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Infinite Meaning

Happiness

By Rahau MihaiPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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I was rewatching Ted Lasso's first season earlier this week.

(It's a very cute show that you should see if you haven't already.) It's amusing. It's clever. It has a lot of heart. It also makes you happy. It's fantastic.)

It's in its second season presently. However, I did watch the first one quite a bit.

You see, the play has philosophical resonance for me. It strikes me as a reflection on how loving (though flawed) individuals living in and with flawed institutions might discover a better path.

A method that benefits everyone.

In any event, the point is that I was watching a scenario that I'd watched many times before.

I'm not going to give anything away.

What matters is that it's a scenario in which a character swings from being ecstatic about the idea of a one-night encounter to getting a text that kills her excitement.

This time, though...

I observed something new this time.

There's something unusual about the actress's expressions.

Her face had a particular expression. Not only was her buzz snuffed out.

It was a deeper issue.

It was a strange sorrowful emptiness that, to the credit of the excellent actress, truly impacted me when I saw it!

I was able to locate much more significance in a scenario that I'd watched many times before by noting this minor detail of a character's facial expressions.

This brought to mind a valuable lesson that I hold close to my heart:

Life is a never-ending web of significance.

Life is composed of a variety of texts derived from the media we consume...

People establish allusions to such media...

People make memes out of such material...

There is a true Infinite Web of Meaning all around us, with interwoven levels.

Every day, more and more significance is generated.

AND there's always more significance to be found in things.

You can always ZOOM IN if you want to.

You can always concentrate your attention on a fresh detail.

As I did while I was watching an episode that I felt I already knew everything about.

And

You can always ZOOM OUT if you want to.

You may always attempt to figure out where anything fits into a bigger picture.

When you notice an episode is referencing romantic comedy cliches, for example.

Or when you understand that the author is making a larger moral or political point via the way the characters interact.

As when a tragic hero who is excessively trusting is eventually betrayed by the ones they should never have trusted.

And when you zoom in/out...

ZOOM IN/OUT AGAIN at any time!

You may always enlarge the image to see more details. For example, observe how the character makes that or similar faces in other scenarios. Observing when the same sensation overtakes their spirits. And you're wondering why.

You may also zoom out to see objects in more detail. Consider what other tragic heroes have suffered the same fate. And which other analogous (but non-tragic) betrayals were avoided or overcome?

This is true of all forms of media.

But to a wide range of settings and locations.

The universe is a never-ending tangle of meaning.

There's no limit to how much more significance you can squeeze out of life this way.

You're on your own.

You have the ability to discover significance in everything that surrounds you.

You have the ability to experience even more pleasure from the tales you appreciate.

Being a diligent reader of life's vast tapestry of meaning has the capacity to bring you pleasure.

Nothing more is required.

Only a willing mind is required. Willing to get entangled in the limitless web of significance that exists all around us.

So, go out and peruse this site.

Also, empower yourself to get greater significance and satisfaction from your surroundings.

Santi Sanchez is a philosopher with a Ph.D. He has devoted almost two decades of his life to philosophical inquiry and practice in order to discover what makes a life genuinely good and how to improve it.

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About the Creator

Rahau Mihai

Hi! Come to my profile and you will see really useful things or something to relax you !

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