The Key to Life on Earth
The Object of Human Function
Opposing forces are working endlessly at you.
Right now, your blood pushes back against atmospheric pressure, and with every turbulent breath, you exhale heat and energy. You are entropic— a reflection of the state of the Universe.
Yet, as humans, we have emerged as data processors in this chaos. We have developed tools to interpret the world and gained a sense of self. Now, we grapple with making sense of it all, assigning meaning, sharing our interpretations, and often changing our minds.
As we’ve adapted, the hours of each day have focused less on how we might each make it to the next one. Leisure has left us to ponder: Why are we here?
“Will not the knowledge of it [the object of human function], then, have a great influence on life?”
Aristotle explored the concept of eudaimonia— flourishing or living well— which he identified was the ultimate aim of human life. The focus of his exercise was to propose a framework for how individuals may achieve a life of virtue guided by reason and reflection leading toward greater fulfillment and happiness.
The Limits of Modern Happiness
Aristotle put forth that gratification wasn't precisely happiness at the most basic level. He believed that happiness was a culmination of smaller events that result in what he called "goodness,” and he believed, "-of goods, the greater is more desirable."
We all experience different kinds of positive feelings, but some seem more meaningful and lasting than others. For example, seeing your child's face and knowing the efforts you took to raise them with virtue would be the greater source of this goodness than a simple pleasure.
So, why today do we pursue pleasures and immediate gratification over what Aristotle believed to be truer fulfillment, and how has this idea of happiness affected life on Earth?
Under modern systems that we have been born into, I find that our virtue is violated by exploitative systems of corporate capitalism which we have no option but to participate in, and by them we are misguided and misinformed into the pursuit of what Aristotle would criticize as fleeting pleasures and passive enjoyments that lack true fulfillment.
It is relatively easy to do something—anything at all—that results in positive pleasurable feedback. TikTok, Postmates, TEMU. Even so, as we engage in these activities, we all seem to agree that these activities do not result in greater levels of sustained happiness in capacities we engage with them.
The Peculiarity of Man
“Life seems to be common, even to plants, but we seek what is peculiar to man.”
Aristotle argued that it is reason that sets humans apart. We possess a unique capacity for logical thought and reflection, yet we often fail to fully utilize this ability, especially when it comes to understanding the systems we live within, as human psychology is complex.
We are short-sighted in our memories, which are fallible; we are subject to the circumstances into which we were born; and due to our ability to reason, we can be convinced of explanations for societal problems that push the blame off of those who are responsible if their explanation fits our biases, of which we have little control over.
This inherent vulnerability to manipulation, coupled with our uniquely human capacity to shape our environment past that which impacts our immediate surroundings, has profound implications for our pursuit of happiness and survivability in the modern world, as we are not peculiar in our need for a healthy environment. Without it we can not survive.
This shared experience with our environment means that in a balanced world where we practice moderation and embrace regenerative futures we are also investing in our own well-being.
We must use the peculiarity of man—our capacity for reason—wisely, because if our pursuit of fleeting pleasures leads to the destruction of ecosystems, then we ultimately undermine the very foundations of our own survival, what got us here today.
We have transcended our original environmental niche, and therefore, we have a responsibility to hold accountable those who prioritize greed and excess over the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants.
Turning Human Nature into Addiction
This pursuit of fleeting pleasures, however, is not simply a matter of individual choice. The systems we live within actively encourage and have engineered this pursuit.
The orchestrators of our social systems intentionally weaponize our individual pursuit of happiness through manipulation and control of information. Powerful men pull at us with opposing wills and ideas, and capitalistic corporate structures endlessly attempt to convince us that constant happiness is and should be attainable. This message is amplified through sophisticated marketing, targeted advertising, and the strategic dissemination of misinformation, and it creates a constant state of desire and dissatisfaction.
As understanding of the mind developed, we have discovered how pleasure is a function of the brain, one that may be manipulated quite easily. Modern leaders have seen the value in using their power and wealth to exploit this to their own benefit. They have invested in research, utilizing the tools at their disposal to break down, concentrate, sublimate, and distill happiness into an addiction.
In the name of profit, we are driven to prioritize immediate personal wants and desires, creating a dysfunction where we constantly chase the next hit of dopamine for its own sake. In other words, we are trapped in the pursuit of a lesser form of happiness—one that is shallow and fleeting.
Why has this been engineered? Because it is profitable and repeatable.
Due to the collusive nature of our social system, the people behind our social structures are allowed to subjugate our virtue in this way. We become active and willing participants, and we are served a narrative of individual responsibility, one that these social elites do not subscribe to themselves.
These tools are often misused by the Capitalist class for non-virtuous, socially oppressive, and environmentally destructive policy. All as the working class is sold a message of consumption while also being told it is our fault. We are being served two incompatible ideas.
As we each strive to amass more resources for ourselves and satisfy these compulsions, our collective well-being hemorrhages, as does the ecosystem of Earth. They have commodified our basic needs, gamified our minds, and influenced unsustainable consumption patterns—all so that they may extract labor from us and sell us a version of happiness that ultimately contributes to our own demise, leaving us struggling to survive physically, socially, and emotionally.
Transcendence into Stewardship and Preservation of Universal Well-Being
Instead of asking what you can do to achieve happiness, I encourage you to ask what life—all forms of life—needs to achieve optimum well-being. Assist your fellow man in providing those needs, and happiness will follow.
Life depends on contrast. We are all different iterations of the same parent cell that began dividing at the dawn of time. Our sentience and happiness are among billions of experiments the Universe has manifested to improve upon; it has caught a glimpse of itself and does not want to be forgotten.
We are currently in a state of attrition, well past the point of moderation and moving towards excess, which ironically harms both our well-being and our environment. As children of the same parent cell, improved upon countless times, we are inherently interdependent: Life cannot exist in a vacuum.
The more we systematically eliminate other forms of life in the name of consumption, the heavier the burden of survival will be felt upon us as humans. This unsustainable system is the greatest challenge facing our generation. Biodiversity and mutual respect for all life are key to ensuring human survival and preserving the experience of happiness. For without other life forms, there is no "us," and the experience of happiness is naught.
To address this challenge, we must dismantle and reform the exploitative systems that prioritize profit over the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants. This requires holding accountable the plutocratic corporate and political leaders who perpetuate these systems and investing in regenerative systems.
We must also more closely scrutinize the value in our actions and forgo the unbridled pursuit of every whim, investing instead in the well-being of all life. When we scrutinize more carefully, we directly impact the significance of our happiness, making our lives more enjoyable.
I ruminate on this as I sit and sip my Colombian medium-roast coffee through a soggy paper straw. I acknowledge my consumption and humble myself in that I, too, consume. Even Fairtrade can’t prevent the burning of the Amazon under this system. I appreciate the Earth for providing me these resources.
I think to myself, “No, this form of pursuit is not the key to life on Earth.” If we continue to allow a select few to dictate how we extract and utilize our limited resources, the only fulfillment left will slowly dwindle within the confines of an Amazon warehouse—until it, and we, are gone.
