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There is a type of flourishing available to a cat that is only rarely available to us. A human is never simply what she is, but is always striving to become something she is, as yet, not. This is the result of a self-image – a conception of herself and what her life should be – which, when unrealised, can occasion frustration and despair.
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This part of the article jumped out at me. I spent about 5 years of my life on a start-up that eventually failed. I now have a pretty comfy tech job, and definitely earn enough money to be comfortable.
But there is always this restlessness that I feel. I learnt a lot of things in my 5 years, and feel I could do a better job if I were to start another company. I almost feel like those 5 years would be wasted if I don't take what I learnt and put it into my next company.
What's good about being special or being in a state of desire? Isn't being "happy" or at least "content" a more logical goal?
Maybe this boils down to the question: Would you willingly enter the matrix, a fabricated world where you can be happy or fight in the real world? I assume you would say "no", while I would say "yes".
What is special is the possibility of growth - what a cat can be is very limited compared to what a human can be.
Your reference to the Matrix is flawed in that you assume the "real" world is somehow not "fabricated", but it actually is via your sense perceptions. ;)
This is a really great question. The West has been working on this particular question for the past 2,500 years. Michael Sugrue's lectures on YouTube do a nice job surveying the development of thought in the West over that period of time.
This part of the article jumped out at me. I spent about 5 years of my life on a start-up that eventually failed. I now have a pretty comfy tech job, and definitely earn enough money to be comfortable.
But there is always this restlessness that I feel. I learnt a lot of things in my 5 years, and feel I could do a better job if I were to start another company. I almost feel like those 5 years would be wasted if I don't take what I learnt and put it into my next company.