September 9, 2006
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Random Midnight Thoughts….
So I just finished watching Gladiator, and during the movie I got to thinking about what could define ‘living’. Take the quote from Braveheart, “Every man dies, not every man really lives”. I think about how William Wallace lived for a purpose, I think of how Clive Owen’s Arthur from King Arthur lived for a purpose, and take in the fictional character of Maximus from Gladiator, and wonder to myself about what it really means to be living. What kind of purpose really ‘qualifies’ as the sort that sets apart individuals like the ones I’ve named above from their not-so-great counterparts(Edward the Longshanks, Stellan Skarsgaard’s character’s son, Commodus).
Could it be as simple as the four virtues? Justice, Wisdom, Fortitude and Temperance? Commodus mentions these to his father, the Ceasar, early in Gladiator and clearly recognizes that he has none of them. Now does this necessarily make him a bad person? Does this automatically disqualify him from ‘living’ in the sense William Wallace meant it within Braveheart? I don’t think so.
The way I figure it, one truly feels ‘alive’ when their soul is in harmony with the actions of the mind and body. For some, this means hanging out with friends and just having a good time. For others, it may mean praying to a diety. For others, it may mean excelling in whatever their favorite sport. For others, it may even be seeing their favorite team excelling in their sport. I know I was excited about the Steeler win last night. Still others may find that sense of feeling ‘alive’ when in the midst of a successful career. How about feeling the embrace of a loved one. Seeing family at Thanksgiving? Seeing the joy on family members faces when they open meaningful gifts for Christmas?
I can’t argue for or against any of these. They all contribute in their own respective ways to feeling ‘alive’. What I feel inclined to assert is that what William Wallace meant, and what Maximus exemplified, by living is not necessarily a specific way of living, just the willingness to follow that life. I believe the individuals in those movies all had the strength of will to follow their convictions. The three individuals I named happened to be virtuous in their actions, showing that a mix of the four virtues played into their actions and decisions. It is their standard that brought me online tonight to type.
Now can I claim to be very good at following my own convictions? Can I say to you that I made the decision to ‘live’ and had the strength of will to see that decision through? Not by a longshot. But I’m working on it and I am beginning to see ways of having a positive impact even during my shakier days of life. If life is what it can be called when one sometimes feels as if they are living in a real-life version of the movie ‘Groundhog Day’.
Whatever is the case for you, whatever means you use to feel ‘alive’; to feel that you are not wasting you time and contributing in some way to this world, I would advise you not to fret when you feel a shaky day when it comes to following your team, your friends, or your faith. Having a bad-faith day is not the end of the world. Having a bad-purpose day is not the end of the world. Having a bad-conviction day isn’t going to kill you. Fortitude will see you through. Let the other virtues take care of themselves after that.
-Shadow
