Baylee Sites
26 October 2014
Antigone Proverb Essay
English 2H
Happiness in terms of Wisdom
In the play Antigone by Sophocles, it is stated “There is no happiness where there is no wisdom.” (Exodus, line 139.) It is my viewpoint that this is a flawed outlook on life. Happiness and wisdom definitely have some sort of correlation, but I think it’s the opposite of this. I believe that there is more happiness where there is no wisdom. I would like to define wisdom as being, in Buddhist terms, “the antidote to the self-chosen poison of ignorance.” Wisdom is the lack of ignorance, the idea that you would not like to be ignorant anymore. I would like to define happiness as a mental or emotional state of well-being. Happiness is merely the feeling of contentment or goodness. I will use the prior definitions as framework for the rest of the essay. In short, where there is a lack of…show more content… Sometimes, people will prefer ignorance or a lack of wisdom where they know they will ultimately benefit. A prime example of this is in medical patients. In serious surgery, the patient would feel extreme pain or even death. That is in no way a state of bliss, and one could argue that this is actually the opposite of bliss. However, apply medicine and the person feels nothing. They become ignorant. This state of ignorance is, in fact, bliss. Most importantly, they chose to feel this lack of knowledge or wisdom. It was by choice that they wanted medicine, which everyone does, to avoid serious pain or death. Also, you’ve heard the saying that “I just don’t want to know.” People will choose ignorance to create their own happiness. If you don’t know something, it can’t bring you down or make you feel unhappy. This form of ignorance, whether it be avoiding the literal form of physical pain, or just mental well being, is a way for people to choose bliss. They’ve chosen happiness, which was enabled by their lack of knowledge of the