18 November

I’m a Spinozan. Life has only one joy. Understanding. All of our other happinesses and joys are really this one thing, understanding. Love, pleasure, food, travel, music…whatever. All are derivative from this one and only one true joy. That’s not bookish learning either, it’s not ’overthinking’. Understanding can come in all sorts of ways. But it’s all that matters, in any life. All of our other faux happinesses and joys don’t survive, without true understanding. Understanding isn’t added to life, knowledge is part of reality, not separate to it. Ecstasy isn’t joy. Happiness isn’t joy. Pleasure isn’t joy. All derivative. Only that a-ha feeling of understanding something is joy. I imagine this couple started like most, in ecstatic happiness. The only joy in love is understanding too. Not least understanding that it isn’t a feeling.