What I Require from Life| Class 11| NEB| Compulsory English| Questions & Answers| Summary

 

What I Require from Life

An essay by J.B.S. Haldane

Compiled by: Dipendra Shrestha

About the Writer

q John Burdon Sanderson Haldane (1892-1964) was a British-Indian scientist known for his work

q in the study of physiology, genetics, evolutionary

q biology, and mathematics.

q His formal schooling was done at Eton College and New College at Oxford.

q He obtained his M.A. in 1914.

q Soon after, Haldane enlisted in the British Army and served during World War I.

q After returning from the war, Haldane began his teaching career at University.

q Haldane was a professed socialist, Marxist, atheist and humanist.

q His political dissent led him to renounce his British citizenship in 1956 and live in India, becoming a naturalised Indian citizen.

q His major works include Daedalus (1924), Animal Biology (with British evolutionist Julian Huxley, 1927), The Inequality of Man (1932), The Causes of Evolution (1932), The Marxist Philosophy and the Sciences (1938), Keeping Cool and Other Essays (1940), Science Advances (1947), and The Biochemistry of Genetics (1954).

 

About the Essay

q The essay 'What I Require from Life' (1940), first published in The Daily Worker, reflects socialistic convictions demanding democratic activities in work places. This essay is written in simple and lucid language.

q This essay initially appears to be a personal essay about Haldane's own preferences. However, in the second part of the essay, it becomes apparent that he is making a political and philosophical argument that his most essential requirements are those of a typical specimen of humanity.

q Haldane begins his essay by saying that he has to accept the universe as it is. He cannot require the impossible. He then sets out a few of the things which he personally wants out of life: interesting work, good health, friendship, and freedom.

q In the second part of the essay, he relates his personal requirements to his hopes for the rest of humanity, assuming himself to be a fairly typical specimen. For instance, he assumes other people also want to work and says that he is against capitalism because, in times of economic depression, it inevitably leads to unemployment.

q Haldane's style is typically straightforward and vigorous. As a science popularizer, he is accustomed to writing about complex matters in a way that any reader can understand. Here, when writing on a nontechnical subject, he retains this simplicity, with short, forceful, declarative sentences and clear explanations.

q His subject at first appears to be personal and his mode of writing descriptive. However, in the second part of his essay, it becomes clear that he is putting forward a political argument. Freedom, for instance, is not merely a personal preference of Haldane's but a universal requirement. This means that society should be structured in such a way as to maximize freedom for everyone. His viewpoint is that of a social critic, setting forth a general program of the principles that should underlie a civilized society.

NOTES

q Aristotle (384-322 B.C.): an ancient Greek philosopher, student of Plato and founder of Western philosophy

q Lord Blank, Mr Dash, Sir John Asterisk: names invented for humorous effect

q Madrid: the Spanish capital

q Rimbaud: Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) was a French poet and the Symbolist.

q Fascism: a political system of government led by a dictator having complete power

q Hitler: Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) was the leader of the Nazi Party who rose to become dictator of Germany (1933–45) whose fascist agenda led to World War II.

q Mussolini: Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) was an Italian political leader who became the fascist dictator of Italy (1925-1945).

q Socrates (470-399 B.C.): an ancient Greek philosopher

Glossary

q ancestors (n.): forefathers, predecessors

q confer (v.): grant or bestow (a title, degree, benefit, or right)

q decent (adj.): satisfactory, reasonable, fair

q enviable (adj.): arousing or likely to arouse envy

q epoch (n.): a period of time in history or a person's life

q fraternity (n.): brotherhood, friendship

q futile (adj.): incapable of producing any useful result; pointless

q lament (v.): to express deep regret, grief, or sorrow

q libel (n.): a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation

q neolithic (adj.): relating to or denoting the later part of the Stone Age

q paleolithic (adj.): relating to or denoting the early phase of the Stone Age

q prospect (n.): possibility, likelihood

q respite (n.): a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant

q siege (n.): a military blockade of a city or fortified place to compel it to surrender

q thrill (n.): a sudden feeling of excitement and pleasure

q unimpeded (adj.): not obstructed or hindered

q socialist: leftist/ communist/ a person who advocates or practises socialism.

q socialism: a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

q capitalism: an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state

The Essay

I have got to accept the universe as it is. I must not require the impossible, and I shall do harm rather than good if I try to imagine perfect beings in a perfect world. But given the world as it is, I can say what I may reasonably hope both for myself and for others.

I was born in a peaceful age, and in my youth I looked forward to a life of peace. Since 1914 I have been living in a heroic age, and I see no prospect of surviving into another epoch of peace and quiet. So I must try to make the best of the time in which I live. What do I ask for myself? I assume that I have food, water, clothes, and shelter.

First, work, and a decent wage for my work. Aristotle defined happiness, not as a sum of pleasures, but as unimpeded activity. I want work which is hard but interesting, work of which I can see the fruits. I am exceptionally lucky because I can choose   my own work to a large extent. If I want a respite from science I can go and be a war correspondent, or write children’s stories, or make political speeches.

So I enjoy a good deal of my second requirement, freedom, in fact vastly more than most people. But I want still more, particularly more freedom of speech. I should like to say and write what I think about Lord Blank’s newspapers, Mr Dash’s pills, and Sir John Asterisk’s beer, all of which are poisonous. The law of libel prevents me from doing so.

I require health. I don’t mind an occasional toothache or headache, or even an acute illness every seven years or so. But I want to be fit for work and enjoyment in the intervals, and to die when I can work no longer.

I require friendship. Particularly I require the friendship of my colleagues and comrades in scientific and political work. I want the society of equals who will criticize me, and whom I can criticize. I cannot be friends with a person whose orders I have to obey without criticism before or after, or with one who has  to obey my orders in a similar way. And I find friendship with people much richer or poorer than myself very difficult.

These four things are general human needs. For myself I also demand adventure. Since my life is useful it would be wrong to risk it for the mere sake of risk, as by mountaineering or motor racing. As a physiologist I can try experiments on myself, and I can also participate in wars and revolutions of which I approve. By the way, love of adventure does not mean love of thrills. I spent six weeks in Madrid during the recent siege. The only thrill that I got there was from reading Rimbaud’s poetry. The satisfaction of adventure is something much more solid than a thrill.

There are other things which I desire, but do not demand. I like to have a room of my own with some books, a motor-car, and a daily bath. I should like to have a garden, a bathing-pool, a beach, or a river within easy reach. But I have not, and I bear up quite happily.

I am an exceptionally lucky person because I get a good deal of what I want, and   can work actively for the rest. But most of my fellows do not enjoy what I regard as essential requirements. And I cannot be completely happy while they are unhappy.

I want to see every healthy man and woman on the planet at work. But everywhere outside the Soviet Union there is unemployment, though very little in Sweden. I am  a socialist because unemployment, at least during times of depression, is an essential feature of capitalism. I want the workers to see the fruit of their own work not in profits for others, but in their own and their friends’ well-being. My main personal complaint is that my work is not applied. I discover new biological facts, but no use is made of them, because although the community would benefit, no individuals would make profits from their application.

I want to see the workers controlling their conditions of work as I control my own to a considerable extent. Most work is dull, much of it is unhealthy and exhausting. This need not be the case, and I believe will not be after a few generations of democracy in industry. How pleasant work can be shown by a simple fact. When we have time and money to spare, two of our favourite occupations are hunting and gardening, the work of our paleolithic and neolithic ancestors respectively. I am a socialist because I want industry to be controlled by the workers. Freedom should begin in the workshop.

I want to see every man and woman as healthy as possible. This implies food, housing, and medical attendance of the quantity and quality which human biology demands and modern technique can supply.

I want to see the end of class subjection and sex subjection. Only so will the equality which is the condition for fraternity be achieved. Since the main barriers between classes and the main reasons for the subjection of women are economic, I look to a revolution in the economic field for their end.

I am a socialist because I want to see my fellow men and women enjoying the advantages which I enjoy myself. I know that socialism will not confer all these advantages in an instant, but if I live to see capitalism overthrown and the workers in power through most of Europe I shall die happy.

Certain things are lacking in my list of requirements, notably peace and security.  It  is futile to require things which one is most unlikely to obtain. Fascism is a living reality, and fascism, as Hitler and Mussolini explicitly state, and prove by their actions, implies war. War is spreading at present. I sincerely hope that it will not spread over the world, as it spread from 1914 to 1917; but I do not look forward to perfect peace till fascism is dead.

I fully realize that peace and security are rightful aims, and that my own desire for violent adventure is probably merely an adaptation to the age in which I live. I am a child of my age, and all the worse for being one. I therefore demand security rather than adventure for others.

I have said nothing about many things which I desire to see, such as a spread of education, and an increasing application of scientific methods in all branches of life. From what I have seen in Russia and in Spain I do not doubt that these and other good things would follow almost automatically if our class distinctions were abolished.

To sum up, for myself I require food, warmth, work, liberty, health, and friendship. For the society in which I live I require socialism.

Supplementary to my requirements of life are my requirements of death. Of all men whose deaths are recorded, I consider that Socrates’ was the most enviable. He died for his convictions, when he could easily have survived by betraying them. He died at the age of about seventy, still in full possession of his faculties, but having completed all the work which he could reasonably hope to do. And he died laughing. His last words were a joke.

I do not require of death that I shall be as fortunate as Socrates. A death which fulfils all the three conditions of his is very rare. But if I can achieve even two of them I shall have done well, and though my friends may lament me, I trust that they will not pity me.

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. How does the writer distinguish between a peaceful age and a heroic age?

The writer was born in a peaceful age, and in his youth he looked forward to a life of peace. For him, the moment of his birth is a the age of peace and his youth is the age of heroism. Since 1914 he has been living in a heroic age when he entered into the youth, and he sees no prospect of surviving into another epoch of peace and quiet.

b. Why does the writer want more freedom of speech than most people?

According to the writer, freedom is his second requirement. He wants freedom more than most people, more freedom of speech. He wants to say and write what he thinks about different political issues. He is a socialist. So, he wants to complain and criticize about capitalism since it is likely to bring unemployment problems during economic depression. He loves socialism i.e.  control of the means of production, distribution, and exchange by the community as a whole.

c. According to the writer, what are the four general human needs?

According to the writer, the four general human needs are work, freedom of speech, health and friendship. He regards the  work with a decent wage as the first human need. He wants work which is hard but interesting. Secondly, he wants to have freedom vastly more than most people particularly more freedom of speech. So far as health is concerned, he wants to be fit for work and enjoyment in the intervals, and to die when he can work no longer. Lastly, he talks about friendship of his colleagues and comrades. He wants the society of equals who will criticize him, and whom he can criticize. He cannot be friends with a person whose orders he has to obey without criticism before or after, or with one who has to obey his orders in a similar way.

d. What is the difference between desire and demand according to the writer?

According to the author, the difference between desire and demand is that desire is a simple wish for a person to have a specific benefit in life, and demand is a desire that is specifically supported by the ability and willingness to pay for a particular good. The writer wants different things but does not ask for them, but he can happily fulfil all his wishes.

e. Why does the writer demand security?

The author calls for security because the safety of life is more important than any other aspect. Life safety is the primary aspect while other requirements are secondary. During critical times of war, the writer first claims the security of life. If the security of life is insured, anything can be possible.

Reference to the context

Explain the following lines with reference to the context:

a. “The satisfaction of adventure is something much more solid than a thrill.”

The author believes that adventure is not only about emotions, but also about satisfaction in performing a creative activity. He served on the war front in Madrid for six months and looked forward to reading a book of Rimbaud's poetry for a thrill.

b. “I want the workers to see the fruit of their own work not in profits for others, but in their own and their friends’ well-being.”

Here in this line, the author, as a socialist, wants the workers to exercise the fruits of their labour so as not to enrich the bourgeois capitalists but to benefit from the wages of the workers themselves for their own economic prosperity.

c. Why do you think the essayist has taken reference from the ancient philosophers?

I think the essayist has taken reference from the ancient philosophers because he wants to strengthen his arguments and provide us with specific details about the paragraphs he has provided.

d. Discuss the essay in terms of its language, purpose, subject, point of view and mode of writing.

The writer has used simple and clear language to express his ideas about socialism in this essay. He has done his best to present various needs of people from their daily lives. The writer here is advocating for equality as well as democratic activities in the workplace for all working-class people. His primary goal as a sociologist is to better the lives of working-class people. He desires equality for all people in all sectors. He has discussed various issues concerning the needs, rights, and classes of people in his presentation of the major subject of life-related requirements. He has voiced his opposition to capitalism, which has resulted in widespread unemployment. As a social critic, his point of view can be seen in the essay. He began his essay in a descriptive mode, but later on, he presented his political arguments in order to persuade his readers.

Reference beyond the text

a. What do you require from your life to be happy and satisfied?

“Be happy with what you have. Be excited with what you want” – Alan Cohen

This quote speaks so many volumes to us. Half of it explains that you can stay happy with little details in life while the other half explains that you must keep striving for more with excitement. But both halves must go together and make sure that in order to fight for better, you don’t forget to enjoy the present moment. This is the essence and the core balance that brings life satisfaction in our hands!

But I agree that maintaining this balance is one of the toughest things. It is because we are all raised to earn more money, buy a house, make living for ourselves and become a better version. And in this cause, we often fail to realize that a satisfied life is better than a successful life. So the question comes, how to live a more satisfying life and absorb every bit of it? I will try to answer this question with personal experiences as well as the stories that I collected from generations of our grandparents.

Life Satisfaction: How To Achieve It?

1. Focus On The Positive

Alright, it’s a tough task already, I know. But practicing to shift your focus towards positive as soon as the negative thought strikes in the first key. For example, you might think that I cannot go outside to meet friends during the pandemic lockdown, rather think of being safe at home and enjoy delicious home-cooked meals. Or if you think that you couldn’t go to study in foreign country because of less money, you can be thankful to online courses or universities in your country that are certainly not less.

See, it’s all about finding good in everything, no matter how bad or uncomfortable they are. Once you start doing so, you will be able to find self-satisfaction in your personal life.

2. Find Your Own Ways To Relieve Stress

Although happiness and life satisfaction can come in a matter of a few days but it is agreeable that stress makes it’s way more easily. However, if you are trying to become stronger and happier, you must find ways to relieve your stress easily. Choose a hobby that calms you down, perform meditation, or hop for breathing exercises. Any activity could be picked, tricking your brain to relieve stress with the help of it is your next task.

In case you have already found your ways to relieve stress, make sure that you repeat these activities every day. It will help you to keep a balance of emotions and there is more self-satisfaction in life.

3. Don’t Waste Your Time In Gossiping & Hating Anyone

Have loads of time and energy and still looking for life satisfaction? Well, firstly do not spend your precious energy on gossiping about someone in office or family but try ignoring the same. It is required that you must do something that adds meaning to life and gossip surely doesn’t help. So you can go for reading books, listening to motivational podcasts, sipping coffee with yourself, or indulge in meditation.

In case you are spending your energy in hating someone, remember that the person will not change with your opinion and hateful thoughts. Moreover, life is too short to hate someone. So instead of keeping those ill feelings within, just forgive them and move away with a smile. A sense of freedom and happiness would be felt instantly and you will yourself find how to be satisfied in life.

4. Be Thankful & Be Kind

Being generous and kind makes you bigger and stronger. You must try to be thankful to every person around you for being there for you. In fact, you can hug your parents, friends or colleagues if they are around you right now. It’s a simple and beautiful gesture to tell them that you are thankful to them for being in your life.

Being grateful is a great practice for you as well as for the ones who receive it. Sometimes we are not able to extend our gratitude to things like eyes, ears, nose, skills we possess, clothes we wear, etc. so you can try gratitude journaling for the same or even thank your faithful God for everything.

5. Keep Your Body Healthy

 

Give yourself plenty of sleep, exercise, drink a lot of water, smile and laugh! Self-satisfaction comes from a happy and healthy body. And if you practice keeping your body fit then everything from inside out becomes satisfying. The energy and attention that generates within repairs the damage that has been caused to the body. So set your alarms, give your body a treat of goodness, and make sure this goodness continues every single day.

6. Invest Your Time In Good Friends & Family

 

Consider all the friends that you have and re-evaluate your relationship with them. See what they mean to you, do they bring positive energy or do they inspire you for better? Make sure that you are honest with your opinion so that no toxic influence can reach out to you. Choose whom you want to be around with so that you are able to enhance your quality of life. A quality life brings self-satisfaction which is better than anything else.

It really doesn’t matter what kind of job you have, how much you earn or what is your title in your company unless you are self-satisfied and savor life. There is another piece of advice that you can open yourself to. Start listening more and do not judge others! If you will leave your mind open to various perspectives, you will be able to form good relationships.

7. Become Responsible For Your Own Good

You must have understood that a self-satisfied life means living your life in the best way possible. Moreover, there is just one life surrounded by many opportunities, embrace them! No one is in charge of your happiness except you so it’s time to prepare yourself for your own happiness.

If you are not happy, it’s your choice and you must deal with it! No one can take control of how to make you happy or sad, so keep your actions considerate. In case, you are facing a terrible situation, tell yourself “This too shall pass” or “If it doesn’t kill me, it makes me stronger.” Your own determination and zeal decide how to be self-satisfied in life.

Self-Satisfied?

Once you have developed a habit of being happy with yourself and finding peace with what is already being there, the greed for more goes down and excitement for new comes up. This excitement gives you new energy without forgetting the values and love, unlike greed. And this is what differentiates self-satisfaction from greed.

I am sure you will work upon your thoughts for positivity and cherish the life you possess right now.

 

b. What is socialism? How is it different from capitalism?

Socialism and capitalism are the two main economic systems used in developed countries today. The main difference between capitalism and socialism is the extent to which the government controls the economy.

Socialism is an economic and political system under which the means of production are publicly owned. Production and consumer prices are controlled by the government to best meet the needs of the people. Capitalism is an economic system under which the means of production are privately owned. Production and consumer prices are based on a free-market system of “supply and demand.”

Socialism is most often criticized for its provision of social services programs requiring high taxes that may slow economic growth. Capitalism is most often criticized for its tendency to allow income inequality and stratification of socio-economic classes.

Socialist governments strive to eliminate economic inequality by tightly controlling businesses and distributing wealth through programs that benefit the poor, such as free education and healthcare. Capitalism, on the other hand, holds that private enterprise utilizes economic resources more efficiently than the government and that society benefits when the distribution of wealth is determined by a freely-operating market.

 

c. Write an essay about your dream house.

My Dream House

 

I always imagine how my future house will be. A home is a place surrounded by the people one loves. A house is not made beautiful by its furniture or decor, but by the people that live inside it. My dream house should be a house that I can share with my family when I grow old. I always dream of a wooden house in the hilly areas.  My dream house should be the one facing a small river. Through the windows, I could see the sun setting and disappearing into the mountains. My dream house would have a small garden where I will grow my own vegetables and fruits.

 

The house that I fancy would be considerably big with four rooms and a spacious common area. My dream house should be comfortable for my parents, grandparents and siblings. The house should be equipped with all the modern amenities. It should have a big TV with a home theatre system and a PlayStation attached to it. The walls of the house will have light colours that will make it appear bright. There will be sufficient light bulbs and lamps in every room. I also dream of a Chandelier in the guest room and a big sofa where everyone will sit and enjoy watching TV together. My grandparents love reading. I wish that my dream house will have a reading space with lots of books.

 

I have a 3-year-old pet dog called Tiger. I also want to have small yet cozy space  in my house for Tiger where he can sleep and relax when he grows old. The hose will have beautiful interiors and will have all the facilities like a modern kitchen, three bathrooms, a staircase leading to the terrace, ACs, etc. My dream home should be the one where we all can live happily and comfortably.