{"id":7429,"date":"2020-06-19T09:28:10","date_gmt":"2020-06-19T13:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/?p=7429"},"modified":"2020-06-19T09:28:10","modified_gmt":"2020-06-19T13:28:10","slug":"what-happens-when-you-only-pursue-pleasure-alan-watts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/?p=7429","title":{"rendered":"What Happens When You Only Pursue Pleasure &#8211; Alan Watts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What Happens When You Only Pursue Pleasure - Alan Watts\" width=\"1260\" height=\"709\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qOZqGUCrje8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"entry-title\" style=\"text-align: center;\">The Purpose Of Life Is Not Happiness: It\u2019s Usefulness<\/h1>\n<div class=\"entry-meta entry-meta-bottom\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-featured\"><a class=\"ci-lightbox\" href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dariusforoux.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/IMG_0106.png?fit=665%2C499&amp;ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dariusforoux.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/IMG_0106.png?resize=665%2C435&amp;ssl=1\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dariusforoux.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/IMG_0106.png?resize=665%2C435&amp;ssl=1 665w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dariusforoux.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/IMG_0106.png?zoom=2&amp;resize=665%2C435&amp;ssl=1 1330w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dariusforoux.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/IMG_0106.png?zoom=3&amp;resize=665%2C435&amp;ssl=1 1995w\" alt=\"\" width=\"665\" height=\"435\" data-lazy-loaded=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">For the longest time, I believed that there\u2019s only one purpose of life: And that is to be happy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Right? Why else go through all the pain and hardship? It\u2019s to achieve happiness in some way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">And I\u2019m not the only person who believed that. In fact, if you look around you, most people are pursuing happiness in their lives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">That\u2019s why we collectively buy shit we don\u2019t need, go to bed with people we don\u2019t love and try to work hard to get the approval of people we don\u2019t like.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-1483\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Why do we do these things? To be honest, I don\u2019t care what the exact reason is. I\u2019m not a scientist. All I know is that it has something to do with history, culture, media, economy, psychology, politics, the information era, and you name it. The list is endless.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>We are who\u00a0are.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Let\u2019s just accept that. Most people love to analyze why people are not happy or don\u2019t live fulfilling lives.\u00a0<a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/dariusforoux.com\/stop-asking-start-doing\/\" data-href=\"https:\/\/dariusforoux.com\/stop-asking-start-doing\/\">I don\u2019t necessarily care about the why<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">I care more about\u00a0<em class=\"markup--em markup--p-em\">how\u00a0<\/em>we can change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Just a few short years ago, I did everything to chase happiness.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"postList\">\n<li>You buy something, and you think that makes you happy.<\/li>\n<li>You hook up with people and think that makes you happy.<\/li>\n<li>You get a well-paying job you don\u2019t like and think that makes you happy.<\/li>\n<li>You go on holiday, and you think that makes you happy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">But at the end of the day, you\u2019re lying in your bed (alone or next to your spouse), and you think: \u201cWhat\u2019s next in this endless pursuit of happiness?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Well, I can tell you what\u2019s next: You, chasing something random that you believe makes you happy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">It\u2019s all a fa\u00e7ade. A hoax. A story that\u2019s been made up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Did Aristotle lie to us when he said:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote graf graf--pullquote graf--startsWithDoubleQuote\"><p>\u201cHappiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">I think we have to look at that quote from a different angle. Because when you read it, you think that happiness is the main goal. And that\u2019s kind of what the quote says as well.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>But here\u2019s the thing: How do you achieve happiness?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Happiness can\u2019t be a goal in itself. Therefore, it\u2019s not something that\u2019s achievable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">I believe that happiness is merely a byproduct of usefulness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">When I talk about this concept with friends, family, and colleagues, I always find it difficult to put this into words. But I\u2019ll give it a try here.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Most things we do in life are just activities and experiences.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"postList\">\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">You go on holiday.<\/li>\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">You go to work.<\/li>\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">You go shopping.<\/li>\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">You have drinks.<\/li>\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">You have dinner.<\/li>\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">You buy a car.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Those things should make you happy, right? But they are not useful. You\u2019re not creating anything. You\u2019re just consuming or doing something. And that\u2019s great.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Don\u2019t get me wrong. I love to go on holiday or go shopping sometimes. But to be honest, it\u2019s not what gives meaning to life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">What really makes me happy is when I\u2019m useful. When I create something that others can use. Or even when I create something I can use.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">For the longest time, I found it difficult to explain the concept of usefulness and happiness. But when I recently ran into a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the dots connected.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Emerson says:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote graf graf--pullquote graf--startsWithDoubleQuote\"><p>\u201cThe purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived\u00a0well.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">And I didn\u2019t get that before I became more conscious of what I\u2019m doing with my life. And that always sounds heavy and all. But it\u2019s actually really simple.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>It comes down to this: What are you DOING that\u2019s making a difference?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Did you do useful things in your lifetime? You don\u2019t have to change the world or anything. Just make it a little bit better than you were born.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">If you don\u2019t know how, here are some ideas.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"postList\">\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">Help your boss with something that\u2019s not your responsibility.<\/li>\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">Take your mother to a spa.<\/li>\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">Create a collage with pictures (not a digital one) for your spouse.<\/li>\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">Write an article about the stuff you learned in life.<\/li>\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">Help the pregnant lady who also has a 2-year old with her stroller.<\/li>\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">Call your friend and ask if you can help with something.<\/li>\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">Build a standing desk.<\/li>\n<li class=\"graf graf--li\">Start a business and hire an employee and treat them well.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">That\u2019s just some stuff I like to do. You can make up your own useful activities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">You see? It\u2019s not anything big. But when you do little useful things every day, it adds up to a life that is well-lived. A life that mattered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">The last thing I want is to be on my deathbed and realize there\u2019s zero evidence that I ever existed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Recently I read\u00a0<a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/006073731X\/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=dariusforoux-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=006073731X&amp;linkId=fefb8d5fec514785c27b79c594b9764b\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/006073731X\/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=dariusforoux-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=006073731X&amp;linkId=fefb8d5fec514785c27b79c594b9764b\" data-amzn-asin=\"006073731X\"><em class=\"markup--em markup--p-em\">Not Fade Away<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Laurence Shames and Peter Barton. It\u2019s about Peter Barton, the founder of Liberty Media, who shares his thoughts about dying from cancer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">It\u2019s a very powerful book and it will definitely bring tears to your eyes. In the book, he writes about how he lived his life and how he found his calling. He also went to business school, and this is what he thought of his fellow MBA candidates:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote graf graf--pullquote graf--startsWithDoubleQuote\"><p>\u201cBottom line: they were extremely bright people who would never really\u00a0<em class=\"markup--em markup--pullquote-em\">do\u00a0<\/em>anything, would never add much to society, would leave no legacy behind. I found this terribly sad, in the way that wasted potential is always\u00a0sad.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">You can say that about all of us. And after he realized that in his thirties, he founded a company that turned him into a multi-millionaire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Another person who always makes himself useful is Casey Neistat. For three years he posted a new video about his life and work on YouTube. And in every video, he\u2019s doing something.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">He also talks about how he always wants to do and create something. He even has a tattoo on his forearm that says\u00a0<em class=\"markup--em markup--p-em\">\u201cDo More.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Most people would say, \u201cwhy would you work more?\u201d And then they turn on Netflix and watch back to back episodes of the latest TV show that came out.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>A different\u00a0mindset.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Being useful is a mindset. And like with any mindset, it starts with a decision. One day I woke up and thought to myself: What am I doing for this world? The answer was nothing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">And that same day I started writing. For you, it can be painting, creating a product, helping the elderly, or anything you feel like doing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Don\u2019t take it too seriously. Don\u2019t overthink it. Just DO something that\u2019s useful. Anything.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/dariusforoux.com\/happiness-usefulness\/\">VIA:\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Purpose Of Life Is Not Happiness: It\u2019s Usefulness For the longest time, I believed that there\u2019s only one purpose of life: And that is to be happy. Right? Why else go through all the pain and hardship? It\u2019s to achieve happiness in some way. And I\u2019m not the only<span class=\"more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/?p=7429\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3,8],"tags":[721,723,722],"class_list":["entry","author-admin","post-7429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","category-observations","tag-alan-watts","tag-always-be-useful","tag-what-happens-when-you-only-pursue-pleasure"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Triumph-Bacchus-oil-canvas-Ciro-Ferri.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7429"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7433,"href":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7429\/revisions\/7433"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fopsobserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}