I like to ask a series of "Why" questions to youth or men whenever I am giving a talk. It is kind of like what happened to those of us who had little brothers and sisters growing up; the famous "WHY?" I ask the persons, "Why did you come?" The answer usually comes down to because "I had to." I keep going; "Why didn't you stay home?" Their answer is usually because of some type of punishment of sort (not providing for the family, or my parents will keep me home on Friday). I keep going, "Why do you want to go out on Friday?" I keep going as long as time allows of "Why?" What you will get to (and you can take LONG roads for this) is, "I just want to be happy." Once you get to that answer it is as if you do not need to ask any longer. "Why is it good to be happy?" Because it is good to be happy!
The natural progression is then, "WHAT WILL MAKE ME HAPPY?" What is the goal of all of my willing and knowing? What is it that will ultimately bring me happiness. Now happiness is not blowing a party whistle at a party on top of a table (which may be fun as in the picture above), but that is not the goal. The ancients had a word for this"happiness" in greek:"eudaimonia." It means the contentment of the soul! The true contentment in being. Something we all know too well and are implicitly searching for it in all of our actions (even in politics).
Last week I introduced you to the thought of a gentleman by the name of St. Thomas Aquinas. I want to pick up where I left off. You see St. Thomas pondered these questions that we all search for, especially this one, "What will bring me perfect happiness?" Last week I asked if sex and food would bring us the full contentment of our soul, and found out it wouldn't. So then what is it? This week I use St. Thomas to ask if it is Fame, Money and Power!
Aquinas answers the common
culture’s error to honor and glory as the key to happiness.[1] This is something very obvious in our
culture. As allocated in the other
“quests,” the mass media is consumed with these endeavors. One of the common answer
for individuals presently is to be someone famous, by being a sports athlete or
an astronaut, etc.
Aquinas recognizes that honor is something conferred on
the person for what is accomplished.[2] In some cases, honor is given unjustly, as
something not deserved. One can receive
honor, even if they are a bad person, for the wrong reasons (just look at sports or politics for an example- and of course they're not all bad). It is noticeable
that this is something coming from another or from the exterior. This is the reason for it not being the key
to happiness. Nature does not bestow
this upon me, but rather the other does.
It depends on my actions, or doing something, to attain this from
others, not because it’s intrinsic of my nature, but the expression of it, or
not, is recognized. The good of the
individual’s nature must involve a specific achievement or state within the
individual, in order for it to be the true good. This must be based on a thing in the
individual that makes them proper for it.
The famous and honorable people of today will
be the forgotten persons of tomorrow.
Honor is not the end itself, but rather an effect or means to an
end.
Some
people think, especially young people, that riches (money) is the thing that
will make them happy. The love of money
is vital for the culture. With banks being robbed, the economy situation and
the many ads of individuals abusing money, it is no wonder that this becomes
the primary end for most in our culture. Just watch a music video and the different shiny "thing" and money flashed around as if it is the source of happiness.
St. Thomas elucidates on this train of thought[3], and notices it too is a means to an end.
If one were stranded on an island with all the money in
the world and they were not able to spend the money; would they truly be
happy? St. Thomas states, “…riches are
only desired for the sake of something else; they provide no good of themselves
but only when we use them…”[4] Money is not the end, but rather a means to
an end. In itself, it is practically
useless. Its value arises from the value
given to it by societies who recognize it as a medium of exchange. We value it for the sake of what can be
purchased with it as means.
What
about world power?[5]
This, too, is common to the culture. It
is in many of the world leaders (Hitler, Mussolini, etc.), all the way to the
managers of the common food mart. Power
is something that our culture is consumed in.
There is even a quote from this culture’s most notable “heroes.” “First
you get the money then you get the power.”[6]
However, St. Thomas recognizes that power in itself is neutral. It may be used for good or evil ends. In most cases, as named, it is evil, or it
could even be abused. One may value the
compassionate use of power, but that would mean power is seen as a means to an
end, namely, showing kindness. Once the
distinction is made in the good use of power, or the bad use of power, then the
recognition of there being something beyond power will determine if it is bad
or good. Again, power cannot be the goal
of all happiness.
So then, if it is not money, or power, or fame then what is it? What would bring perfect happiness? See, human nature presents something inside of us that searches for the quest for human existence and as St. Thomas puts it, "Now,
natural desire would be in vain if it
could never be fulfilled. Therefore,
man’s natural desire is capable of fulfillment…”[7] Aquinas
concludes that nothing in the experiential world can fulfill the desire of the
human will for happiness.The
desire of the person can only be satisfied with boundless or infinite
good. That infinite good is God Himself, what we call in Catholic Theology, the Beatific Vision. You see, in latin the word beatus means happy. Happiness (beatus) consists in longing for the infinitie good: Beatific Vision. So then all of our willing, and searching is implicitly the search for God. To state another way, the happiness we are searching for is ultimately found in God Himself!
[1]Thomas Aquinas, Summa Contra Gentiles, III, trans. Vernon Bourke. (Notre Dame, IN: Notre Dame Press: 1956), 3.1, 48
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