I would like to share a bit on my delights in the philosopher Schopenhauer. I have occasionally had the insight that the most important thing we can possibly do is to let the present be what it is, without the illusion that it could be something else. This is actually an extremely difficult thing to do. I am often reminded of Schopenhauer's philosophy, as I believe he reflected on endless desire (the longing for more) as the root of all suffering. So, the one thing that holds us back from being in the present is the relentless desire for something else.
I guess the only way of entering into this discussion is to say: most people aren't aware of the destructiveness of their desires. Even though we often associate desire with something carnal (such as lust or endless hours spent in front of facebook or cellphones), it isn't just these distracting and trivial things that form the core of our desires. We think of our work, for example, as a culmination of who we are, often not aware that as workers, we can easily be replaced. What was once a lucrative profession in the 80s or 90s is now being done by AI or some other kinds of automation. We cannot possibly "gum" ourselves to our jobs, any more than we can align our identities with our houses, our choice of vehicle, or the clothes that we wear. And yet, underneath the striving to acquire these things is the belief that they define who we are, and therefore, we cannot be "complete" without them.
The same goes with work itself, and that endless striving for recognition--one of the Eight Winds that I had referred to in my previous entry. We want more recognition, so we work harder and even strive to be "better" than our peers. Writing one book isn't good enough, so we need to write a second and a third. One educational degree is simply not enough to fill a wall full of degrees and accolades--the degree needs to be followed by another. Why? It's because we are often in the habit of associating who we are with the things we have acquired, including status markers. It is not enough for us to simply say, "whoever I am is enough", because when we peer into that void of the self, we find something endless and infinite, as well as completely unpredictable. So we need to feel the stability and security of knowing who we are at any given time.
It's not necessary, at least to my mind, to "let go of" or "detach" from desires all at once, like we are putting down a bunch of heavy luggage. Instead, we need to be aware of the ensnaring nature of desires, and how we are entangled. We become entangled through hypervigilance to protect what we desire and get rid of what we dislike. Our lives become complicated by the needs for safety and security, as we calculate our investments and figure out which one will lead us to the best result. All the while, we don't realize that there is no stability in anything, really. What seems a safe and good bet today may easily end in something disastrous tomorrow.
Knowing these things, I think Schopenhauer's philosophy is based on the idea that we should utilize art and even asceticism to take a deeper look at the suffering desires create. We are swamped in our desires and in others' desires as well. It's nearly impossible to lead a simple life when we are ensnared in our own desires and others desires, and when people even compete to have their desires and needs met. If a group of people equally desire things, then they may fight to the bitter death to have their own needs met, like the time in COVID 19 when people hoarded toilet paper. Couples fight endlessly over competing desires, such as for money, property, how to invest time and energy, and it just builds walls of resentment. Is that the kind of life we would want? We need to prioritize peaceful mind, simplicity, letting go. Otherwise our lives just become proliferating cancers of thoughts that seem super urgent and important, only to later take on an effervescent and fleeting appearance.
Looking back, it seems silly, but anything can become a symbol of our longing for security and safety, whether it's a degree, or toilet paper, or a house, or a job. These "things", so called, are actually really just relationships. A degree, for example, often means nothing unless you live in a country where the status of that degree is recognized and you are at least able to exercise the skills you had acquired with that degree. Knowing that our desires relate to interconnected arrangements (not static "things") can help us let go of an overinvestment in desire.
I wrote a lot about desire tonight, but the point I want to make is, we need to look at all desire closely, with the mind of: is all this wanting making me happy? When I get what I think I want, will I be happy? Will those around me be happy? If people fight to have their needs met, is the fighting really worth it, or does it only lead to alienation and a more solid sense of "separate I"? These are questions I need to ask myself every day. But at the end of the day, even thoughts are only temporary. So let's not get attached to thoughts.
"Negative" resignation is the one we are more familiar with: "I give up" and "I give in". A more positive view of resignation is the unburdening of the self: I choose not to let things get to me too much, including the striving for knowledge, truth, recognition, identity. These are only temporary and they often lead to more inner stress than they were ever worth striving for.
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