What Is Meant by Having a Productive Life?

¶ … productive life. It is important to understand that the exact definition of a good life varies from person to person and moral theorists have offered their own versions of what constitutes a productive life, but there are certain characteristics, which are similar in all definitions. This paper highlights those identical attributes of a good life and shows why such a life can be termed 'a productive one'.

PRODUCTIVE LIFE The core meaning of a productive life varies from person to person because it all depends on the kind of moral and spiritual values that a person possesses. This is because while we may all want material things for satisfaction of our worldly desires, it is important to remember that a productive life is not solely connected with accumulation of tangible goods. For this reason, we must find out what exactly constitutes a productive life and what is it that it offers.

It is thus important to understand that one's moral principles and beliefs are directly connected with the type of life he or she would consider productive. For example, while to a person who is extremely self-centered and is not particularly interested in the well being of others, a productive life would simply refer to a life of luxury and comfort and one that offers physical satisfaction to him.

On the other hand, someone with a more developed moral and spiritual self feels that a productive life is the one that would encompass both physical and spiritual contentment. Honestly speaking, it is impossible to live a life solely for others because not all of us are saints or philanthropists, therefore instead of completely abandoning one's own interests, it is better to keep in view the well-being of others while also taking care of our own needs. Most of us try to avoid the extremes, i.e.

we neither choose to follow the spiritual path completely nor do we want to be a classic picture of materialistic selfishness. Therefore for a man in today's world, productive life is the one that offers him both material and spiritual rewards. By spiritual, we are not referring to religion alone but simply to things of intrinsic value.

For example, a person doesn't always get spiritual satisfaction by going to Church or any other place of worship but it can also be attained by helping the unprivileged sections of the society and by extending one's self to those who need financial or moral support. To me, therefore a productive life is the one, which offers a person everything that he requires for complete moral, physical and spiritual fulfillment.

Therefore I chose to live myself in such a manner that on the one hand, I take care of my own needs and never lose sight of my goals, while on the other hand, I try to be a source of comfort to those who are important to me. But still there are certain areas, which need to be taken care of before I can call my life a completely productive one.

I must admit that while I like to consider myself a helpful soul, still at times I feel that generosity doesn't come naturally to me. We must know that when we give to others, we are indirectly taking care of our spiritual side, which often gets ignored, because we are so focused on our physical and material needs. While the physical world cannot be forgotten or abandoned, spiritual world must not be shunned too, this is because, due to.