Introduction to Essays on How to Live

I had a sudden cardiac arrest (an electrical malfunction stopped my heart) in my early 60s. For over 5 minutes, I was dead until strangers revived me with an AED. I regained consciousness in the emergency room, scared and confused. Only 1 in 10 survives a sudden cardiac arrest. Whether it was a miracle, as my wife Jan believes, or just good luck, as I suspect, the experience brings focus to living.

These essays in part grew out of that experience. I didn’t have an epiphany where I realized I needed to drastically change my life. But I emerged with a new appreciation for the shortness of time and a desire to accelerate my learning on how to live.

That is the theme for these essays: how to live. They address timeless questions such as: What is our life’s purpose? What values should we live by? How can we gain wisdom? And how can we make good decisions?

Everyone wants to live a “good” life. But what does that mean? Living well is hard. Everyone struggles with choices and challenges. Sometimes, the struggle is basic — getting a job, supporting your family, staying healthy. Sometimes, it is philosophical — why am I here on earth? We may wonder, “What is happiness?” and “Am I happy?” Sometimes, it’s a moral struggle — am I doing the right thing? Sometimes it’s psychological – “How can I feel less anxious?”

People have wrestled with these questions forever. There are no easy answers or foolproof programs. But there is knowledge that can help make life meaningful, fulfilling, and happier. That is what these essays are about.

I wrote them primarily to help me learn to live well and thrive. Writing clarifies vague concepts and forces deeper learning. Nothing exposes the quality of one’s thinking more than trying to put it on paper. It can be humbling. These essays present my thinking, perspective, and experience on these topics.

I did not start out with a coherent philosophy for living. A happy life has always been my goal, and I started with some good basic guidelines. But experience revealed that my ideas were often too simplistic and inadequate for practical use. These essays reveal my evolution. Through study, experience, reflection and revision, I have moved to a deeper and more practical understanding of how best to live.

I try to write from a practical perspective and highlight what has been useful to me. These are not motivational essays encouraging us to be all that we can be. I tried avoiding well-worn platitudes that sound good (and maybe they are) but become confusing when put into action. I am not trying to provide an authoritative view of what others think or have written. I will reference the writings of others, focusing on my interpretation of their work, right or wrong, and its impact on me.

There is much contradictory advice about how to live a good life. Following one principle leads you to violate another. These essays contain contradictions. That is a big lesson I learned. Wisdom is far more than mastering an philosophical body of knowledge. It requires learning how to reconcile contradictions and find the best balance between competing ideals.

I write as an ordinary person, not as an academic, expert, or professional writer. What I bring to this work are lessons learned through living. I’ve seen and experienced a great deal. I like to think that I’ve learned something in the process.  

I have read extensively on topics related to these essays, including moral philosophy, history, economics, politics, and evolutionary biology. These essays contain much that I learned from others.

I made several assumptions in writing these essays. One is that we have free will. None of what I write makes sense if we can’t choose. There are good arguments that we lack free will, but I prefer to believe we do.

I assume reason is the best tool for acquiring knowledge and wisdom. There are many good sources of information, but only reason can make sense of it for me. Human reason has limits, but I can find no workable alternative.

Two writers inspired me. One is Miguel de Montaigne and his essays. I liked the idea that someone who was not a professional writer, not an academic, and not a philosopher would sit down and write essays about himself, his view of the world, and how to live. His writing created the essay as a literary form and influenced the thinking of millions.

Marcus Aurelius and his “Meditations” also inspired me. He wrote his diary only for himself to help him live his values. It wasn’t intended for publication or use by others. Yet, for millennia, it has helped many lead happier lives.

I approached writing these essays with a somewhat similar perspective – practical and thoughtful observations on how to live, written primarily for myself, that may interest a few others.