Question

What does it mean to truly fail at life? I only ask because I suspect I have. It is not that I am immoral or even inauthentic, but it seems that all I can do is encourage attitudes and behaviours, in others, that is anathema to what I believe in. Why?

Someone asked me to say what I believe in. I believe that friends at worse tolerate one another and that all people have the potential to act as if friends. I believe that everyone can be moral and authentic, but only some of us are capable of life (yours, my own) and changing intelligence, but that it's worse to squander or just give the impression of that than it is to simply lack it. I believe that the finest feeling is not joy but catharsis, followed by repose. I think 'liberty' may be better thought of as something else (i.e. that trying to be free above all else is just wasted energy), though I don't know what, and it seems many people are willing to die - and kill - for it.

Answer 1

Truly failing at life implies giving up on one's principles and growth, which you are not doing. Your reflective nature and contemplation of your actions against your ideals suggest a pursuit of existential meaning and virtue, not failure.

Step-by-step explanation:

To truly fail at life would mean to abandon one's principles and to cease striving for growth and understanding, which does not seem to be what you're experiencing. You express concern over inadvertently encouraging behaviors in others contrary to what you value. However, contemplating the impact of one's actions and their alignment with personal beliefs is, in fact, a sign of moral and intellectual engagement—an antidote to failure.

Your reflections on friendship, morality, and intelligence touch on notions of existentialism and virtue. Following thinkers like Camus, the choice to continue living and to recognize one's freedom in making daily decisions aligns with your belief in the potential for moral and authentic living. These choices can bring about the catharsis you value, leading to repose.

Your ideals resonate with those of historical philosophers, who emphasize actions matching words, the importance of self-reflection, and having the courage to do what's right. Such values suggest an ongoing pursuit of virtue, far from failure. As you strive to embody your beliefs, remember that the act of questioning and seeking is part of the path to a fulfilled life.