“Enjoy Life and Learning” was discussed at CIU
Faculty of Education of Cyprus International University (CIU) organized an activity called “Enjoy Life and Learning” where CIU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Gürkan Doğan talked about the meaning of life, and how happiness relates to the learning process.
In the event held in the Conference Hall of CIU Çevik Uraz Center, Doğan emphasized that in the "modern" world, people are doomed to lead a monotonous life which they cannot be part of or even just watch remotely due to the "unrest" that dominates their life because in the modern world they are emerged in a digital lifestyle that focuses on defense, control, consumption and be regarded with admiration.
Prof. Dr. Doğan said that people around the world are increasingly dealing with a feeling of emptiness and boredom; this situation prompted England first and later Japan to appoint "Ministers of Loneliness" after 2018.
Stating that he preferred the expressions "meaning attributed to life" instead of "life" and "perception of time" rather than "time", Prof. Dr. Doğan stated that when one feels life has passed so fast, it is closely related to having spent life predominantly based on routines.
Doğan stated that there is an increase in the number of individuals seeking help from fortune-tellers, psychics, personal development specialists and life coaches to endure the life that is starting to hurt them because they cannot actively be part of the society they belong to, and added, “This is a very significant situation; people are advised to be happy and custom-made recipes are presented on how to do this. However, happiness is not a goal but the result. Happiness consists of dynamic feelings experienced in relation to those processes and in line with the choices made at the time. More importantly, it is our most natural right to be unhappy as well as to be happy.
The main thing is to internalize that unhappiness as the most natural part of life, and to know the value of life regardless of its flow. The essential thing is life and to live that life to the utmost in accordance with that voice coming from within. We should have a single purpose in life; and that goal should be to live life fully. Then, one should take control at the helm of one’s life where regrets as few as possible. When one turns back and reminisces the past, one should be able to say, "I'm glad I lived such a life."
Doğan concluded by talking about the positive practices carried out in the world, expressing the necessity of implementing "happiness" curricula where the course contents will include intuition, insight, common sense, love, respect and endurance.