The Lotus Eaters
One of the most important lessons I've learned about life came from Homer's "The Odyssey". I read about this journey four years ago, and the part that still stands out to me is about the Lotus Eaters.
"On the tenth day we reached the land of the Lotus-eaters, who live on a food that comes from a kind of flower. Here we landed to take in fresh water, and our crews got their mid-day meal on the shore near the ships. When they had eaten and drunk I sent two of my company to see what manner of men the people of the place might be, and they had a third man under them.
"They started at once, and went about among the Lotus-eaters, who did them no hurt, but gave them to eat of the lotus, which was so delicious that those who ate of it left off caring about home, and did not even want to go back and say what had happened to them, but were for staying and munching lotus with the Lotus-eaters without thinking further of their return.
"Nevertheless, though they wept bitterly I forced them back to the ships and made them fast under the benches. Then I told the rest to go on board at once, lest any of them should taste of the lotus and leave off wanting to get home, so they took their places and smote the grey sea with their oars."
The two questions I had to ask myself are 1) Why did Odysseus pull his men away from eternal bliss, and 2) Was it really eternal bliss? Eating the Lotus flower meant being in a euphoric state for all eternity, as long as you kept eating it. It would have freed the men from all of their troubles and misery, indefinitely. In reality, this scenareo reminds me of a drug addiction, and how people will abuse narcotics in order to reach a euphoric state and escape from the harsh reality of life. I suppose this also applies to the plethora of other ways people manage to escape from their troubles. Sounds great on a superficial level, but what are the consequences?
Well the consequences are different for everyone, but universally, you ultimately are rejecting everyone and everything out of your life when you puruse a hedonistic pleasure like this. Your mind will become fixated on your own pleasure and your purpose will become fixated on renewing this high. How can you know happiness or real emotion, when you can never feel pain? Would you ever want to feel pain? What becomes the purpose in life if you're always in this euphoric state? Will all meaning be lost? How will others react and what becomes the value of your own life?
There are an infinite number of questions to ask and consider on this matter. For myself, I can say that my views are parallel to Odysseus', and I would have pulled the men away from the lotus flower too. This simple passage is what directed me away from drugs and alcohol and I'm thankful I had a teacher intelligent enough to read this passage to a bunch of highschoolers. Every moment I spend away from the euphoria and escape of the metaphorical lotus flower is another moment I can spend finding purpose and direction. I feel that the ultimate happiness and the most fullfillment one can achieve out of life comes from having a sense of purpose. A sense of purpose that is achieved through taking responsibility for your actions and building healthy relationships with others. Life is pain, people are hell, but deep down I know I am better off taking life head on in order to build a sense of purpose than going down the path of the Lotus Eaters.
"On the tenth day we reached the land of the Lotus-eaters, who live on a food that comes from a kind of flower. Here we landed to take in fresh water, and our crews got their mid-day meal on the shore near the ships. When they had eaten and drunk I sent two of my company to see what manner of men the people of the place might be, and they had a third man under them.
"They started at once, and went about among the Lotus-eaters, who did them no hurt, but gave them to eat of the lotus, which was so delicious that those who ate of it left off caring about home, and did not even want to go back and say what had happened to them, but were for staying and munching lotus with the Lotus-eaters without thinking further of their return.
"Nevertheless, though they wept bitterly I forced them back to the ships and made them fast under the benches. Then I told the rest to go on board at once, lest any of them should taste of the lotus and leave off wanting to get home, so they took their places and smote the grey sea with their oars."
The two questions I had to ask myself are 1) Why did Odysseus pull his men away from eternal bliss, and 2) Was it really eternal bliss? Eating the Lotus flower meant being in a euphoric state for all eternity, as long as you kept eating it. It would have freed the men from all of their troubles and misery, indefinitely. In reality, this scenareo reminds me of a drug addiction, and how people will abuse narcotics in order to reach a euphoric state and escape from the harsh reality of life. I suppose this also applies to the plethora of other ways people manage to escape from their troubles. Sounds great on a superficial level, but what are the consequences?
Well the consequences are different for everyone, but universally, you ultimately are rejecting everyone and everything out of your life when you puruse a hedonistic pleasure like this. Your mind will become fixated on your own pleasure and your purpose will become fixated on renewing this high. How can you know happiness or real emotion, when you can never feel pain? Would you ever want to feel pain? What becomes the purpose in life if you're always in this euphoric state? Will all meaning be lost? How will others react and what becomes the value of your own life?
There are an infinite number of questions to ask and consider on this matter. For myself, I can say that my views are parallel to Odysseus', and I would have pulled the men away from the lotus flower too. This simple passage is what directed me away from drugs and alcohol and I'm thankful I had a teacher intelligent enough to read this passage to a bunch of highschoolers. Every moment I spend away from the euphoria and escape of the metaphorical lotus flower is another moment I can spend finding purpose and direction. I feel that the ultimate happiness and the most fullfillment one can achieve out of life comes from having a sense of purpose. A sense of purpose that is achieved through taking responsibility for your actions and building healthy relationships with others. Life is pain, people are hell, but deep down I know I am better off taking life head on in order to build a sense of purpose than going down the path of the Lotus Eaters.