what i don't understand is how one can go through life without feeling, at moments, that the agony of life outweighls the fear of death. i honestly think that different people feel emotion at different intensities.
I agree. However, I also think it's even more complex than that. While being afraid of death is one example of fear, which may or may not outweigh an example of the agony someone feels simply by living, I think part of it is also characteristic to individual experiences. Plus, how do you even begin to comprehend the intensity of emotions when comparing two different people? It's too abstract an idea because each example is understood from a different perspective. If you try to specify common degrees of intensity to more than one subject or person. I think this is why it seems people express incompatability. (....and this is why I need to stop talking about philosophy...and basically everything else before sleeping like a normal person)
i agree with you. comparing emotions of one person to another is like comparing apples to oranges. i do think the different perspectives of people have an amazing effect on the manner and intensity of human emotion. i guess what i inquire is how on earth people gain such a perspective that allows them seem to be so happy and joyful all the time, as if there were no philosophical inconsistencies w/ the world.
I don't know if anyone truly feels wonderful all the time. I think that perspective might actually be a defense mechanism, used to either block out or lessen thoughts like fear, pain, and also any philosophical inconsistencies. But maybe you can consider this an example of being completely happy and joyful all the time. If by creating a barrier that isolates them from pain (and probably many personal experiences of love too), and they can simultaneously force themselves into believing the world is always wonderful, then they must have a real perspective of constant happiness. Perhaps this is how people get past the idea of happiness as something always fleeting.
this is true. people can at least pretend that happiness is not fleeting by having a certain view of the world that assumes everything to be happy all the time. this, however, is not a realistic perspective of the world. i find that the minute one begins thinking critically and taking the world for what it is, instead of creating his/her own world, things become less cheery. an honest look at the world reveals almost unimaginable evils and philisophical inconsistencies. do you think someone can be generally happy while simutaneously viewing the world from a realistic perspective?
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I think this is why it seems people express incompatability.
(....and this is why I need to stop talking about philosophy...and basically everything else before sleeping like a normal person)
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i guess what i inquire is how on earth people gain such a perspective that allows them seem to be so happy and joyful all the time, as if there were no philosophical inconsistencies w/ the world.
Reply
But maybe you can consider this an example of being completely happy and joyful all the time. If by creating a barrier that isolates them from pain (and probably many personal experiences of love too), and they can simultaneously force themselves into believing the world is always wonderful, then they must have a real perspective of constant happiness.
Perhaps this is how people get past the idea of happiness as something always fleeting.
Reply
do you think someone can be generally happy while simutaneously viewing the world from a realistic perspective?
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