultimate achievement of greatness is supposed to bring happiness. . . but then again, when we reach what was initially our ultimate destination, we create for ourselves another rung, higher up, to aspire to.
The pursuit of greatness is, thus, a choice; sacrifices must be made, and the sacrifices we choose to make, which are often those little things that sustain us and nourish the soul, leave us sad and lonely. Some people change their choice along the way, choosing happiness over greatness, but others persevere, postponing their momentary happiness in the belief that better things await them at the end. But do they?
Does this make ANY sense whatsoever? In my defense, it is now 1:20 a.m., WAY WAY past my bed time, and this thought was floating around in my head, and I needed to get it out. No, I am not on crack, but my mind is a bit fuzzy now, and I should just save this entry as a draft and delete it tomorrow, but I WILL take a chance. I will post it!
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7 comments:
They're probably not equivalent but surely there's some room for overlap?
FMP
What I try to grasp in almost 59 years you have said it succinctly.Live it_-_Gunam
I live in this paradox. I'm forever debating this, and every decision i make in my life is based on this question - am i seeking greatness, or am i seeking happiness?
I'm certain they can overlap, but unfortunately, each is a mindset for me - i.e. there are moments where I feel like the person seeking greatness, and then i change my mind and become the 'happy with little things' person.
the mindsets are mutually exclusive, and i'm an indecisive person. it's a constant battle. your question, is well put!
wow! nice to know that my middle of the night ramblings do make some sense after all!!
wow! nice to know that my middle of the night ramblings do make some sense after all!!
Unfortunately some of us do not have the luxury of choosing between happiness and greatness. It is either "be great" or "be miserable" even though "being great" may entail a certain degree of misery in itself.
It is very much like being stuck between a rock and a hard place and the only way out is blasting out the rock with everything you've got, bloody fists and all.
Maybe you are right - I can't think of much of an alternative in your situation, because you had simpler choices, but I doubt if any of those would have really made you happy.
But I think if you see your choices as being between misery and greatness, that is because you have already made a choice to pursue greatness. It's a matter of acknowledging the choice and being aware of the sacrifices needed with either choice. But even in your pursuit of greatness, you are not completely happy, and your "rock and a hard place" situation is the result of not yet having achieved your goal of greatness.
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