ACCEPTANCE AND COMPROMISE VS A CONSTANT STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE

 

Prominent Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky quoted “that Man only likes to count his troubles; he doesn't calculate his happiness”. Bad situations are a part of life and people suffer through a variety of problems. For example, a job with below par salary or insufficient funds in the bank account are some problems through which common people go through regularly. Some people are of the view that men should accept their situation as it is and be at peace with it. The other school of thought postulates that men should have control on their life and actively seek to change and improve the conditions as they move ahead.

It is a well-established fact about human psychology that people are never satisfied with their situation and always seek to improve it. Therefore, it is advised that to seek satisfaction and balance in life, one should accept their day-to-day life as it is. Gautam Buddha and Lao Tzu are some of the philosophers who are often talked about, when forwarding such opinions. Buddha famously said that” Expectation is the source of suffering”. Meditation and mindfulness are a few ways to deeply enjoy the p resent. Moreover, Psychologists and Neuroscientists also advocate for daily meditations to enrich the experience of life by focusing on only the present. Humans live in a complex world where order and chaos prevail side by side and it makes reality a daunting experience, the sooner one realises that they cannot control every aspect of their life the sooner they will come closer to experiencing peace and tranquillity in their lives. To accept the enigma of life and the puzzles that come with it is a great way to obliterate the stress in daily life and enrich your living experience. On the other hand, a contrasting yet significant view is presented which states that people are in control of their lives and it and it should be their vision to analyse their situations and make conscious efforts to improve them. Life can only be improved when beings make efforts in developing it. Nietzsche, Immanuel Kant and Marcus Aurelius are a few revolutionaries who proved this notion of building an influencing life. The human according to them has to constantly struggle to build a life that he wants, actions daily that take them closer to the type of life that they envisioned for themselves are important. Albert Camus is another thinker who compared life to the Greek Myth of Sisyphus where Sisyphus has to constantly push a boulder up the mountain and then push it down again repeating this process till eternity, Camus found the mythology strikingly similar to human life and concluded that men too should lead their lives in such a way where they are fighting the problems in their life with their full force and in this way rebel against the absurdity of life. A look at life via the lenses of Philosophy, Economy, Politics or even Science bolsters the opinion that actively seeking to tackle the challenges of life is better than becoming a victim. Passively sitting will not help the poor or the unfortunates.

 In my opinion individuals should learn from both the arguments and choose a middle path which suits his choice. One could be grateful for what he has but make efforts to accomplish his dreams. Complete acceptance of circumstances and yielding to it will make life devoid of zest, energy and enthusiasm to live a fulfilling life. To keep going in life, it is essential to find a purpose and engage in something that is rewarding both emotionally and physically, to make life worth living.

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