Happiness and The Transience of Life
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Three Ages of Man and Three Graces
I was looking at this painting by Hans Baldung Grien, a German Renaissance artist who lived from 1480 to 1545…. If you take your eyes off the naked bits for a moment, you’ll realize that this piece of art represents the transience of life. If you are a young adult, your view of the world is something like those women on the right side. You admire your own beauty and suppleness. You look at the babies and think, ‘Oh, I was once like them, so cute, but I’m all grown and transformed into a princess now.’
So we walk around acting like we’re some beauty queen, privileged to the good life. “Too many suitors, so little time…” she sighs.
But what you don’t see or think about is the picture on the left. Where clearly all beauty fades, libido disappears and flawless skin wrinkles. When you’re young you think, “It’ll be a long time before that happens to me…” But when you start working and while lost in the mundane routine, you see your years tick by: you realize how fast it can be indeed.
So would you agree that life is short? Depending on where you live in the world, life expectancy varies. This map is from the CIA World Factbook 2007. Examine it and see how long people are expected to live.
In some parts of Africa, people die under 40. These are the poverty and famine stricken areas. The dark green areas are first-world countries - people in Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan are expected to live over the age of 80. If you think you can live longer than that, the oldest human lifespan documented is 122.4 years by Frenchwoman Jean Calment, who died in 1997.
So let’s say you live to 80 (first-world standard). You spent 20 years growing up. So by the time you get your head screwed on tight, your remaining lifespan is 60 years. You bum around for 6 months and work part-time for another 6, and a year is gone. Your remaining lifespan is 59.
You get the point.
When people realize their lifespan is a ticking time bomb, they usually adopt one of these two approaches to life:
The first approach is: “Because life is short, I should work as hard and as fast as possible to become a success! Nothing can stop me! Get out of my way!”
The second approach is: “Because life is short, I’ve got to enjoy myself as much as I can, especially while I’m young! I don’t want responsibilities; don’t tie me down! I’m here for the party!”
Both these approaches are flawed. People who adopt them will eventually be dissatisfied. Do you know why? Think first. I’ll give you a chance to think here. Write your answer in the post box below.
THINK: Why are these two approaches flawed? Your best guess.
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You might want to do this exercise because you’ll benefit so much more if you use your brain. You can see what other people have written in the comments below. When you have finished, click the green link to read the second half.
[...] Happiness and The Transience of Life But when you start working and lost in the mundane routine, you see your years tick by, you realize how fast it can be indeed. So would you agree that life is short? Depending on where you live in the world, life expectancy varies. … [...]
June 17th, 2008 at 8:25 am
It is not because life is too short , I have to work hard or I need to enjoy myself as much as I can. Life is too short and we should apppreciate what life, the universe have given us today . For those who have a better life than others, do live a meaningful and responsible life as it should be. Love yourself and love others around you. I work harder because I see the benefits of my hard work when my loved ones are in need. I work harder because I would share my time and effort to bring a better future to those I love, for those I care, and for those who are part of my life. I work harded because it makes my life more meaningful to me when I can make contributions to the society. 24 hrs /day , how hard work is considered to be working hard? For those who have much more time than others will see people like me working hard. For those who work hard as I do will see I live a meaningful and responsible life. For myself, I am happy bring life to others whatever I can and in my possibility. For those, because life is too short and they should work hard and fast as possible to become a success - I respect them. of course, you would not be happy to hang around with “lazy people”. There is nothing you can learn from them. For those, life is too short, and they should enjoy as much as they can, they are short sighted. Let them live the way they want and they will grow up by themselves.
June 17th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Both approaches are flawed because they end up trying to balance a detriment against a benefit. The benefit may be something that can be enjoyed now, as in the second approach, or it may be something that can be enjoyed later, as in the first approach.
Matching up with these benefits are the detriments, which represent having to pay for the benefit now, as in the first approach, or pay for it later, as in the second approach.
Instead of paying any detriment for anything or trying to obtain any benefit, the best thing to do after realising that one’s life is a ticking time bomb is actually: a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y n-o-t-h-i-n-g! Unless one’s idea of happiness involves posterity, the only thing that can grant lasting satisfaction (a kind of happiness) is certainty, i. e, the knowledge that your adopted philosophy will be correct until the end of the world.
Whilst effort must be expended to acquire physical possessions and memorable experiences, such certainty already exists and is free for the taking. We can find comfort in the certainty that “no effort” = “no gain”, and use it as a reference point when we need to evaluate whether something is really worth working for, or whether it should just be skipped over.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:37 am
There is no balance in both approaches. where balance is lost, happiness cannot be found.
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:36 am
[...] Happiness and The Transience of Life [...]
June 26th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
The flaw lies wif balancing of life. As the saying goes, You work hard, play hard. Work gives u sense of achievement while play gives u time to let your hair down.
July 6th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Wonderful. I’m really proud of all your answers. : )
September 30th, 2008 at 5:26 am