Summary

As the men set out on their fourth day of discussion, Abrams claims that since they have covered the nature of joy and the obstacles to joy, next it was time “to move on to the positive qualities that allow us to experience more joy” (193). These positive qualities constitute the eight pillars of joy. The first pillar of joy, perspective, is the focus of this chapter.

The Dalai Lama begins by claiming that there are many angles, or perspectives, for looking at everything in life. He uses his ability to “see the calamity of his losing his country as an opportunity” (195) instead of a tragedy to exemplify using a wider perspective on one’s problems. Employing a wider perspective allows us “to move beyond our limited self-awareness” (196) and focus on the larger spectrum of life. While the men acknowledge...