Sergio Forgas, a philosophy teacher and trainer of Gestalt psychotherapists, says happiness has increased for him since he turned 60. In an interview, the 68-year-old describes a search for inner truth shaped by philosophy and his experience of therapy.
Forgas draws on the Greek word “aletheia,” which he explains as truth revealed by lifting a veil of forgetfulness. He links that idea to the belief, associated with Plato, that knowing can mean remembering. For him, the deepest truth is a connection to being alive: breathing, having a heartbeat and finding joy in life.
His own sense of purpose, he says, came from nearly three decades teaching philosophy and seeing students respond with interest or wonder. In class, he has explored questions about happiness, the nature of good and evil, God, and whether life is shaped by chance or by a predetermined path.
Forgas also encourages people to examine themselves and ask what their mission in life might be. His answer is to contribute in ways that prevent suffering from growing in the world, adding that small acts of kindness can have wider effects.
At 40, Forgas went through an existential crisis and felt that philosophy alone was not enough. He turned to existential Gestalt therapy, which he says changed his life by helping him look beyond intellect to the body, movement and dance. He says the experience allowed him to feel more fully himself—and that his happiness has grown since age 60.
Sources: La Vanguardia.