Reflecting

Today's Torrey session was on "King Lear". It was a good discussion, but it was also a Reynolds' led discussion, which made it even more enjoyable. The interesting thing was that we talked about being true to yourself. Most of the characters in "King Lear" do not know themselves, which is why the events unfold the way that they do. If Lear knew himself, and his position better he would not have tried to split up his kingdom. It turns out that Lear's daughter Cordelia is really the only one who truly knows herself, and she is married off to France for refusing to go along with Lear's idea.

In knowing yourself, you have to be willing and able to go to the extreme. There are two possible extremes, the good extreme and the bad extreme. Many of the world's leaders have gone to the extreme and found themselves, but have lost themselves along the way. Lennon was one such man. He killed many people and found out that he was a bloody tyrant. Cordelia, in "King Lear," on the other hand, went to the extreme, but the good extreme. She found herself and was made whole, rather than finding herself and losing some of herself in the process.

Happiness was something else we talked about. Not the fickle happiness that most people think about, but true happiness, joy. True happiness is finding the median, the average, it has to do with thriving in your circumstances, and not wishing for what you do not have. One person's average is not the same as another person's average, but it is your personal average that matters, not someone else's average.

That being said, the American culture thrives on "finding yourself." People say that if you can find yourself, you can be true to yourself, and thus be happy. What they do not realize is that because "finding yourself" requires a move to the extreme, it is not good to remain there. To find yourself is ok, but to focus too much on that, rather than on thriving where you are placed, will only bring dissatisfaction. Too much understanding is not necessary. Sometimes no understanding is needed, because the reasons behind something won't change the current situation, and could only bring about a longing for what is not. Reflecting is ok, but too much, or the wrong kind, is harmful.