Friedrich Nietzsche called it ‘The will to power’, Aristotle termed it ‘Eudaimonia’ and Socratic descendents know it simply as ‘the considered life’. In a time before How to make Friends and Influence People serious thinkers thought about the subject of self-help, and how we could improve our lives. Not many philosophers were able to come to conclusive answers on well-being; fewer still were able to put doctrine into practice when it came to their own affairs. The truth that those seeking happiness never seem to find it has been granted innumerable examples by the field of philosophy. Nietzsche himself, lost the love of his life in early age, spent most of his time alone and purposefully contracted syphilis during the only sexual encounter of his existence. But if Philosophy does little more than open the debate about self-improvement, it still serves a purpose. And it wouldn’t be the first time the discipline asked questions without providing concrete answers.
In the quest for personal development it may be best to look to someone, who on the face of it at least, did achieve well-being and social acceptance. Marcus Aurelius Antononinus (AD 121-80) was unusually both a Philosopher and a Roman emperor, two tasks which he completed successfully throughout the course of his life. Whilst campaigning on the Empire’s northern border Aurelius noted down his choicest thoughts in book which came to be known as The Meditations. Aurelius thought that that the human existence was one great organic order, and thus prised community and the collective. He held that the individual could only be happy and flourishing when the community he was part of was happy and flourishing. The community’s interest should neither out-weigh the individual nor should the individual out-weigh the community, because as Aurelius saw it, the two were mutually dependent. A useful metaphor here is the human body, when any part of it is diseased or unwell, the entirety of the individual is considered ill. Similarly within a society if the individual isn’t enjoying well-being the society itself is failing. In short, the path to improvement lies in community.
In practice this viewpoint means finding meaning in something greater than yourself. As a means to self development it necessitates volunteering within the community or engaging in some form of public service. Alternatively it might mean spending more time with friends and family rather than alone. There can be little doubt that going for a drink or having dinner out with friends helps nourish the soul. Solace is also often found in sharing problems with friends or rejoicing in our common experiences. Alternatively falling in love can also bring a new element into our lives and encourage us to try new things. When we broaden our existence we also usually better it.
Another source of advice on self-improvement during the ancient period was Plato, who developed his view on the correct way to live in The Symposium. Plato felt that man’s character could sharply be divided between two aspects, reason and the appetites. Accordingly each individual’s well-being could be improved if reason could come to master the sensuous pleasures and bodily appetites which govern our most basic urges. Through ignoring our short term wants and engaging our critical faculties Plato argued we would enjoy a life of inner balance and moderation, which would ultimately proof more fulfilling. Plato’s enthusiasm for restraint was also exhibited famously when he argued true love should express itself intellectually rather than physically – which is where the term Platonic love comes from.
In contrast Nietzsche thought that individual self-improvement was best brought about by neglecting society and the laws that it imposes entirely. Nietzsche held that self-development essentially meant achieving greatness and rising above other humans within society. Thus he postulated that it did the individual no good to be bound by moral laws. In his book Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche advocated human existence without any morals as they only constrained the individual’s ambitions. According to this view in order to develop the self, man ought to do whatever is necessary regardless of the harmful repercussions for others within society. Such was Nietzsche’s belief in greatness, that the individual’s awareness of truth ought also to be subordinated to it. For example, the path to political greatness might involve outstanding oratorical ability, which the individual may not have. Nietzsche would argue that rather than admitting this fact to himself the individual would do better to deny himself such truth that he might be more likely to achieve political success and greatness.
Ultimately self improvement takes time and hard work. It remains highly questionable whether reading a book or absorbing an intellectual argument can really change your life. Indeed, the business of philosophy is to find truth whatever it may be, whilst the job of the therapist is merely to find the parts of truth which concern happiness and thus energise people’s lives. The truth may be that however much time we spend at the gym, or however much time we devote to honing our nature, a certain amount of self dissatisfaction may be ineradicable.
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