Since the late 1990’s, Alain de Botton has been breaking down difficult philosophical and literary ideas and seeing how they apply to people’s everyday lives. He did this with his 1997 bestseller, How Proust Can Change Your Life. And he took things a step further with his television series called Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness. The episode above delves into Nietzsche’s belief that happiness only comes about with great effort and hardship. In the remaining five episodes, de Botton gets into Socrates on self confidence, Seneca on anger, Epicurus on happiness, Montaigne on self-esteem, and Schopenhauer on love. Each episode runs about 25 minutes. You can also find all six episodes neatly displayed on one page here.
Nietzsche’s words… “That which does not kill me… makes me stronger.” Who amongst us hasn’t heard this said in one way or another in our life. A statement profound in its simplicity….
Ask Yourself…
Copyright 2007 Michael Gibbowr
The Failure of my Failures
Is that they never failed to Fail to Remind me
That Failure is a singular Act of Misfortune
That at Worst is Troublesome and at Best Temporary
But in time my Daddy’s Words
Filtered through my Troubled Nights
Reminding me of the Basics
And Set my Mind Aright
“It’s Better to have Failed at Something…
Than to Succeed at Nothing!” He’d Always Say
And as it turned out Those Words
Would Prove to be a Light in my Darkest Days
He also Taught that Living Life on Purpose
Will Exact a Price you’ll Have To Pay
And that come Right or Wrong
From your Principles you should Never Stray
He Taught me that Duty, Honor, Country
Are More than a Metaphor
He Did this By Example
Who could ask for more…?
And though many are those who’ve pointed out
My Daddy’s Feet of Clay
My Opinion of the Man
Is Not Inclined to Sway
Not just Because I Learned From Him
How to Be the Man that I’ve Become
But because the Content of His Character
Exceeded All He’d ever Said or Done
Having lived some myself
With a Fair Share of Flaws of My Own
And Observed the Inclination of Many
To Criticize from the Safety of their Comfort Zone
I’m of the Opinion
That a Life that is Wholly Lived
Is one that is Often Scarred by Circumstance
Having Dared to Risk It All in the Effort That You Give
Yes you could Live Comfortably in Quiet Desperation
As the world proceeds to Pass you By
And that Safely Sheltered World
May offer Little Cause to Cry
But then you have to Ask Yourself
At the Risk of Failure, Tears and Pain
If the Pursuit of Your Better Self
Is Worth what it Costs Without Compromise to Claim
Only You Can Answer That Question
Just as of myself I’ve had to do
Is It Worth The Risk Of Failure
To Be A Better You…?