On the Meaning of Life, Pleasure, and Why Memory May Not Be As Reliable As We Think
This month, our articles take us from ancient Greece, to the life of one of the most controversial psychologists of the century and to our own brain’s desires. From the meaning of memory to pleasure and the philosopher Epicurus, these articles are a fantastic read for anyone looking for the meaning of life.
Image: Giammarco Boscaro, Unsplash
Image: Sarah Dorweiler, Unsplash
Image: Kelly Sikkema, Unsplash
The Epicurean Life
In modern society, the term Epicurean refers to a drive to indulge in comfort, style, and self-pleasure. But in ancient Greece, and to Epicurus himself, the philosophy had a much different meaning. To him, the pursuit of pleasure was one of reflection, balance, and the absence of pain or disturbance of the soul. Instead of wild parties and constant consumption, the philosophy relied more on the limitation of desire. Instead of selfish fulfillment of our needs above others, we should seek friends and not live excessively, but live well.
How Elizabeth Loftus Changed the Meaning of Memory
Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus is, to put it mildly, controversial. Her work on memory and its malleability has set her up as the most influential female psychologist of the twentieth century. However, her history of testifying on behalf of the likes of Harvey Weinstein and Jerry Sandusky has led many to decry her as a tool used by awful men to escape justice. In this biopic for the New Yorker, Loftus dives deep into her troubled past of abuse and death and paints a picture of how she became so polarizing a figure. And why she will be remembered (as much as we can be sure we remember anything) for decades to come.
Mimetic Desire 101
We like to think of desire as an internal force. We evaluate data, reflect, and come to a conclusion all on our own. Desire, we believe, is a straight line from our personhood to the object of our affection. But based on this article, we know the real way our desire works is through mental models. Models are signposts for our brain and steer us around to our desires. In this case, the models we look at are other people. From high school crushes to financial advice, we look to friends or celebrities to decide what we want. And if no one else seems interested, if the social proof isn't there, we start to doubt ourselves. So ask yourself, the next time you see something you want, is it something you truly desire? Or, did your mental model get in the way?