Tuesday's with Morrie

I have kind of mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I like that it addresses the concerns of aging and the kind of post-modern frustration at the rat-race life. On the other hand, I also think it overemphasises tired cliches and oversimplifies the meaning of life. I feel like too many people get so caught up in the aspects of working and the frustrating existence that is an unexamined life. People invariably have to make certain choices, they must choose certain actions and leave others behind as time and the pressures of simple maintenance demand. Priorities are set and life is missed out on. This leads to midlife crisis's, frustration, and perhaps most horribly, regret at a life not lived. That hit me very hard, it is my single greatest fear that one day as I get older and begin the painful process of dying I will look back over my life for some meaning and contentment and realized I haven't lived. I have reacted to this fear by trying as much as possible to learn new things, to increase my skills, knowledge, perspective, and hobbies. I want to feel as though I am complete, this is why my interests are so complex and varied. I also try to avoid moral ambivalence or intellectual abdication. That is, everything in my live is run through a rigorous analysis for meaning, how it will help me grow, what I will gain, how it makes me feel etc. I strive to be the exact person I choose to be: physically, mentally, morally or even socially. This process has granted me meaning. All my beliefs are being integrated into a logical, complete whole, I am exactly who I choose to be and my life is filled with my greatest loves and passions. I feel like this is the correct way to attack this problem (dying). Rigorous self-analysis combined with tireless effort at self-control and self realization. I do not think the answer is as simple as love. Morrie's argument is just one of a whole series of easy cop-outs to life. As though life takes no effort, as though by merely hoping investment in other people will grant you happiness. I hate this argument as I do similar arguments proposing religious observance, consumerism, altruism, or other popular ideas for what constitutes a meaningful life. The answer is not universal, we all invariably value different things, enjoy different things, and are different people. As such, our meanings must fundamentally be different. There is no one-size-fits-all to the life well lived. It is precisely this belief that, upon its inevitable destruction, leads to unavoidable unhappiness. I don't think the way to live is to adopt a program and expect it to give meaning. That can only come from within. Thus while love, human contact and the like are aspects to a meaningful life, they are not the end-all-be-all. They cannot be in that they fundamentally require a happiness from outside the self. This is, if not impossible, that at least uncontrollable. At best, Morrie's argument is a roll of the dice or toss of the coin. I prefer to think I have some say in my life and its purpose.