“Love everything and everyone in your life and neighborhood. Don’t listen to the negative comments others make. Help the most needed in your community because it will bring happiness to your soul; and your soul would be a good soul because you are applying your good virtues. Like Socrates’ philosophy said about good life “If you apply you good moral your soul good live a good life”. There are different ways to apply your virtues of love in your community.
For instance keeping your community clean and encouraging others to do it; or bringing harmony in families or neighborhoods by gathering people to celebrate certain occasions together. Likewise Marcus Aurelius said on his philosophy about reflection “Be always doing something serviceable to mankind and let this generosity be your pleasure, no forgetting a due regard to God”. By helping an ailing person in your neighborhood you are not only applying your good virtues but you also enjoying the pleasure of doing it; and acknowledging our God for the gift of life.”
If you want to live a healthy, loving, fun, great life based on an insight into ethical philosophy then follow these steps below.
1.Enjoy the company of your neighbors and those who are in your life. Be mindful of constructive criticism. Learn to have patience and tolerance for others and respect their ideas, even if you disagree. Help your community so you can feel happy about yourself. Appreciate the little things in life. Help keep your community clean and encourage others to do so as well. Feeling good in your surroundings will help you feel good in other aspects of your life. Provide comfort, company, or help for your neighbors- whether that is visiting an elder weekly or maybe helping with yard work, a little love goes a long way. The knowledge must be in effect for the good of all. Each individual can be guided by the collective decisions of the community; be willing to take advice. You can also gather everyone to celebrate certain occasions together- it always turns out to be fun and you’ll gain friends in the process. “A genuine friend is someone who loves or likes another person for the sake of that other person.” -Aristotle. Establish quality friendships that will last a lifetime. As Epicurus was quoted through the Principal Doctrines; “Of all the means which wisdom acquires to ensure happiness throughout the whole of life, by far the most important is friendship.”
2.Live life to the fullest of your potential. Ever wanted to go rock climbing? Go ahead. Make a list of 50 things you want to do. Life is full of adventures. Try hard and never give up. Whenever you get a chance to try out something new- Do it! Epicurus taught us, “pleasure is the absence of pain.” This concept is an important one; neglecting to do what we feel passionate about can cause mental, emotional, or even eventually physical imbalance or pain. Living a healthy and happy life means taking care of not only our immediate needs, but our wants as well. So, reject regret and take those once in a lifetime opportunities. Live passionately. Remember that we live our day to day lives in preparation for moments of pleasure and grasp these moments even when they are not planned for. But remember to also practice moderation. Extremes may lead to an unbalanced life. Learn to prioritize and don’t sacrifice virtues for temporary pleasure- it won’t be worth it in the long run.
3.Maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. The famous philosopher, Marcus Aurelius, taught that our emotions are the result of our judgment. So then, to control our emotions, we should work toward better judgement. Life itself can cloud our judgment. Exercise, however, is not only physically beneficial, but mentally beneficial as well, and can in turn, help us to balance our emotions. When you’re healthy, you’re happy. Find a work out schedule that fits your lifestyle and keep it. Surveys show that people who are healthier are happier. Eat only things that are healthy. Avoid junk food whenever you can. Aristotle said that we as humans must find the point of excellence and not eat too much or too little. He also said that by acting with excellence or virtue, you would have good consequences. Be physically active and take up a sport. This adds positive enjoyment in life while keeping you mentally and physically fit.
4.Mentorship and mental fitness. Mentor someone under you. If you are young, find a kid who needs a role model and show a good example. This can help change their life around while giving both the kid and yourself positive satisfaction. As the stoic philosophers said, join into reason and philosophical discussions as a part of daily living. Don’t just improve the body’s health, but keep the mind healthy as well. Keep your mind healthy by reflecting on your life, and acknowledging all your emotions- much like how Marcus Aurelius kept his Meditations notebook.
5.Try to love or at least appreciate every thing and everyone in your life, world and universe; smell the roses, hug a tree, give all the love you can. Make your enemies friends. Enjoy the little pleasures of life. We often fail to notice these “petty” things which are in fact- lovely. We get so held up in our day-to-day lives that we fail to appreciate what we have in front of us. If something doesn’t go your way, try to find the lesson in it. Do your best to stay positive through difficult times and be optimistic; others will see this and benefit. Stay focused on what is good instead of dwelling on what isn’t. Marcus Aurelius said that one must overcome their individual perspective and experience the perspective of the world. Realize the simple things are a gift and don’t take anything for granted- such as taking a shower after a tiring day, the wind that blows across your skin, and the mountains in the distance. Know others are battling a variety of hardships and we should be cognizant of all that we have.
6.Treat others with respect and always as an end, never as a means. Recognize the humanity in others and don’t attempt to use them as stepping stones to achieve your own goals. Rather, realize that others have their own inherent worth and are ends in themselves. In doing so, your relationships will be more positive, leading to a happier life. Of the different philosophical systems the Socratic system is a valid way to live one’s life. It can be applied to anyone regardless of his or her situation or nationality. It is very logical of thinking that seeking for a virtuous life starts with the characteristics of each individual’s good soul. If more people with good souls throughout the world were to apply the Socratic method of searching for the truth of how to live a health and happy life, then I believe the influences of our thought and actions would help the bad souls start to think about their actions. In conclusion, hopefully they would strive to start seeking for a more virtuous way of living and help others oppose to mutually assured destruction.
7.Fulfill your desires to connect with others; be it friends, family, pets, organizations, or a life partner- seek out those that keep you from feeling lonely. Finding a person that shares your morals is also important; without common virtues we can easily misunderstand one another and the relationship will sour. The soul of a person can make you richer than their bank accounts ever could. Don’t be with a person simply because they provide you with material wealth, status, or some other tangible good. Associate yourself with people you enjoy contributing to because they fulfill your desire to connect; or, in the words of Kant, be a “person of good will”. That is, a person who’s will is willingly good, without ulterior motive. Epicurus placed a high value on friendship and love associating it with happiness and pleasure. Be aware that good friendships are rare in life, and to maintain a strong friendship, Aristotle advises to spend a great deal of time with that person- participating in activities together and engaging in mutually beneficial behavior. Epicurus says, “Of all the means which wisdom acquires to ensure happiness throughout the whole of life, by far the most important is friendship.” When it comes to a life partner, wealth and looks are not the only important things; enjoying their presence is. However, what if you are a person who is introverted and does not seek companionship? Perhaps you prefer to be alone and away from people and this is what makes you the most happy. This is not to say that either having friends/connections, or not having them is bad, but simply that one might be better than the other, depending on the person. This fits with Aristotle’s argument that “there are differences of opinion about what is best for human beings, and that to profit from ethical inquiry we must resolve this disagreement… The difficult and controversial question arises when we ask whether certain of these goods are more desirable than others. Aristotle’s search for the good is a search for the highest good, and he assumes that the highest good, whatever it turns out to be, has three characteristics: it is desirable for itself, it is not desirable for the sake of some other good, and all other goods are desirable for its sake.” So, if you don’t desire connections, it may be wise to focus on the other tips in this article instead.
8.Start taking up hobbies. Sign up for classes, for example: dance, soccer, art or music. Life is most enjoyable when you spend it doing the things you like -Aristotle. Don’t just sit on the couch all day eating and watching TV, watching others have all the fun. The more skills you have the better. Perfect the skills by practicing the ones you already posses. The better you get at something the more fun it becomes (Aristotle). Make friends of people that share your hobbies and skills. These friendships can often turn into lifelong relationships. Learn from them and teach them. According to Plato, the meaning of life comes from losing oneself, so if there is something that you truly love doing and are passionate about, go ahead and do it.
9.Become altruistic about a cause, nature, humanity, animals. . . Learn about the cause, study it, and put forth an effort to make a difference for your cause. “We must consider both the ultimate end and all clear sensory evidence, to which we refer our opinions; for otherwise everything will be full of uncertainty and confusion.” (Epicurus) By donating our time, money, or talents, you can live a good life. “Isn’t it a burden to give up so much? . . . I’ve enjoyed giving all of my life . . . and Holly used to battle depression until she got involved in effective altruism and is now one of the happiest people she knows.” (Singer, Peter “Effective Altruism”) People, animals, and environment, all have many and various ways you can help. Adopt a pet, adopt a road – part of cleaning up America, become involved. Respect nature everyday and try to help it flourish not diminish. Show love for your planet by being active in preserving it. Remember that we do not own the Earth, but we are it’s caretakers. Being a part of nature can show you how much more there is to life. Know there is something bigger out there in the universe and search for your truth to find meaning in things hard to understand. Don’t fear death, it is a part of life that we all will experience. Make every moment count.
