“Remember
that corollary which I emphasized when speaking to you a little while ago, and
reason thus therefrom:
“While
happiness is the absolute good, it is plain that all good men become good by
virtue of the very fact that they are good. But we agreed that happy men are as
gods. Therefore this is the reward of the good, which no time can wear out, no
power can lessen, no wickedness can darken; they become divine.
“In
this case, then, no wise man can doubt of the inevitable punishment of the
wicked as well. For good and evil are so set, differing from each other just as
reward and punishment are in opposition to each other. Hence the rewards, which
we see fall to the good, must correspond precisely to the punishments of the
evil on the other side.
“As,
therefore, honesty is itself the reward of the honest, so wickedness is itself
the punishment of the wicked. Now whosoever suffers punishment, doubts not that
he is suffering an evil. If, then, they are ready so to judge of themselves,
can they think that they do not receive punishment, considering that they are
not only affected but thoroughly permeated by wickedness, the worst of all
evils?”
—from
Book 4, Prose 3
Distracted
by the expectation of further reward, I will look to everything except myself
in order to find happiness for myself. I am caught up in a sort of moral version
of the red herring fallacy, drawing attention to the good of something over
there when I should rather be concerned with the good of this right here.
“Did my
situation bring me greater wealth, or power, or fame, or gratification?” This
is a case of apples and oranges, because these things have nothing directly to
do with my happiness. However much I may prefer such conditions, they will not
make me better or worse.
“Have I
done right? Was I thoughtful, sincere, and kind?” Now I am back on topic. I am
recognizing the simple fact that how well I live is itself the only standard of
how complete, and therefore how contented and fulfilling, my life can be.
Lady
Philosophy again tells us that because the good man is also the happy man, the
good man is also the divine man. I may express this with all the poetic images,
or profound theology, or inspiring mysticism that I like, but it really just
boils down to recognizing that the more anything acts according to its own nature,
the more perfect it becomes, and the more perfect it becomes, the more it
becomes like God, the measure of all perfection.
The
apple tree, or the orange tree, or a creature like me, will all be satisfied
when they are realizing themselves, consciously or unconsciously, in their own
distinct ways. They can be at peace when their proper work is being done.
Nothing else is required of them.
Conversely,
the apple tree, or the orange tree, or a creature like me, will all be
dissatisfied when they fail to realize themselves, consciously or
unconsciously, in their own distinct ways. They can only strive to become more
while there is work left to do. Something else is still required of them.
And so
it is that the virtuous and the vicious stand in contrast to one another. In
one there is presence, and in the other there is absence. This tree has borne
fruit, and that tree is still barren. Here is achievement, and there is failure.
This is the difference between happiness and misery.
Though I
may not always understand how or why, I do know when I am in distress. The unease
tells me that something isn’t right, that something must be done to make it
better, that a need must be fulfilled. If I look honestly within myself, I will
see that my emptiness can only come from failing to attend to my own character.
All rewards and punishments of life hang in the balance here.
Written in 11/2015
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