“We are unfortunate only when we believe that"
Seneca (Roman philosopher of the fourth century after Christ)
When Seneca said that, he thought that our
psychic states depend on our attitudes towards ourselves. Thus the unfortunate
is the one who thinks himself unfortunate. If he lives in comfortable
conditions and yet thinks himself unhappy, his belief brings him misfortune.
Seneca wants after all to say that our happiness or our misfortune is at our
disposal, as long as our attitudes towards ourselves are our determinations,
and their determination is a possible, simple and easy activity. It is
different from hard physical work such as climbing mountains, walking in the
desert or lifting weights. Seneca wants finally to tell us that the path of
happiness is very easy and simple; it suffices to reaching that, to change our
beliefs.
Is it true that our positions towards ourselves are the
cause of our mental state?
What has escaped Seneca is that belief largely reflects
what is really happening. There is determinism between reality as a cause and psychic
states as a consequence. I can not believe I feel the heat when I walk on the
snow. I can not believe to be satiated if I have not eaten for days.
When will Seneca's judgment be valid?
To be happy, it is not enough for man to think that he is
happy. He can not even believe he is happy when he lives in miserable
conditions. The first foundations of happiness are above all the foundations of
a comfortable life. We say the first basics because they can be a sufficient
reason for happiness for someone but an insufficient reason for those who have
metaphysical and existential concerns. Consequently:
- If we live in comfortable conditions and we think we are
happy, then we have all the conditions of happiness and we are really happy.
- If we live in comfortable conditions and we think we are
unhappy, then we are unhappy or at least our happiness is incomplete.
- If we live in miserable conditions and we believe that we
are unhappy, then we have all the conditions of misfortune and we are really
unhappy.
- If we live in miserable conditions and we think that we
are happy, we are either stupid or we are deceiving ourselves. Because
the main and the primary reason for happiness is to live in comfortable and
healthy material conditions. Miserable material conditions have
their authority, and the painful feelings they engender can’t be denied.
Does this mean that decent life is enough for happiness? Of
course not! We will not be happy because we live in abundance, in which case
there must be a second condition which is our belief that nothing is missing.