Contentment

And the will to act

What is the motivation to do anything if one is content with one’s present situation?

Well, there’s the future to think about. Acting now to avoid future discontentment can lower the chances that one’s future is worse.

There are also the present and future lives of others. One can act in a way that creates conditions that are more conducive to the contentment of others.

None of the outcomes of one’s actions are absolutely certain though. Added to this, one may not be content with one’s present situation to begin with. Working to change that then becomes the priority.

I see contentment as a skill that can be cultivated. There are conditions in which contentment can be beneficial and there are situations where it’s probably best to want something more.

For example, if you’re in mortal danger, it’s a good idea to want to be safe. That should motivate you to act in a way that keeps you out of harm’s way.

But how does one decide whether to focus on the external circumstances or on addressing one’s sense of internal dissatisfaction?

There are times when one finds fault in external circumstances when the issue instead stems from one’s own lack of perspective. There are other times when one tries to be content with present circumstances but the better course of action is to act decisively to change external factors.

Both kinds of misjudgments can lead to turmoil. How does one discern such things? I don’t have any solid answers right now…

Changelog:

originally written on 9 November 2023