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It Is Better To Be A Human Being Dissatisfied Than A Pig Satisfied Essay

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John Stuart Mill writes, “It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.” in his book Utilitarianism. The meaning of this quote varies based on what makes an individual satisfied or dissatisfied. The “good life” is the life a person would like to live as well as what makes them better off. Would having a “good life” mean that a person is content, or does virtuosity make one happy? Humans have many aspects to their lives that all contribute to how satisfied they are with their lives.
“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.” Both pigs and humans are animals but they are satisfied in different ways. If a pig rolls around in mud all day …show more content…

A fool can be satisfied but he will not see all the aspects that Socrates will see. Thus making him ignorant to the reasons for Socrates dissatisfaction. Although Socrates claims to be ignorant himself, he is one of most respected and studied philosophers in history. This shows that he was clearly onto something with his ideals. Socrates might say that the fool’s satisfaction is not the kind that he would want, he would want a much more fulfilling satisfaction than one who seeks common wants such as wealth, fame etc… Would Socrates be satisfied if he knew the answer to every question he or someone else asked? Or to just simply not be wise enough to ask the questions that trouble him? Is the only way for him to be happy by being a fool? Unlike the fool, Socrates knows both parties because of his philosophical ideals. He knows why he is dissatisfied and why the fool is satisfied. If you are a fool satisfied then you know what its like at least to some extent as to what the good life is. Since it is impossible to know everything, maybe it is better to be a fool satisfied so that its possible to experience the “good

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