The desire to live a good life is ingrained in every aspect of our lives. Whenever we make an ethical or moral decision weighing two possibilities, we choose the one that we believe furthers our goals most, and is generally the one most beneficial for us. We ponder: What is the meaning to our lives? What is our purpose? Perhaps our desire to live comfortably and meaningfully has evolutionary roots – those who made better decisions were more capable of survival and thus reproduction.
Yet the modern pursuit of the good life has extended beyond mere survival; we now wish for happiness, honor, status, wealth and other sorts of societal creations. It begs the question: What is the good life?
Aristotle was the first to document these topics. He claimed that the good life (eudaimonia) is achieved with maturity – the ability to act according to reason. In a social community, reason materializes itself in the form of virtue, a system of balance between the vices of excess and deficiency. Courage, for example, is the balanced state between rashness and cowardice. Acting moderately in all aspects of life ensures a general expertise in a multiplicity of fields as well as a pure and reasonable state of mind.
All of Aristotelian philosophy, or his so-called virtue ethics, tie back to character. Aristotle emphasized character as the most important aspect of the human condition: Without good character, we cannot do good things, and therefore cannot live meaningful and fulfilling lives. The different aspects of character, virtues, are developed through habitual action. Thus, the more virtuous we are, the better our character, and the more meaning our lives will hold to posterity and those around us.
Aristotle’s advice can be applied regardless of age. As a teenager, the Aristotelian conception of a good life seems reasonable. It permeates all aspects of social, personal and societal responsibilities and ensures room is left for pleasure. Aristotle advocates for a holistic picture of existence. Too often, especially in the Bay Area, teenagers disregard important aspects of life (health and sleep) in favor of a more productive day. A balance among health, school, extracurricular commitments, friends and family is all for setting a solid foundation for a good life.
Aristotle writes specifically on the role of friendship in bringing about a good life. Friends offer benefits – insight, support and companionship – that we would otherwise have no way of experiencing. Companionship is a basic human need, one that holds a prominent importance through all stages of life. We are inherently social animals for good reason.
Friendship should not be thought of as a means to an end – it’s a process and state to be enjoyed – but it does bring about some pretty desirable benefits. Happiness, for obvious reasons, is a major form of reciprocation between friends; so is honor, status, opportunity and goodwill. This is eudaimonia to Aristotle: a balanced set of pursuits supplemented by a wealth of social connections and a number of close friends.
As a teenager, living the good life means broadening one’s horizons, talking with more people and seeking new opportunities as they arise. It means finding an equilibrium between working hard and playing hard. It’s cultivating intellectual curiosity, physical capability and mental fortitude – quite the intimidating task, but it is only outside our comfort zone that we grow.
Janus Tsen is a student at Gunn High School. His passion lies in comparative world philosophy, and how it might be applied to everyday life. He is accepting ethical and philosophical questions to address in future columns at [email protected].
