Sunstone said:
Joseph Campbell used to admonish people, "Follow your bliss!"
Two days ago, Sunstone quoted Aristotle:
"At the point where your talents cross with the needs of the world, there you will find your excellence."
Then yesterday I saw him post this thread on bliss, and I chuckled, thanked the Spirit for Its sense of humour, and intended to respond but got distracted. Now I see that luna has raised a question that makes my response even more appropriate.
lunamoth said:
Following one's bliss seems to imply a certain amount of leisure, resources, means and freedom from the struggle to get food, shelter, etc. that a large number of people have to face every day. There's got to be more than just following your bliss, a hope and some kind of ease for the meek and suffering. Something that everyman can have even when what they do every day is far from 'bliss.'
lunamoth said:
.... this being the case, that some of us can follow our bliss and others can't...doesn't that suggest that following one's bliss is not really the Way to a better world for all?
What if my bliss happens to be antagonistic to the bliss of others?
I don't know what Joseph Campbell meant by bliss, but I know what I mean. I know what my minister taught me. My senior minister has a knack for "paraphrasing" other people's words to suit his needs. As an academician it sometimes drives me batty but there's also no denying that he has a talent for it.
So Aristotle says:
"At the point where your talents cross with the needs of the world, there you will find your excellence."
And Joseph Campbell says: "
Follow your bliss."
My minister says: "
Where the world's greatest need meets your greatest talent, there you will find your bliss. Follow your bliss."
In this conception of bliss, following one's bliss isn't just doing what makes you happy and not caring about the rest of the world. Doing that in fact, utlimately will not make you happy. Sooner or later you will feel empty. Otoh, you also will not be happy if you only try to do what you think the world needs without listening to what your personal skills and predispositions are. That will lead to burn out. Only when you assess your situation, determine what it is that the world needs (and world could just mean your immediate neighborhood if that's all you have acccess to) and what it is that you can best do, what you enjoy doing, and find where they
intersect -
that is your bliss.
Follow your bliss.