Do These 3 Things to Live a More Meaningful Life
“But you, true scions of the godly race,
Rejoice you in the front of the living grace!
By ever active, ever live creation, in love’s enchanting fetters be you caught,
And that which sways in wavering revelation,
May you compact it with enduring thought.”
-Goethe, Faust part 1
German poet, philosopher, and probably the smartest person to ever live, Johann Goethe wrote arguably the greatest book ever, Faust in the year 1808. The book editor for the scholar’s edition of Faust, Cyrus Hamlin, states that the above quote from Goethe’s book “Faust” can be summarized as follows.
to enjoy the beauty of that which lives in all its diversity
to be embraced by that which comes to be in its eternal life and influence
to seize and grasp in abiding thought that which hovers before us in “wavering revelation”
Cyrus also states that it could be argued that this is Goethe’s personal philosophy for life and all of humanity. While there is so much philosophy and psychology to learn from Goethe’s Faust, the above deserves consideration.
Enjoying the beauty of that which lives in all its diversity: This can be related to art, creativity or the world around us. If we enjoy the beauty that is all around us in its various forms, it allows us to fully appreciate the world that we live in. By appreciating that which exists in the world, we can say ‘Yes’ to life instead of having a negative attitude towards life.
Embracing by that which comes to be in its eternal life and influence: This is accepting things for what they are and their impact upon us. By not trying to change things or people for who they are, we can accept the reality of what things are. If we embrace the influence of something, we can appreciate what it has to offer.
To seize and grasp in abiding thought that which hovers before us in “wavering revelation”: To seize what’s before us is the striving in life and overcoming of obstacles. We are adventurous and live life to its fullest when we reach out and grab the world before us. When we do this, we change the world to what our vision for it is rather than just let life and other people define our world. Someone is going to define our world, and it might as well be you.
Notes:
Goethe, Johann (2001). Faust. Norton Critical Edition.