Pleasure and Survival

Forgive my reverie, ladies and gentlemen. Sleep deprivation often does this to me... makes me unable to contain errant thoughts and emotions. However, I feel compelled to share some thoughts.

I have been considering the realm of possibilities in this life. So many different oppurtunities, no? Artists, bussiness owners, military personnel, politicians, philosophers, scientists, religious leaders, workers for every possible labor sector.... We humans are diverse in our pursuits. What is it that drives us?

I have discussed this with a friend before, and he put it quite succinctly. There are two main motivations in our lives: pursuit of pleasure and drive to survive (or as he put it the evasion of pain). We can translate this to every portion of daily life. How?

Let us look at the first. What is not the pursuit of pleasure these days, eh? Material possessions, fame, comfortable homes, junk food, relationships. The most immoral things are even supposed to be pleasing: drugs, alchohol, greedy pursuit of money, promiscuity, pornography. Yes, they are immoral. However, they are still in the very nature of the human psyche. As it was once put, we are capable of the most beautiful dreams and the most horrible nightmares. What brings others pain can, in some cases, bring another person pleasure. But this is not the point. What I mean to say is simply this: look at the diversity. Whether moral or immoral, there are so many things that people pursue to bring them happiness, contentment, escape from the problems in their lives. Can these be called vice? Of course. However,we all must have a vice. We all must have an outlet for our pursuit of pleasure. It simply differs from person to person.

I had assumed for the longest time that vice was inherently immoral. However, I realize now, vice can simply be defined thus: the mechanism humans find to gain pleasure in life. There are different degrees, of course. There is what I shall call passive vice and aggressive vice. Passive vice are such things as the rush of adrenaline one feels after a thrilling activity, the pursuit to fit in and belong to a group, any enjoyable activity that does not breach moral boundaries. Agressive vice is that which crosses that line. Something that is addictive, something that one cannot stop. However, we are all guilty of taking vice in one form or another. Perhaps it is simultaneously humanity's greatest strength and its greatest weakness....

The second idea is sometimes more easily seen, but sometimes not. Take first the broad scope. We drive to succeed in life, to avoid embarrassing circumstances, and to thrive in our communities, whatever those may be. We strive, in essence, to survive in the world around us. In certain aspects, this drive is more passive. We strive to avoid the pain of drama, to pursue activities that we know to be safe.This is the line between pursuit of pleasure and desire to survive; sometimes, our thirst for happiness drives us to take risks, while our survival instincts compel us to be safe. Other times it is more aggressive. Any Wall Street businessman will tell you the free market is simply a battleground for survival, to market and promote one's interests and assets abovea multitude of others. Any soldier will tell you that the military, the wars they participate in, the very life of a soldier is a constant struggle.We fight to maintain balance, to serve others while still holding on to ourselves. There is a reason why Suicide Prevention Training is prevalent in the Army... even soldiers sometimes have trouble coping. I know. It is a hard life. It is a struggle to survive.

However, the simple instinct to survive is not something we can simply turn off. Think about it. If you find yourself at ease or at peace in your daily life, consider whether that itself is a logical response. There are so many factors fighting to destroy the human body and mind, to tear us apart, to defeat us. Whether it is a rival person who wishes for us to be triumphed over or a microscopic organism which infects your body, every moment you are alive you are at war. It is evident in our physiology: do we not react instinctively to danger? Do we not always move to protect ourselves and others from harm? We evade pain on a daily basis, aswe should. The univerese is a war zone...

THe point of this rant? Consider these two things. First, what vices do you pursue? Are they aggressive or passive? Harmful or helpful? We all have the choice to choose who we are (read my earlier posts). What do your vices say about you?

Second, how much do you wish to survive? Let me correlate this to a clearer and more profound point by showing examples. A person can be happy in life, secure in their beliefs, and content with themselves. However, they can either be ignorant of their surroundings or aware. Look at the average American or European compared to the average tribesman in Africa. WHo is more fit to survive? The tribesman may lead a more dangerous and risky life, but I would put my money on him to be alive if disaster were to strike. He will endure because he wishes to fight, to survive. Any average "civilized" person pales in comparison to him. The simple reason for this is that they have had no reason to practice their survival instincts. But ask yourself, is this truly intelligent? Murphy's Law applies to everyone... we may think we are insulated in our cities and comfortable surroundings, but we are not. How much do you wish to survive?

As always, the point of this note is not to point out specific flaws. They are simply observations. If you take this note personally.... maybe you need to take a look at yourself.

I take it very personal. Make what you will of that.