Eudaimon?

Recently, I've not been having the best time of things, particularly where it comes to stress levels...I'm about to restart my Library School program and my Vocational program, along with having been with extended family for a bit. While I was out there, though, for some reason I was thinking back to the notion of "genius" (derived from "genii" [which in turn is a fire spirit, source of the term "genie"]) and eudaimons...and whether I might be a eudaimon.

A Eudaimon is essentially a good spirit who was thought to give inspiration to artists, contrasted with a Cacodaimon (which was an evil spirit). This is the basis of those cartoons where there's an angel and a devil at the opposite shoulders of one person...though at one time, this was taken seriously (these are ancient Greek ideas).

It's also very possible that I'm overidentifying with my own eudaimon, though granted that after the Renaissance, the locus of inspiration (or "genius") was relocated from the eudaimon to the artist themselves.

Dang personality fluidity...

In any case, the feeling isn't as strong now as it was a few nights ago; and it may have been due to local spirits (I am just back from Las Vegas). I have one book I can reference on this (Arcana Mundi by Georg Luck)...but I was just wondering if others had run across this term, and if so, what their impressions were of the concept.

I've heard the term genius loci, to refer to a spirit of a particular place, although I'm not familiar with the term 'eudaimon'.

Could your fluctuations just be due to the stress of travel, family, school, etc.?

They could be, but when one is as vulnerable to personality and mental fluctuations as I am, it kind of gives one pause.

I'm pretty sure I wasn't on this forum back when I was getting my original degree -- but I told that story a while ago: my goals kept shifting. Right now...ehh. I've recently decided (prior to the reunion) that becoming an Art Librarian sounds like a good idea, although it is a minimum of 4 years more schooling. First, the MLIS, then the second Bachelor's in Art History.

I just kind of feel like I don't know what I'm doing, a lot of the time.

Oh! But I did get my AA in Art last Spring! The drawback is that making a living at Art is both a commitment and uncertain, even with that commitment.

Eh...

Chordal Wrote:I just kind of feel like I don't know what I'm doing, a lot of the time.

Welcome to being an adult! I'm confidant most of us feel this way at least 75% of the time. I know I do. Fake it 'til you make it, you know? <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" title="Razz" /><!-- s -->