What is a "Good Life"?

This is an exercise from "The Story of Philosophy" by Will Durant. <br><br>All feedback is appreciated!<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>\======================<br><br>\#1: The pleasure of the moment is all that matters in this life, and that whenever this pleasure is unqualified, I should pursue it without fear or shame.<br><br><br><br>\#2: I would rather suffer evil than perpetrate it.<br><br><br><br>\#3: The supreme delight in this world is to make others happy.<br><br><br><br>\#4: The most important thing in life is to stop saying and start doing.<br><br><br><br>\#5: Nothing is as soothing to an idiot as rubbing his belly.<br><br><br><br>\#6: The supreme virtue of a human being is the ability to make decisions.<br><br><br><br>\#7: The best thing in life is to fall in love.<br><br><br><br>\#8: The greatest of all virtues is kindness.<br><br><br><br>\#9: If you do not raise your own food you should not get overly attached to the people who do.<br><br><br><br>\#10: The greatest thing in life is friendship.<br><br><br><br>\#11: I can resist anything but temptation.<br><br><br><br>\#12: The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.<br><br><br><br>\#13: The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy.<br><br><br><br>\#14: The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.<br><br><br><br>\#15: The good life is one of tranquility, in which one is free to engage in the quiet contemplation of nature.<br><br><br><br>\#16: I have the courage to believe. <br><br><br><br>\#17: I can resist anything but temptation.<br><br><br><br>\#18: The greatest of all virtues is kindness.<br><br><br><br>\#19: The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up.<br><br><br><br>\#20: People are made to be loved, and things are made to be used.<br><br><br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_<br><br>1, 7, 11, and 17 are all about pleasure, both momentary and long term. This is about seeking happiness and enjoyment. Epicurus, who said "not what we have, but what we enjoy, constitutes our happiness" would agree with \#7.<br><br><br><br>2, 5, 14, 18. These are about virtues and ethics both of self and others. This is about seeking happiness through living a good life and respecting the lives of others. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Love your neighbor as yourself. These two commandments are the foundation of all the rest of the law." St. Matthew <br><br><br><br>3 and 19 are about making others happy and seeking happiness through them. Those who live for other people have the most interesting lives. <br><br><br><br>4 and 20 both are about living deliberately and on your own terms. Society is full of conditioned behavior, become aware of yourself and your actions and you'll have more control over your life. <br><br><br><br>6 and 16 are about self confidence and self trust. Society is full of fear, and whenever this fear arises, trust yourself, believe in yourself, you can get through anything. <br><br><br><br>9 is reminiscent of Masanobu Fukuoka "The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings." I don't know what it specifically means to live a good life, but this is the closest thing I've come to understanding it. <br><br><br><br>10 is from Aristotle, and is about community and friendship. Aristotle believed that the key to happiness was living in a community. While living for oneself can be powerful, and living for others can be fulfilling, living within a community can improve the lives of everyone involved. <br><br><br><br>12 is from Bertrand Russel, and he believed that the good life was one of love and clarity. He said "the good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge." Or, as Alan Watts said, "Without love, you can have all the knowledge in the world and still be ignorant." <br><br><br><br>13 is from Seneca, who believed that the obstacle to a good life is the chaos around us. By clearing out the clutter, the mind can start to see through the mess, and the good life can be lived. <br><br><br><br>15 is from Epicurus, who lived a simple life in Athens, and believed that the key to happiness was living in accordance with nature. <br><br>So what is the "Good Life"? To me, there is no one answer, it is different for everyone and is whatever you believe it is. Society has many conditioned narratives on how we should live and what success is, so it is important to reflect on what really matters and how you want to live your life.