When you think of happiness what do you think of?
We all will have different pictures pop into our heads, but for Aristotle, the act of studying was right there at the top (Ethics, X.8).
“Wait,” you may say. “Studying?”
For some, that word may conjure up boring classes, or stressful exams, or other images that seem anything but happy. So why did he value study so highly in the pursuit of happiness?
“Easy,” you might be thinking, “because Aristotle was a philosopher, and philosophers like to study.” And while that may be true, I think there’s something deeper going on here that applies to all of us.
The reason he valued study so highly was not because he loved to read or listen to lectures, but because he loved to “understand.” This he says, is was separates us from animals: this ability to comprehend, and understand, the world around us. And as we grow in our understanding, we experience happiness along the way as a part of the process.
Although formal eduction may have its place, there are countless ways we can grow in our understanding. And we don’t have to have money, or be famous, to participate. We can each benefit from observing the world we live in, as well the people all around us. All we have to do is be willing to pay attention.
So the questions for each of us are: _What am I learning about? Who am I learning from? How am I growing in my understanding of what I’m experience in life? _
How you go about this may look different than someone else, but investing in the virtue of study will be well worth the effort–not only in the understanding it produces, but also in the happiness in generates along the way.