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“ThHe is the art of life. He is too busy enjoying what is passing by.” say Aristippus, the ancient Greek philosopher, said: “And the highest happiness is not knowledge. And it’s not always virtuous.” In other words: If it feels good, do it.
Aristippus was a student of Socrates who founded a philosophical sub-school called Cyrenaicism. As Cyrenaic thought developed, it was centered on Two thoughts– First, objective truth is unknowable. Therefore, we should focus only on our personal experience of that reality. Second, that experience should be as pleasurable as possible. This means that we should immediately maximize pleasure and avoid pain. Aristippus himself especially focused on the first part. Fun—especially involving young prostitutes and old wine.
Cyrenaic perfectionism still appears as an important cultural influence from time to time. Just like what happened during the hippie era in America. The principle of putting happiness first sounds a little quaint these days. Considering the economic downturn, gender and the well-being of young people less adventurous than it used to be But another form of Cyrenaicism is very strong today. That is the idea that in addition to the pursuit of happiness, We should avoid pain.
The memetic way that such ideas can spread means that you may fall into this philosophy without even realizing it. This column aims to help you realize that possibility. and understand why it is detrimental to your health and well-being. And how can you escape?
g Cyrenaic beliefs Giving up happiness may sound harmless and even fun. Until we understand how pleasure works in the brain, Charles Darwin reasoned that the initial feeling of pleasure involved the brain’s limbic system. developed To help us survive and pass on our genes, for example, humans crave calorie-dense food and are attached to beautiful bodies. This is because our brains are wired to biochemically reward us for acting in a way that prevents starvation and helps us find a mate.
Unfortunately, even though Mother Nature makes us desire things that will keep us and our genes alive well, But she doesn’t care if we’re happy or not. Such conditions are the foundation of why Mick So Jagger sang. “I can’t get any satisfaction… because I tried. And I tried.” Or, to put it more precisely, the space between need and In the league is the absence of important neural connections. When you think about what you were programmed to desire. Your brain will feel a little energized. Dopaminewhich makes you expect happiness—need– But if the return is as you expected There is no more dopamine produced. which rejects you a lot In the league– In other words A pleasurable experience must be better than you expected in order to produce more dopamine. This basically means that you need to increase the amount of whatever happiness you are seeking. Whether it’s drinking, candy, gambling, or pornography.
The fruitless pursuit of happiness easily leads to addiction and misery. which is what we might call “Cyreneic Paradox” If only looking for satisfaction You won’t find it anymore. As psychiatrist Anna Lembke, author Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of IndulgenceIt said, “What is in conflict is hedonism. Pursuing happiness for its own sake Leads to anhedonia which is the inability to enjoy any happiness at all.”
The Cyrenaic paradox works in reverse when it comes to suffering, researchers have found. show that when people fear physical pain and try to minimize it By stepping back from daily activities The pain will still be chronic. which is sometimes called “Fear avoidance pattern– Patients who fear physical pain become alert and try to avoid pain. This leads to inactivity and disability. And it causes more pain: The cycle continues and gets worse. For example, let’s say your back hurts. with fear of pain You agree to take painkillers. After use, it will weaken your back. causing more and more pain There are many studies. show this format
This cycle of avoidance and worsening pain is at the center of our drug epidemic. in the united states Prescriptions for opioid painkillers to treat pain more 104 percent since B.E. 2000 to 2010, which led to explosion of opiate addiction and overdose deaths. At that point, suppression reduce Prescription level But overdoses continue to rise as the use of black market opioids increases.
While pain treatment is certainly necessary and appropriate for many people, the problem arises when this is the first line of defense. Because pain is considered something that must be eliminated. It is not a normal part of life that must be dealt with. Just as the pursuit of happiness often makes happiness unattainable. Strategies for avoiding pain can make suffering worse.
THe heals the pain and avoiding pain are two very different things. To effectively treat pain, you must lose your fear and desire to get rid of it. Pain is an inevitable part of life. And the most effective treatment in many cases involves learning to succeed, even if to some degree. If your back hurts You may find healthy ways to increase your mobility and reduce physical discomfort. But your treatment may include learning to live with that discomfort and manage it at an acceptable level.
So far, we have been talking about physical pain. But mental pain works in the same way. For example, people with depression often manage their symptoms well but struggle. dispose They always make it up. worse– follow Latest research published in Journal of Happiness StudiesThe belief that happiness must be pain-free undermines happiness in itself. other academics It has been found that avoiding psychological pain is beneficial. have a relationship with suicide attempts among people suffering from depression Unfortunately, these false views are reinforced by experts who tell patients in mental distress that their discomfort is pathological. Make them believe that they are sick and impaired.
Therapists and doctors understand that pain is a part of life. They advise patients not to escape reality. And definitely don’t self-medicate with recreational drugs and alcohol. This better understanding recognizes that only in the face of pain can we learn to live it fully and successfully heal from it. This is especially true if you naturally have high levels of negative emotions. Or in other words, You often have a bad mood. Part of living a good and fulfilling life might be accepting this fact about yourself.
Several treatments are well established and have been shown to be successful. One is Mindfulness-based cognitive therapyPatients learn that avoidance can be a cause of discomfort. This type of cognitive therapy teaches patients to accept that their suffering is painful. But it is not catastrophic or impossible to mitigate. This is similar to the Buddhist concept of suffering = resistance × pain, which means that resistance is the starting point for effective treatment to reduce suffering. This remedy is also effective in treating drug addiction. Because it can help addicts openly accept their symptoms. This gives a more complete understanding of the seriousness of the problem and a greater ability to stop taking the medication.
Another treatment option that has shown good results is called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Patients are encouraged to acknowledge and accept their pain. But then focus on the positive aspects of life. This technique relies on reversing our natural tendency to focus on what we don’t like rather than on what we do. which is a phenomenon called “Negative bias– When physical or mental pain is chronic This evolutionary bias can make us single-minded about the matter. This leads to avoidance behavior and makes things worse, but we recognize that the pain is real. But we also learn to focus on what’s right in our lives. For example, I might wake up with a lot of pain. But I can shift my focus from the pain to the fact that I woke up in a home where people loved me and I had a meaningful job.
Iboth positive form pursuit of happiness or negative Pain Avoidance Cyrenaicism is a misunderstood model for human happiness. Instead of following the advice of Aristippus, we would be better off following the advice of his friend the Greek philosopher Epictetus the Stoic. In his second century Handbook of Ethics EngiridianEpictetus write: “Never demand that things happen the way you want them to. But let’s hope it happens the way it happened. Then you will be good to go.”
at the beginning I refer to Cyrenism as “Subsidiary School of Philosophy”; Stoicism is better known and much more influential. And fair as well But the bigger issue is yours Philosophy is important—because it helps you take control of your life and your happiness. An attitude of acceptance rather than avoidance can help you treat your pain appropriately. and be able to manage expectations about the meaning of a good life This, in turn, will help you learn and grow as a person—and truly savor your sweetest experiences.
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