Jonathan Swift's book Gulliver's Travels isoften represented as a children's book, but it's actually politicalsatire. He's taking the ridiculous things that he hears peoplesaying around him and then trying to show the foolishness of thoseideas. One of the things he addresses is the desire for eternallife. In the book, Gulliver travels to a place where people who areborn with a certain birthmark have eternal life. At first, Gulliveris jealous. Then he learns that although they have eternal LIFE,they do not have eternal YOUTH. Decrepitude and dementia stillcreep in, but the people are unable to die. This portion of thebook is (at least in part) an attempt to show that people who go toextreme measures to live forever are chasing after the wrong goal.It's not the lack of dying that matters, it's what you can do withthe life you have. (Note that if eternal life is combined with away to make good use of that life, then it becomes a good thingagain.)
Similar points can be made about money, relationships, and manyother things that people tell themselves are the goal of theirhappiness. They might be good, but not for their own sake. In fact,when they're pursued for their own sake, they can end up being abad thing.
Identify one thing that people sometimes pursue for itsown sake. Discuss what makes that thing valuable and/or important.Also point out where the pursuit of that thing might become aparody of happiness.
