The Capacity for Happiness and Respectability

People are liable to experience many different afflictions, but they’re commonly endowed with a potential for happiness and respectability. There’s no certainty, but that they may exercise this capability in any respect times and to the maximum, whatever occurs. Depression and shame remain a possibility, that increases with the severity of their afflictions and the problem of living up to the values that are necessary for their happiness and respectability: courage, efficiency, wisdom, and nobility.

Living up to these values is never simple, even under exceptionally favorable conditions. It takes an effort of will. To create or not to create this effort is the question, central to the human existence. This issue is hard in proportion to the burden of suffering that bears on people, while their dignity hangs in the balance. The more burdensome this burden, the more tempting it would be for them to choose the easy way out. The anxiety of losing their dignity, nevertheless, is a strong deterrent. There’s no greater loss than that of dignity, save the reduction of life itself. Yet, the simple way out would be a really strong temptation in very adverse conditions. Giving up instead of living to the values mentioned previously is subsequently deplorable but clear. Excruciating conditions are extenuating ones.

Amazingly enough, regardless of the burden of suffering that is oppressive to many, the incidence of ethical collapse in the form of errant ways like carelessness, vagrancy, along with offense, frequently accompanied by alcohol or drug abuse to fuddle the conscience is modest as compared with the incidence of worthy behaviour. Furthermore, a moral collapse is remediable, except when the individual concerned demonstrates an inveterate or congenital weakness, or a mental illness that is beyond cure. Overall, dignity can be lost and recovered.

As for those who withstand quitting the struggle for value, they seldom do their best. Oftentimes their spirit is tainted with a certain amount of indulgence in laziness, cowardliness, ineffectiveness, foolishness, selfishness, and meanness. It’s got the grayness of dawn. Even those who shine like a late afternoon sunlight possess a shadow of imperfection in their heels. In short, humanity has yet to fulfill its own potential. Though there is lack courage, efficiency, wisdom, and nobility in the planet, much happiness and respectability, there could be a good deal more. The key to this rise is that an effort of will.