Since Siddhartha seemed to have everything going for him, why would he be so discontent? Is he simply seeking the independence of adulthood? What kind of “freedom” is he seeking?
Siddhartha was born into a wealthy family. He was also born with a graceful and beautiful complexion and an admirable intelligence. All of his peers looked up to him because he had everything they strived for. Yet, Siddhartha was unhappy, dissatisfied, and longed to fill an unidentified void. He wanted to pursue his own hunger for personal life experiences and break away from the regime he was born into. This, too many people, seems preposterous because if anyone should be happy and fulfilled, it should be him! In truth, he was right to leave on his journey and abandon his material possessions along with the path his father (or perhaps, parents) had chosen for him.
Siddhartha was not simply seeking the independence of adulthood. He craved to experience for himself what his teachers had been talking about or avoiding talking about. He wanted to know what life truly meant. He knew it meant more than words uttered out of teacher’s mouths. The ‘freedom’ he sought was that of acquiring his own knowledge and understanding through personal experience and surely could not be taught through sermons and teachings.
Siddhartha’s departure from his luxurious life can be compared to many celebrities who have supposedly achieved the ‘American Dream.’ For example, Britney Spears had everything going for her: a successful career as a singer, a marriage, and two beautiful children. Even though she had millions of people looking up to her all over the world and has material wealth more than the majority of people, somehow, it seems that she became disconnected from her image of the aspiring pop star as she let her life spiral out of control. Her luxurious life was not enough to make her truly happy and fulfilled. Many people had become jealous of her because of her success and fame. However, these aspects are superficial. They can entrap anyone and hurt them, just like they did with Britney Spears.
Like Siddhartha, Britney Spears was dissatisfied and unhappy her life at that point, and therefore began self-destructing. Along with her excess partying, she divorced from her husband, lost custody of her children and ended up in a mental institute a few times. Hopefully she will pick up the pieces and rebuild a healthy life.
In conclusion, both Siddhartha and Britney Spears displayed dissatisfaction and unhappiness with their seemingly ‘perfect’ lives. Appearances can, indeed, be quite deceiving.
A video collection of photographs showing Britney’s downfall:
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXxY1sA6b7k&NR=1
An article describing in more detail her downfall and why people are so curious about a celebrity’s problems.
Article: http://collegian.kenyon.edu/article.php?id=2746
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