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http://www.yourtango.com/2013182354/love-quotes-inspirational-famous
In so far as it exists. We define good as "The set of things which it is always better to be than not to be." Using the example of gold. Most people like gold and would say that having it is good. However, the man who is drowning out in the ocean doesnt think so. Thus gold is not considered good in itself, except in so far as it exists. This is because the property of existence is necesarily better than its less real counterpart. The state of nonexistence.
If all things which exist (we necessarily shorten to "all things") contain this degree of goodness, and all goodness is worthy of love and admiration, then we posit that it is ok to love all things. Yet, in the example of addicts of any sort, we find that it is this very love that causes so much chaos in their life and the lives of those around them.
This is because the love of these things are considered to be improper loves. Not by virtue of the love of the things itself, but by virtue of the things being loved out of order. For example, it is okay and even right for a man to love the body of his wife, but if he loves her body more than her soul, we call that love improper.
Yet the question is always asked, "If it is so bad, why does it feel so good?" It is thought that this is necessary to preserve the free will of the rational mind. If every time one loved improperly a lightning bolt zapped them, it is doubtful that anyone would love improperly.
Suffering, therefore, becomes the pruning of improper loves. When you are doing many drugs for example in order to medicate some pain, losing the medicine does not feel good at all. The medicine was loved out of order and the loss of it is called suffering.
We see this idea rear up in all sorts of religious contexts. Think of the idea of tithing wherein believers are asked to give %10 of what they are given. This is to show that money is loved only %90 in comparison to God. It also serves to show faith that one believes they can get by on %90.
So, as humans, we are garaunteed only to suffer, because we all have known the pain of losing an improper love. Happiness, therefore, is finding the sweetness in suffering. It is finding peace in knowing that the suffering, the loss of improper loves, is like ripping a bandage off... It is better done now rather than later.
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Thanks for listening.
