Living a good life means that one is happy and contented with the life that they are living. In other words, a good life can be explained as a lie whereby one satisfies and fulfilled. This is in terms of their standards of living and the achievements of the being able to access the various things needed to make life comfortable. The definition of a good life may vary across different people as everyone has their own definition of their life desires, and the priorities that they have. When human beings consider their lives to be good, it means that they are able to access the important things in life that give them desired comfort. Some of the major elements of a good life are such as health, happiness, and peace.
Having good health is paramount and is part of living a good life. According to Cottingham, “Those who have health, or power, or authority, have commonly better reason to be in humor with the world”(604). As per the explanation, it is clear that the people that have good health plus other worldly status such as power have a good life. One of the major things that makes life to be considered as one of the things that makes up a good life is the joy and capability that it awards a person with. When human beings are sick they are unable to live a good life as they are often unable to work, enjoy life or even socialize. Lack of good health means constant medication and high expenses in trying to treat the diseases for one to recover. Sicknesses such as cancer, and even diabetes have been seen to deprive people off their abilities to do things as before and hence leading miserable lives.
Leading a good life means that one is happy and is contented with the life that they live. Human beings are different and so are the things that make them happy. Generally, the feeling of happiness is fundamental for one to live a happy life as it brings about appreciation of life a general positive attitude towards life. Cottingham writes that, “John Stuart Mill was right in his contention that the Benthamite conception of happiness stood in need of enlargement” (542). In this excerpt, Mill explains the need for happiness in human beings, as a way that makes it possible for human to have more creative powers. This proves that for one to live a good life, they have to be happy as it has positive implications such as it improves the human creative capabilities.
For human beings, leading a good life means that they have the desired peace mentally and within their minds. The human brain controls every activity in the body, and in the case that one is not at peace, it is impossible for one to derive a good life in terms of being happy and enjoying the opportunity plus chances that they have. According to Cottingham, “Inward
peace of mind, consciousness of integrity, a satisfactory review of our own conduct; these are circumstances very requisite to happiness”(505). The explanation gives a very elaborate break down on the importance of peace for human beings to have a good life. By understanding the power that the human brain has, lack of peace would render anyone mentally unstable and unhappy. This helps to explain that it is not about how much one has in terms of resources, but in terms of how they feel and the benefit that it brings to their lives.
Leading a good life has proven to be dependent on a lot of factors that are necessary in the human life. This is because human beings need various things in their life to lead a good life and be happy. Nevertheless, it has been proved that it is not about how much, but the impact that it brings has on one’s life.
Works Cited
Cottingham, John G. Western Philosophy: An Anthology. Wiley-Blackwell, 2019.
write