Philosophy Friday: A Fool On The Stage Of Life

Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash

“I am convinced that people are much better off when their whole city is flourishing than when certain citizens prosper but the community has gone off course. When a man is doing well for himself, but his country is falling to pieces he goes to pieces along with it, but a struggling individual has much better hopes if his country is thriving.” 

– Pericles, Athenian general and statesman, 431 BC

In 2005 I worked for a few months as a software developer for the IT arm of a New Zealand investment company. About a year or so after I left, the company ran into financial difficulties and then collapsed. It owed tens of millions of dollars to creditors. There was no money to repay them. Thousands of mum-and-dad investors had lost their life savings. Their retirement was going to be that much bleaker. 

Not everyone was so severely affected. The founder of the company had siphoned off millions of dollars for himself. He was living a lavish lifestyle. The authorities investigated company records and found evidence of irregularities and criminal wrong-doing. In the end, despite it all, this individual escaped serious criminal charges. Not long after he went to Australia, repeated the experience, creating more misery for thousands of small investors over there.

Is this a successful person? He managed to amass a fortune. But he also left thousands of people financially broken. They would need to start over again. I know that at least one person committed suicide – likely there were more. No, taking as much for oneself at the cost of vulnerable, trusting others – that is not success.

“What is bad for the hive is bad for the bee.” 

– Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor and Stoic Philosopher

The ancient philosophers had this powerful idea that a good for the community was also beneficial to the individual. The hive is more than the bee. What does that mean? Genuinely successful people contribute to the community and improve it. They make the world a better place for all of us. Now that is a meaningful existence.

The ancients had another compelling belief: That the world needs crooks and criminals. They have their role to play on the stage before the gods. But it was considered a shameful, foolish part. The gods watching the show of life on Earth would break out in howling laughter at the ridiculous, corrupt actions characters playing that role did.

The comfort and luxury gained at the price of giving up on personal peace of mind and the harm caused to the community aren’t worth it. Not by a long shot.