Transcendence: the debate over whether it's a luxury or an ego trick
Is the search for transcendence a privilege reserved for those whose basic needs are already met? The debate pits personal enlightenment against reality.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Transcendence: the ultimate luxury of those who no longer have to worry about the mortgage?
The search for transcendence has always been a privilege of those with a full stomach. Or at least that's what one analysis argues, questioning whether enlightenment is anything more than a rich person's pastime. The discussion starts from a thesis: true transcendence consists of understanding the why behind our desires and actions, laughing at the sheep-like masses, and focusing on pure emotions like love or music. The problem, the skeptical voice replies, is that this discourse sounds like a cheap self-help manual and, above all, like a luxury only those who already have all their needs met can afford. Someone barely making ends meet has no time to wonder whether their motivations are fleeting or whether their ego is playing tricks on them.
The ego and the 'everything is equally happy' trap
Those who defend transcendence as an individual path argue that the ego drives our emotions, but that most of its motivations are fleeting. The solution: stop worrying about the unnecessary and trinc the true path of emotion, regardless of what others think. However, the counterargument points out that this stance leads to a dangerous relativism: if everything makes you equally happy, then listening to Bach is no different from listening to a bad musician. It is also noted that this philosophy resembles Crowley's Law of Thelema —"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law"— but adapted for Instagram, confusing motivation with will.
Death and taxes: the last stronghold of bureaucracy
The debate drifts toward the inevitable: what happens after death. With irony, it is suggested that if there is another side, it must surely be an administrative office with civil servants and endless queues, where income tax is called ISR and you pay VAT even for breathing ether. The only real transcendence, the joke goes, would be escaping the taxman. But deep down, the question is an uncomfortable one: if enlightenment is a luxury for those who can afford it, what transcendence is left for someone who is just trying to make ends meet?
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The search for transcendence has always been a privilege of those with a full stomach. Or at least that's what one analysis argues, questioning whether enlightenment is anything more than a rich person's pastime. The discussion starts from a thesis: true transcendence consists of understanding the why behind our desires and actions, laughing at the sheep-like masses, and focusing on pure emotions like love or music. The problem, the skeptical voice replies, is that this discourse sounds like a cheap self-help manual and, above all, like a luxury only those who already have all their needs met can afford. Someone barely making ends meet has no time to wonder whether their motivations are fleeting or whether their ego is playing tricks on them.
The ego and the 'everything is equally happy' trap
Those who defend transcendence as an individual path argue that the ego drives our emotions, but that most of its motivations are fleeting. The solution: stop worrying about the unnecessary and trinc the true path of emotion, regardless of what others think. However, the counterargument points out that this stance leads to a dangerous relativism: if everything makes you equally happy, then listening to Bach is no different from listening to a bad musician. It is also noted that this philosophy resembles Crowley's Law of Thelema —"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law"— but adapted for Instagram, confusing motivation with will.
Death and taxes: the last stronghold of bureaucracy
The debate drifts toward the inevitable: what happens after death. With irony, it is suggested that if there is another side, it must surely be an administrative office with civil servants and endless queues, where income tax is called ISR and you pay VAT even for breathing ether. The only real transcendence, the joke goes, would be escaping the taxman. But deep down, the question is an uncomfortable one: if enlightenment is a luxury for those who can afford it, what transcendence is left for someone who is just trying to make ends meet?
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (16 replies).
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