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Our True Nature Is To Be Happy
So why are people so miserable?
The philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau said “Man is born free and everywhere is in chains”. I remember reading this in a high school English class. But what does it even mean?
There are actually multiple ways to interpret it, which is true of many philosophical phrases.
While Rousseau focuses quite a bit on social systems, other thinkers view that phrase from a more individualistic viewpoint.
Rousseau assumed that man, in his natural state, is designed for goodness. Both in terms of how he relates to others but also in terms of how he feels.
When I pondered this, I found myself asking the following types of questions:
- Am I happy?
- Am I free?
- Do I experience peace?
- Do I feel joy?
- Does my work matter?
- Are my relationships fulfilling?
If I answered “no” to these questions, then I had to ask myself why. I had to find the root cause. For me, I decided that if I felt anxious or worried, it was because of my own thoughts, attitude, and focus.
A quote misattributed to the great Chinese thinker, Lao Tzu, says, “If you are depressed, you are living…
