Recently I’m thinking about what kind of life I would like to lead – a plain but carefree life, or one with chanllenges and uncertainties. This leads to a philosophical problem of the goal of our life. I partially agree with some people who hold the idea that we live to pursue happiness. After all, people earn money, run after fame and authority, in order to get some self-satisfaction – that is, to be happy with themselves. However, I don’t think happiness is all the story.
Consider people who take the roller coaster. Do they only want to pursue happiness? Not so much as they pursue excitement, or, kind of, fear. Then consider people who take some adventures. Do they only want to pursue the greater happiness after they succeed? Perhaps not. They are enjoying the uncertainty in the challenge itself. Even when it comes to people who own fame and authority, it cannot be said that they are more happy than others – they are bound to lose some of their privacy and to have more things to worry about than others. But their lives are just more colorful than others. Why?
Here goes the answer – we live to experience. Not to be happy, nor to be afraid, but to experience. No matter happiness or pain, delight or sorrow, courage or fear, they are just part of our experience on our life journey. The longevity of a person should not be based on how many years they are alive, but on how much they experience – either happy or not. Consider a vegetative patient, he does not live as long as his heart bumps because he experience nothing while he’s asleep. Life is to experience. This is why I’m strongly against the idea of euthanasia – it deprives the person of the right to experience, whether he is willing to do so or not.
The famous legends writer, Jin Yong, once said in his book "The Legend of Condor Hero", "Big ups and downs are better than no ups and downs; Great joy and sorrow are better than no joy and sorrow". The meaning of life lies in experience. So I will choose to lead a life that is unique, that is full of uncertainty but of surprise at the same time. I am willing to experience anything on my way of the big adventure!