Woody's World

Came across an interesting interview today involving ace film-maker & comedian Woody Allen (to mention just two of his talents.) Was struck by the sheer bleakness of his view of existence (as was his interlocutor, Father Robert Lauder): Human existence is a brutal experience to me…it’s a brutal, meaningless experience—an agonizing, meaningless experience with some oases, delight, some charm and peace, but these are just small oases. Overall, it is a brutal, brutal, terrible experience, and so it’s what can you do to alleviate the agony of the human condition, the human predicament?

I don't doubt Mr Allen is being entirely sincere here and that he is a man of considerable depth. But I simply, intuitively almost, can't share his perspective. Part of me wonders if this is because I can't bear much reality, and Woody can, and thus I find ways of shutting it out to live at a superficial level. But another part, the bigger bit, suspects I am aware of realities, both temporal and ultimate, and that happiness is as real, and more common, than misery. If the bigger bit is right I don't see this as manifesting any great virtue on my part. I'm just temperamentally lucky.

My view, by the way, echoes the Islamic notion of gratitude. Most of the time I feel lucky to be alive and able to experience the life I've been granted and I wish this were the case for Woody. Indeed, for everyone.