Hedonism, as the pursuit of pleasure is often critiqued as
an impossible goal. Happiness cannot be pursued for happiness’s sake and
whatever pleasure obtained is often fleeting. The hedonic treadmill makes us
quickly adjust to our new circumstances so that whatever pleasure obtained
becomes the new status quo and is no longer appreciated, or even felt.
This has lead some to posit that happiness in-itself fails
as an objective. Rather happiness can only be a by-product of pursuing other
things. The challenge then of course, is if “happiness” cannot be an objective
in-itself, then what should we pursue in its stead? Virtue, the service of God,
the service of man, 42?
The existentialist seemed to think life’s purpose was
inherently meaningless. The only meaning was that which we create ourselves. The
existentialist goal became one of authenticity – that or decision and pursuits
reflected the person we wanted to be or become. That approach resonates with.
Our purpose is our own manufacture. And while that may leave us at certain
times with a sense of dread or despair, it at least is a dread and despair of our
own making.
But I’m also a hedonist and I started thinking about the
literary plot device known as the McGuffin.
Made famous and perhaps even coined by Alfred Hitchcock, a
McGuffin is essentially an object or person, important to the protagonist and
sometimes other characters, but not necessarily to the story – it is the secret
documents that must be found/protected/destroyed, the Maltese Falcon, the
shaggy dog. What is important about a McGuffin is that it propels the
characters to do the things they do, to meet, interact, have adventures and
conflicts – they are storytelling fuel.
So, why shouldn’t we use them to tell our own stories?
Perhaps the pursuit of happiness can be driven by a McGuffin? Perhaps it
already is? An interest or hobby that motivates, a fandom, a commitment, a
secret pleasure – in the big scheme of things, the particulars really don’t
matter. Their existence though, drives us into having our own adventures,
connecting us with others, and actually giving us a life that’s a worthy story
to tell. Thus a McGuffin might just be a key to our happiness. Paradoxically, a
McGuffin might also be the thing that makes us authentic.
A McGuffin may even be superior to a “goal” or “objective.” While
at first glance they might seem to be synonyms, but so much judgment is loaded
into those other terms. Are they worthy? Should we actually be pursuing them? We
can agonize too much about what our goals ought to be. Whether our objectives
meet some standard as we trot out the usual stuff of resolutions: loose weight,
get healthy, help people – blah blah blah.
But a McGuffin, doesn’t have to have some intrinsic or moral
importance. It’s just there to move the story along. And maybe that’s true of
our goals and objectives too. The journey is more important than the
destination, yet the destination is still necessary to undertake the journey.
In as much as our lives can be aesthetic projects, why not
embrace a literary device to craft our own stories? We should embrace our McGuffins,
no matter how silly, self-indulgent, or absurd. Revisit those goals and
resolutions and see them for what they are, clever plot devices to tell a
better story. They introduce us to the characters in our life, our conflicts to
overcome, and perhaps are the very things that ensure our ongoing happiness.
Here’s to the Existential McGuffin.
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