We live in a culture of SELFISM—a culture that puts an emphasis on SELF, on SELF-CARE, and SELF-DISPLAY. We all want to live a life of meaning, the good life. The philosopher, J. Royce said that the good life means tightly binding yourself to others – giving yourself away with others for the sake of an honorable cause. ONE THAT CERTAINLY BENEFITS ALL.

Today, in a time of division, fragmentation and isolation we definitely need the philosophy of Royce; binding and connection, a meaningful life of LOYALTY. Today it’s every person for themselves searching for gain. These fleeting insatiable goals can leave people miserable. The good life is the absolute LOYALTY of a person to another or a cause FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL. Realizing the LOYALTY is more important than your individual pleasure.

LOYALTY IS; allegiance, faithfulness, devotion, trustworthiness, integrity and honor. LOYALTY is not just emotion. It is also action. The cause that involves LOYALTY has to be an improvement for all, Royce said; if LOYALTY is the center of the good life, then we should admire those causes knowing that all will benefit. There is a SPIRITUAL UNITY to all individuals. We must allow ourselves to be open to that and show a LOYALTY to everyone.

This sense of ultimate human sisterhood and brotherhood is what is missing in a lot of today’s pessimism and divisiveness. LOOK TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF ALL

WHEN EVALUATING YOUR LIFE, DON’T ASK, “HOW HAPPY AM I?” ASK, “HOW LOYAL AM I, AND TO WHOM AND WHAT?”

Categories: PERSPECTIVES Philosophical Perspective

ron winnegrad

Ron Winnegrad has been a Perfumer and teacher for 46 years. As a perfumer, Ron has been able to express the world he sees through a rainbow of olfactive and emotive visions. As a teacher, Ron has helped others to see fragrance through his own multi sensorial lens.