The Pursuits of Life

The pursuits of life are actually very simplistic, being nothing more than fulfilling certain needs, trying to attain a state of happiness or peace, or to enhance pleasure. Various models have been proposed to indicate what moves us in life.

MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

A Theory of Human Motivation proposed by Abraham Maslow states that human needs can be categorized in the form of a pyramid, with the most primitive needs at the bottom.




The fulfillment of our needs starts from the bottom upwards, with the physiological needs being the first priority. It is only when the bottom level needs are satisfied that we even consider moving upwards. Maslow further stated that, once we go beyond a level, we do not devote much importance to that level’s needs, unless they are found to be really lacking.

A more elaborate explanation for this hierarchy of needs can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy_of_needs

THE HAPPINESS FORMULA

A much simpler model, examining our needs, was proposed by the renowned cartoonist Scott Adams, dubbed The Happiness Formula. The main motivational factor, according to his theory, is happiness. This is not to be confused with hedonism.

The Happiness Formula:
Happiness= Health + Money + Social life + Meaning

Health is the most basic necessity, for ill health is a deterrent to enjoying the pleasures of the other three. Money, or financial security, is another necessity in this civilized world. However, it does not take precedence over health. Given a choice, people would be willing to trade off a little wealth for extra health.

Social life, including love and family life, comes third. Let’s face it, without at least the minimum of affluence, there will be no social life. Meaning can be interpreted in several ways. Briefly, it is that which imparts meaning to your life, something which you believe to be the purpose of your existence. It can be a spiritual quest, a philosophical or religious journey, service to God, nature or humanity et al.

IN HINDU SCRIPTURES

Hindu scriptures also depict the needs of humans, the difference being that the purpose of life is stressed, not just the needs. However, the purpose encompasses the needs. The four aims, as given in the Purusharthas are,

1. Dharma
2. Artha
3. Kama
4. Moksha

Dharma can be loosely translated to mean a virtuous living, upholding values such as truth, non-violence, righteousness and morality. Dharma is in itself a way of life.

Artha refers to material prosperity, the accumulation of wealth. A point to be noted here is, although Hinduism acknowledges and supports the need for accumulating wealth, it condemns greed and amoral ways of wealth gain.

Kama stands for the pleasure of the senses, for the aesthetic enjoyment of life, fulfillment of desire and sexual gratification.

The final aim, Moksha, or salvation, is liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Moksha is not idealistic, as if it was, it would be the first aim and not the last. Moksha is the final stage in life, which starts when a person becomes aware of the limitations of this material life and begins to transcend the physical world.

The Hindu scriptures also divide a person’s life into four stages: Brahmacharya (student life), Grihastha (household life), Vanaprasta (retired life) and Sanyasa (renunciation).
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THE CONCEPT OF HEDONISM

Hedonism is the philosophy that pleasure is the only worthy pursuit in life. That is, all humans try to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. According to this concept, all human actions are guided by self-interest; there is no such thing as altruism or selflessness. Charity, hedonists argue, is not altruistic, since it makes the giver feel good about it, i.e. it is also guided by self-interest, to arouse that feeling.

This concept was, however, successfully disputed by a thought experiment dubbed The Experience Machine. If an experience machine were created which could mimic all the pleasurable feelings a person could possibly want, and if the person is made to feel the experiences as real (not simulated), would that person choose the machine over real life? The answer is an emphatic NO, which destroys the concept of hedonism as the primary pursuit in life.
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THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE

The pleasure principle, originated by Sigmund Freud, states that a person is driven to continuously seek pleasure and avoid pain. This is driven by the id, ego and super-ego. In a nutshell, the id is the part of the brain which strives to enhance pleasure, without giving a damn about anything else. The super-ego, in contrast to the id, acts as the conscience and represses the nonconforming desires of the id. The ego is the mediator, and takes the more realistic approach.

Freud also says that humans have a life drive and a death drive, which work in direct opposition to each other. The life drive strives to enhance pleasure, by repeating pleasurable acts. The death drive tries to numb the effects of negative feelings and emotions, by constantly repeating them until we no longer fear them. The paradox here is that the most pleasurable state is that which has zero stimulus (neither pleasure nor pain), death.

All of the above models have been the subject of much criticism, and none of them are infallible. Viewed together, they give us an understanding of what we ultimately desire from life.