This will be my final post on this blog site because the semester has reached its end. In my final presentation, I talked about the sixth and seventh chapters of Life is Hard by Kiean Setiya. I enjoyed reading this book because there is an audiobook version. As a peripatetic myself, this made Setiya's writings much easier to digest. I also enjoyed listening to this book because Setiya and I have a lot of similarities in the lives we have lived. For example, the loss of a meaningful relationship, a crucial family member who has Dementia, and most importantly, having a loss of direction until learning how to reshape my thinking to cope.
The first Chapter in Life is Hard that I will go over is chapter six which is titled Abusurdity. Absurdity is not a word that I have often used or, quite frankly, ever used in a sentence, so I had to start by learning its meaning. Absurdity is something the state of something being outlandish or unreasonable. In my presentation, I gave the example of a dog named Buster and how absurd it would be to ask him to do your assignment for you when it would be more likely that Buster would eat your homework.
In Life is Hard Setyia talks about the biggest question I ask when I think of Philosophy, "what is the meaning of life?". Setyia states that if there was a single answer to this question, there would be no reason to become a philosopher. If there was a single answer or if that answer was the same for everyone, then this would have been a short class. Epicurus has a quote that resonates with me.
This quote says you should be grateful for what you have and not always be pining for the next big lavash thing; you can be pleased with a minimalist lifestyle. Here's an article to check out to give more reasons to adopt a minimalist lifestyle: 15 Science-Backed Benefits of Minimalism - Modern Minimalism
The second chapter in Life is Hard that I will discuss is chapter seven titled Hope. Hope, for the most part, is just wishful thinking. It is actually one of my pet peeves to listen to people's wishful thinking, and when they are asked what their plan of attack is to accomplish this goal, they shrug it off and move on to the next wishful thought. Hope is a great thing to have, so do not get me wrong. Hope can be a light at the end of a dark tunnel, but to achieve great things, you need to turn Hope into a goal and have a plan of action to attain your goals. Otherwise, you will wake up one day wondering why your dreams are still only dreams.
I also understand having very low energy or depressive periods in life. These are times when Hope or wishful thinking would be enough. A small bright light when everything seems so dull and dark can give a person the strength to get up. I have, like many, dealt with Depression myself and have people who are close to me who also suffer from it. So, I'll invite you to watch this very short clip on how to cope with Depression. How to Cope with Depression #animation #theschooloflife #mentalhealth
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