Unexpected insight

"Living by your wants will never make you happy.

What it means to be fully human is to strive to live by ideas and ideals and not to measure your life by what you've attained and in terms of your desires, but those small moments of integrity, compassion, and rationality. Even self sacrifice.

Because in the end, the only way that we can measure the significance of our own lives, is by valuing the lives of others."

David Gale, on Lacan.



I don't normally turn to Hollywood for counsel, but I heard these words in an unexpected moment, while watching The Life of David Gale. In trying to learn more about Lacan, I'm not sure these are the words that best summarize his theories, but they definitely spoke to me. In defining the moral philosophy by which I try to live my life, I haven't always felt the need to justify it in theories articulated by others, but there is a sense of, perhaps relief, at hearing your thoughts in someone else's words, as if to say, you're not entirely crazy. It does not, though, ease the difficulty of actually trying to live them.