When we think of the Aztec, we probably don’t think about happiness. After all, most of us probably don’t know much more about them than the fact that their civilization was conquered and destroyed by Spaniards who invaded Mexico. Yet Sebastian Purcell argues it’s in our best interest to know more. In particular, by understanding their value system, we can potentially achieve fulfillment. Purcell writes for Aeon that the Aztec teach us that
“… we should strive to lead a rooted, or worthwhile life. The word the Aztecs used is neltiliztli. It literally means ‘rootedness,’ but also ‘truth’ and ‘goodness’ more broadly. They believed that the true life was the good one, the highest humans could aim for in our deliberate actions.”
How does one have a “rooted” life? It must be achieved on four separate levels: in our character, psyches, communities, and the divine. (Purcell notes this is consistent with classical Western tradition, but thanks to all its carefully delineated levels, it’s a “more encompassing method than that of the Greeks.”)
The person who successfully fulfills these levels can “harmonize body, mind, social purpose, and wonder at nature.” Also, you’ll gradually realize you’re less concerned with happiness than true fulfillment, as the Aztecs held that “pleasure was little more than an incidental feature” of the rooted life.
To learn more about an Aztec approach to existence, click here.
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