The Good Life
I think we all have the same idea of the good life, which is simply to be happy. Happiness, however, takes on an entirely new meaning as you go from person to person. For me, “the good life” is one where I have complete understanding of myself. Rather than control emotions, which I think is impossible, I would be able to reason with and react more rationally to certain situations, good and bad. This sort of enlightenment would produce a more complete version of me.
To achieve this “good life” I would first need an understanding of the world around me. I would have to be able to take everything for what it is and nothing less. Love would also play a role. I do not mean love in the sense of the yearning for heartfelt companionship, but the appreciation of all things good and bad. Along with love and understanding, I think one must possess confidence. This is not only the confidence in ones ability, but also the confidence to be confident. I believe society has had us believe that overconfidence is a thing. I do not think there’s a problem with having strong belief in oneself. I think many people now miss out on reaching their full potential because they’re afraid to be as great as they think they are. Lastly, courage must be exhibited. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the strength to fight in the face of it.
I think with the virtues above, an individual might reach complete understanding of oneself, thus allowing for maximum satisfaction when executing the daily tasks of being human. The result would be a society in which we all reach full potential within our individual realms. From this would come happiness or “The Good Life”.