OutsidetheBible, thesesixwordsarethemostfamousinalltheliteratureoftheworld. TheywerespokenbyHamletwhenhewasthinkingaloud, andtheyarethemostfamouswordsinShakespearebecauseHamletwasspeakingnotonlyforhimselfbutalsoforeverythinkingmanandwoman. Tobeornottobe, toliveornottolive, toliverichlyandabundantlyandeagerly, ortolivedullyandmeanlyandscarcely. Aphilosopheroncewantedtoknowwhetherhewasaliveornot, whichisagoodquestionforeveryonetoputtohimselfoccasionally. Heanswereditbysaying: Ithink, therefoream.
Butthebestdefinitionofexistenceeversawdidanotherphilosopherwhosaid: Tobeistobeinrelations. Ifthistrue, thenthemorerelationsalivingthinghas, themoreitisalive. Toliveabundantlymeanssimplytoincreasetherangeandintensityofourrelations. Unfortunatelywearesoconstitutedthatwegettoloveourroutine. Butapartfromourregularoccupationhowmucharewealive? Ifyouareinterest-edonlyinyourregularoccupation, youarealiveonlytothatextent. Sofarasotherthingsareconcerned--poetryandprose, music, pictures,sports, unselfishfriendships, politics, internationalaffairs--youaredead.
Contrariwise, itistruethateverytimeyouacquireanewinterest--evenmore, anewaccomplishment--youincreaseyourpoweroflife. Noonewhoisdeeplyinterestedinalargevarietyofsubjectscanremainunhappy; therealpessimististhepersonwhohaslostinterest.
Baconsaidthatamandiesasoftenashelosesafriend. Butwegainnewlifebycontacts, newfriends. Whatissupremelytrueoflivingobjectsisonlylesstrueofideas, whicharealsoalive.Whereyourthoughtsare, therewillyourlivebealso. Ifyourthoughtsareconfinedonlytoyourbusiness, onlytoyourphysicalwelfare, onlytothenarrowcircleofthetowninwhichyoulive, thenyouliveinanarrowcir-conscribedlife. ButifyouareinterestedinwhatisgoingoninChina, thenyouarelivinginChina~ ifyou’reinterestedinthecharactersofagoodnovel, thenyouarelivingwiththosehighlyinterestingpeople, ifyoulistenintentlytofinemusic, youareawayfromyourimmediatesurroundingsandlivinginaworldofpassionandimagination.
Tobeornottobe--toliveintenselyandrichly, merelytoexist, thatdependsonourselves. Letwidenandintensifyourrelations. Whilewelive, letlive!