Narrative Flow (aka why I wish I was Harry Potter)

            I think we’re more attracted to the idea of having a happy, rich narrative flow to our lives than to the other theories of well-being.

            When we think about the mental state theory, we are initially attracted to it because, after all, who doesn’t want pleasure?  But the “experience machine” objection shows that pleasure is not our main goal.  We are not simply trying to experience happy mental states, but we are trying to live a life where we actually accomplish, fail, achieve, forge bonds with others – a life that has a narrative flow.  “There once was a person who decided to get on an experience machine.  The End.” does not make for a good story.  Furthermore, objections such as “only seeking pleasure is swinish” and even the rejoinder that “the quality of pleasure matters” show that we value pleasure only within the larger context of our lives.  For example, pleasure that we get from knowledge as we learn throughout our lives is more valuable than the pleasure we would get if we sat around and smoked pot for the rest of our lives because we grow and create a richer narrative flow when we learn.

            When we think about the desire-satisfaction theory, we are initially attracted to it because having our desires satisfied sounds attractive too.  However, the “Castaway” objection shows that our life doesn’t get better simply because our desires are satisfied – our life narrative does not become richer for it.

            The objective list theory states specific things that would improve our lives.  Yet I think we would be willing to trade many of these things for part of our lives in order to have a richer narrative flow to our lives.

            Harry Potter probably did not experience much freedom, beauty, equality, pleasurable mental states, desire-satisfaction or any of the things on the objective list for the first part of his life in the cupboard under the stairs.  Even throughout his journey after his acceptance to Hogwarts, he experiences and witnesses many terrible things such as the loss of his friends and family members, having valuable things taken from him, murders, and more.  However, in the end, he can look back and see how he conquered challenges, forged relationships, and lived a life worth telling people about (in the form of seven books and eight movies).  Although as an average person who grew up in suburbia I have probably experienced more equality, a sense of getting my just deserts, pleasure, desire-satisfaction, etc. and experienced less tragedy more consistently than Harry Potter did, I do not think it would be too difficult of a decision for me and a lot of others to choose between my life and a life with a narrative like that of Harry Potter’s.