Possible Truths
"As we grow older and realize more clearly the limitations of human happiness, we come to see that the only real and abiding pleasure in life is to give pleasure to other people."
- Wodehouse
- Wodehouse
posted by La Tulipe | 11:14 AM
7 Comments:
Hmm, seems a narrow view. It is certainly ONE way to experience real and abiding pleasure. But bas written it would mean that person by themselves could not experience real and abiding pleasure. Perhaps the world was not such a wonderful and beautiful place to Wodehouse.
I don't know, I sort of like it.
If everyone's outlook was to make everyone else happy, the world would be a better place.
That's true, but can you imagine never being able to be truly happy by yourself?
To Rian, the important two words are 'abiding pleasure'.
Well, as I get older I find more sources of happiness, not more limited ones, and I find abiding pleasure in giving pleasure to others AND in simply enjoying things on my own. In truth I often find pleasure in giving pleasure to others often more fleeting as there always seems to be more caveats, qualifications, regrets and imperfections in the process. On the other hand my pleasure some simple thing in the world, seen in solitude, like a full moon on fresh fallen snow stays perfect and undiminished with time. I have more commonly (though not always) experienced such transcendant and abiding joys by myself.
Perhaps by abiding in Rian's head means...lasting after ye are gone, passed, dust in the ground?
The pleasure abides even after with others.
As rememberances of solitary moons and stars and skinny dips do not.
No, I get it. The pleasure of selfish pleasures is inherently transient, even when you are still alive, I think...a memory of a beautiful day tends to only make one annoyed that that beautiful day is not now. But the memory of having once made someone else (non-caps) laugh or smile...that can still cheer you up weeks, years later.
Although I might quibble on the matter of deeveedees.
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