In my approach to teaching, I encourage students to embrace challenges and take responsibility for their pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, and ultimately, happiness. While comfort and pleasure are important aspects of a fulfilling life that should be enjoyed, focusing solely on them can lead to a sense of emptiness. True happiness isn’t found in immediate gratification across all aspects of life. Instead, a significant part of our lives should be dedicated to assuming responsibilities.
Today, many individuals feel entitled, believing they deserve rewards without putting in the effort required. However, life doesn’t operate on entitlement alone.
Consider the analogy of an artist: they achieve success through hard work and dedication and a certain degree of talent. Recognizing this fosters gratitude and fulfilment. Artists who rely heavily on talent, and not on a sense of responsibility towards their well-being and their audience sometimes succumb to addictive behaviours.
In contemporary society, there’s a prevalent argument for personal freedom without acknowledging the responsibilities that come with it. However, this mindset isn’t sustainable and doesn’t promote personal growth.
The real essence of life lies in both the enjoyment of pleasure and the willingness to assume responsibilities. Embracing challenges and taking on responsibilities are where life gains its deepest meaning. This is for some reason somehow forgotten in modern discourse in many social and political discourses including educational institutions.
Fulfilment comes from overcoming difficulties, not from chasing fleeting pleasures. Contentment arises from feeling fulfilled. Happiness thrives when we sustain this contentment by balancing empathy, responsibility, and playfulness. Achieving happiness involves understanding that character is built through a certain degree of sacrifice and the ability to delay gratification. We see these qualities in a mature person, regardless their age.
I celebrate that today we could achieve instant gratification at a click of a button. However, it’s essential to recognize that enduring fulfilment and genuine happiness stem from sustained efforts and a commitment to personal and ethical growth.
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