Ayn Rand vs. Buddha
I’m re-reading Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” and it sure makes me think. I suppose the biggest thing I’m thinking about right now is her suggestion that the meaning of life is to work hard to accomplish something. She implies that if we work hard, create something, be successful then you will be happy and you have helped the world. This philosophy is directly opposed to the Buddhist one which says that we should just accept that nothing is truly fulfilling in life and that we shouldn’t strive to accomplish something big because we will end up being disappointed. Hmmm… They both make sense to me in different ways and I would like to figure out what is good and bad in each idea.
On the surface, Ayn Rand’s idea that working hard and being successful will make me happy seems highly unlikely. I do admit that when I’m at a job and find a task that I’m especially good at and receive praise for being so great at it, I do enjoy that feeling…but I have a hard time believing it could leave a lasting impression. It seems to me that if I followed this idea, I would be very busy and maybe have little time to think and ponder things about life, which might make me happier, but it seems to be the happiness of avoidance and ignorance. Maybe the idea that if I create something truly great I would make the world a better place should make me happy…it sounds pretty good but not great…maybe it is the best idea yet though?
Buddhism appears to be a philosophy of reality to me. It suggests that you accept that you will never be truly happy and that there will never be any real meaning of life. This seems true to me, but at the same time, I’m starting to find it very depressing. I’ve always said that I want to be real and not avoid the facts…and I know it’s impossible to choose to “forget” something that you have learned just because you don’t like it. I see that many religious people are “happy” living their delusions and make-believe stories and I think that there’s nothing really wrong with that – if we believe that life is meaningless, then what does it matter if you live a delusion as long as you’re happy? Of course, if you know it’s a delusion, you can’t just choose to start believing it…it won’t work very well.
So, I suppose one option here would be to think if I could choose to believe that working hard and creating something great would make me happy, or if I would always “know” that in the end it will be an empty victory and therefore sour the entire experience.
You have Buddhism way wrong. Take a closer look. Buddhism claims that our addiction to want is what creates much unhappiness. We want and when we get what we want it still does not fulfill. Meaning in life comes via compassion and lovingkindness not in the focus on the self.
Thanks for the comment…but I guess I’m missing your point. I think I have said the same thing. But I would disagree with your last sentence…I’ve tried that…haven’t found meaning there.
As a Buddhist, I’ve gotta say, I agree with Mike. If you want to read a bit more about Buddhism, a good place to start is “The Way of Zen” by Alan Watts.
That’s nice to say, but I was hoping for a little more substance there…
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