There are two ideas that I like most from this chapter...
The first one has to do with the comparison that Savater does between the ones that are born rats and the ones that are born lions... I do live the idea of the rat asking itself "what is going to happen to me?" and the lion asking itself "what am I going to do?"... I really feel identified with such a comparison since it sometimes happens to me that at some moment I ask myself if what I'm doing is because I want to do it or if it has some external reason...
It's true that there are meny things that I simply do because I want to and I'm willing to do them at that moment, but it's also true that sometimes I found myself suffering what I'm doing instead of enjoying it... The fact is that it is very difficult for to draw a line between what I do for pleasure and what I have to do, e.g. the fact that I have to get up too early in the morning to travel every day to the place in which I'm studying is a direct consequence of my choosing to study in that place and not in some other one nearer my home... So, if I decide to live my life as a lion I'll have to say that it doesn't matter because it's a consequence of my own decision, but if decide to be like the rat I'll claim that it's unfair and that I do not deserve it because it has just happened to me and I have nothing to do with it...
Now, if I decide to live like a rat I would have a terrible problem since I wouldn't be living my life but suffering it... however, if I decide to live like a lion I'm going to be proud of what I'm doing and feel satisfied since in spite of the fact that all that I'm doing is not something easy I'm doing it because I want to, because it's the life I want to live...
What a difficult issue! Well, at least it is so for me as I'm in a period of my life in which I don't know where I'm standing, if I'm the lion or the rat... I think that at least most of the time I'm like the lion but, as I'm not perfect and I'm just learning how to cope with everything, I have to say that sometimes I found myself thinking like a rat...
And finally I want to say that I do believe that the best way to live our lives (if we want to be loved and have a good human life) is to be able to empathise with the others, the main idea entailed in this concept is to be able to feel what someone else feels. So if we feel sad when someone feels sad and we feel happy when someone feels happy we won't make them feel sad or bad but, on the contrary, we will try to make them feel well, happy, joyful... As we are all humans, we are the only ones that can understand and feel what someone else (another human being) is feeling, so don't miss this incredible oportunity to live the human life we are aiming to... don't forget that the only way of living a good human life is to share it with another person, with another human being!
"I think there's something more, life's worth living for
Who knows what could happen
Do what you do, just keep on laughing
One thing's true, there's always a brand new day
I'm gonna live today like it's my last day"
(Avril Lavigne, "Who knows". Album: Let Go)
I love this song and I think it expresses clearly what I'm trying to say...
("I'm gonna live today like it's my last day", I believe in this line she wants to say that she will live her everyday life cheerfully and enthusiastically... and I think it also related to the fact that if we want to do something why don't we do it today instead of posponing it...)
I know that it's very difficult sometimes, but... just keep on laughing!!!
3 comentarios:
I felt identified with the example as you Ale!!Let me tell you something: when we want to reach something(e.g. to be a teacher) we must do things that we like and that we don`t, but sooner or later we will be enjoing our achievement.
Perhaps we're born both rats and lions, Ale, and "the rat" in us is the one who has actually not made a choice about how to live (I mean,Savater's imbecile)?
I wouldn't expect a "human-lion" (if you allow me the metaphore) never to regret their choices... Learning perfection can only be found in death seems a much more realistic aim to me... And, if you don't mind my saying so, I think it's great you're questioning yourself about such options... that shows us all the lioness in you! ;-)
Keep living!
Gladys
PS: this great discussion of "the rat or the lion" can be seen in Psychology when you read about " attribution theory". Let me know if you enjoy the link!
PS2: in case anyone is interested, you can watch Avril Lavigne singing the song Ale talks about here.
What a moment for me to talk about this issue of being a rat or a lion... I have to say that my last days have not been my best ones and I'm a little bit blue...and of course that I'm not a human-lion and it's not my aim either...
But well, the only thing that I can tell you is that I'm doing my best to go on and to not give up doing what I love and I want to relate this with what Lau said about things that we like and things that we don't like while trying to achieve something since that is happening to me now...
Luckily and thanks God I'm not alone and I have beautiful people surrounding me: my boyfriend, my friends, my family and you! Yes you! My classmates and my teachers (and especially you Gladys 'cause you're always encouraging me through this blog :D)
Thanks a lot! :)
It's very difficult when you stop being the one who is always trying to cheer others up...
All the same, I'm still here! :)
Ale
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