Painful experiences are unavoidable for everyone. Thankfully there are upsides to suffering and stress.
If you could live 10 years of your life in total bliss – with NO emotional pain – but in the end, not remember any of it – would you do it?
He believes the goal of life is not to live pain-free.
Aristotle believes we are here on this planet to learn lessons to become our best selves.
In fact, Aristotle believes “true happiness” comes from using painful experiences as a miracle growth formula to educate your soul.
Without pain, all you’re having is immediate gratification pleasure – which is fleeting and doesn’t grow you as a person.
In a way the above bliss-chasing scenario is a description of someone who seeks out crack – or seeks staying in bed 24/7.
At the time it feels like you’re avoiding pain and seeking bliss.
But in the longterm you’re NOT enjoying real life — with life’s inevitable ebbs and flows – which give you those needed insights to grow who you are.
Aristotle believed tough times helped to educate your soul – and inspire you to be stronger and wiser than you might otherwise have been.
It’s impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all -in which case you fail by default. – J.K. Rowling
Basically…Life has ebbs and flows.
There’s no such thing as endless flow.
Unfortunately life can sometimes feel like ebb, ebb, ebb, brief-flash-of-flow, more ebb, ebb, ebb.
But every ebb always offers the opportunity to think a new thought flavor and feel a new emotion flavor.
The more varied the flavors of life, the more self-developed you will be!
Aristotle believed the highest form of knowledge is insight.
He even respected the knowledge of insight far more than any knowledge you might memorize from research books!
Because Aristotle recognized that “insight” is the only knowledge which leads to the education of your soul.
And…Aristotle believed the growth of your soul is what brings you your highest happiness.
For this reason, Aristotle believed that the reason why so many people are unhappy is that they keep foolishly confusing “pleasure” for “happiness.”
Here’s a short 2 minute inspiring video on this topic – on my NotSalmonTV Youtube Channel – to motivate you to feel better about the pain in your life.
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