Some positive thoughts at year end

Two weeks after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States in November 2016, my column in this newspaper was entitled “It’s ‘gut-check’ time folks…”. There were concerns at that time about the economic impact of future decisions made in the U.S. posing challenges to our quality of life, especially if the world economy took a tumble.

Little did we know that three years later we would be questioning not only the economic, national security and trade decisions of our southern neighbour, but also checking our own moral compass.... to confirm how far we two nations seem to have drifted apart in our understanding of what is right and wrong in the way people live their lives and relate to each other.

So, going back to square one, what wisdom can we re-learn from the past as to how people should conduct themselves in life. Organised religions such as Christianity have belief systems primarily devoted to the worship of their deities, with limited advice to offer on interpersonal relationships, beyond the “golden rule” ...do unto others as you would have them do unto you, etc.

Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, who lived 500 years before Christ, emphasized personal morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. Interestingly, he was a senior civil servant and advisor to several Chinese emperors and not a prophet.

The ancient Greeks explored the notion of living “the good life” based on the writings of Plato and Aristotle, also much before Christianity appeared on the scene.

I discovered recently a collection of fundamental truths under the rubric of “humanism”, akin to those ancient Greek philosophies. They present a range of propositions as to how people could live the good life and relate to each other for their common good.

I found them to be particularly helpful in these troubled times, and worth sharing.... a kind of a checklist we can measure ourselves against; and compare with the recent behaviour of our southern neighbours....and perhaps be thankful.

The first piece of advice is that “good lives” must be meaningful or purposeful to the people living them. One of Oscar Wilde’s most quoted remarks is that everyone’s map of the world should have a “Utopia” on it – and all good things find purpose in worthwhile dreams or ideals.

The next principle is that good lives are lived in relationships, having at their core real intimacy - love, or friendship. Human’s are essentially social beings and good relationships make for better people.

A third is that good lives are full of activity - of doing, making or learning. What would a life of complete ease without demands or obligations produce of value? A lengthy beach holiday, or constant binging on Netflix movies are examples of pointless recreation that come to mind.

A fourth is that “good lives” unfailingly demonstrate honesty and authenticity in their conduct – an outcome rarely fully achieved by mere mortals, but the determined intent to achieve it is praiseworthy in itself.

A fifth is that good lives exhibit personal autonomy, that is the acceptance of responsibility for the choices we make that shape the course of our lives. It’s all about being one’s own lawmaker and accepting the consequences for failure, while learning from them......otherwise what’s the point?

Last but not least, in a “good life” the quality of the life is fully enjoyed and positive; it feels rich and satisfying to the person living it......much like calling Cumberland County your home, where some remarkable human experiences comes along most every day.

Alan Walter is a retired professional engineer living in Oxford. He was born in Wales and worked in Halifax. He spends much of his time in Oxford, where he operates a small farm. He can be reached at [email protected].