In Search of Eudaimonia
Dear Reader,
“The Perfect Life” is what it means. The Psychological Association of the Students – PG and UG – and Faculty of the School of Psychology could not have come up with a better name for their magazine. All the more, after having named very daringly or submissively – depending on your stress or accent – their association as “Brainbow”!
Congratulations, first of all, to everyone who has contributed by way of art, calligraphy, design, proofreading and copy editing, and all other gimmicks of knowhow in this digital age which go to creating a flipbook – something so far I had only known as flipping the pages of a book in my hand. It has now become, without any exertion, possible at the click of a mouse or keypad to flip the book around – of course not in your hand; rather, in your hand held mobile version of the virtual book that it is, yes. Till you get to see a hardcopy of this work at your doorstep – only if you have contributed to it – as and when the restricted copies will be printed post-lockdown with the arrival of normalcy, much longed for.
Let us get back to “Eudaimonia”, the Greek word for the perfected life. It refers to an ideal life in an idyllic state of wellbeing – irrespective of the location you are in being scenic or not; though not without an invitation to you to make it so: first inside, and because inside you are perfected; it spills over into the room you occupy, your home and then, beyond – into the lives of your friends.
There is a tremendous attraction in desiring to be perfect. It first of all implies, you have an eye for detail, an ability to pick on small bickerings or big fights that have ensued from the crevices of thought – the unguarded speech as well as the regretted retort. Being aware one works to overcome, the discontent; and does indeed one day arrive at the perfect notion of a contented life: as did the Stoics and Neo-Platonists, Augustine and Spinoza, Dante and Mahler. If they could, why not you?
The question, now on your mind is, I guess, how to get there? Well, read Eudaemonia – you will get an idea or two, if not from the reflections and poems, from psychedelics, for sure. Let me invite you to read on, with every good wish for the members of “Brainbow” and their daring to take on ‘Willpower’ as the first step on the Road to Perfection.
Fr. George Thadathil sdb,
Principal
