Is There Something Called “Good Life”?

Is There Something Called A “Good Life”?

Is there truly something called “Good Life” in this world or even in this vase Universe?
People define good life in several ways. If every written article on this question in books, magazines, blogs, internet postings and any other media is analyzed, we can find that people believe good life is:

  • living morally under religious laws;
  • belief in God and live life as it comes;
  • living in luxury and comfort;
  • study, get a good job, grow a good family and live as a good human being;
  • raising and guiding children to achieve the life of their dreams;
  • living without any harm to others;
  • living healthy with contentment;
  • be good to all, help others and live selflessly;
  • enjoying nature’s beauty and living without ego;

Does any one of the above or anything that you may think of, truly define a good life? Whatever you believe or

feel, keep it aside until you read this book. We will review them later.

All my life, I have been hearing people including my parents, our family, teachers, religious gurus, leaders, counselors, spiritual guides, yoga masters etc preaching or simply stating to have a good life. Each of them had a different view of what truly constitute a good life. When I grew, I had the opportunity to travel to many countries across the world and my job took me to deep corners of those countries not just the capital cities and business towns. In those travels, I heard further extended views of what a good life is about.

However, I have never seen anyone so far living a good life as everyone’s life seems to be perplexing and baffling with some kind of complications. From an external perspective, people would seem to be happy but if one looks deeply, each of them would invariably be carrying a story of loss or complexity or sadness. Life actually goes on and in the current world of face book and Instagram, everyone is really forced to show a happy face. In fact, every human being has become a “emoji” today.

I have seen, worked and moved with people of super intelligence as well as utter stupidity, extreme skills as well as utter dullness, maturity as well as silliness, good as well as bad attitude, high integrity as well as dishonesty, extreme wealth as well as extreme poverty, sincere as well as insincere, extreme as well as poor aptitude and from industrialists, politicians, businessmen, project leaders, spiritual and religious personalities, economists and auditors, bankers and investors, entertainment personalities and branding experts, students and youth to people of every day normal existence. None of the characteristics or profession listed here can demonstrate that just because the people who are better off than others would lead a good life. It can easily be observed by anyone that
their way of life is defined mostly by their characteristics and professions according to this skills and perceptions but there is absolutely no indication of a good life despite many claim that they do but invariably with some qualifiers or exceptions.

A particular skillset allows one to excel in his/her profession, but it does not automatically transform them to live a good life.

It does not demonstrate that he/she lives a good life. In fact, there are several top experts of their
profession or big celebrities who live a pathetic personal life. They show off to the outside world with big smiles and actions that they live a good life, but it is nothing but an act. All of us know this and hence I don’t need to produce a list of such personalities.

However, if challenged, people would defend their case by listing their definition of a good life but those definitions are perceived by their belief system.

People mix up good life with other factors like:

  • comfort;
  • luxury;
  • professional achievement;
  • health;
  • charity;
  • religion and God;
  • marriage and family;
  • parenting and children;
  • a long list of others

Even if someone leads a life with a combination of many of the above, it does not constitute a good life.

Then what is the right definition of a good life?

Be patient. I am not yet ready to answer that question. We will analyze that together in this series. Hence please walk through this series with me. You don’t need to contribute directly but ask the questions yourself and seek answers as I seek in this series. At the end, we both may agree or disagree but the whole purpose of this series is to invoke the thought process in each of us to deliberate, contemplate, question, analyze and find the true meaning of what “a good life” is about.

Share Article :

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *