Psychologies, May 2015, Robert Downey Jr On Marriage and the Meaning of Life

Psychologies is a women's magazine dedicated to personal development and well-being. In May 2015 they interviewed Robert Downey Jr. on his infamous fall from fame, and miraculous rise back to the top.

In the article Downey talks about overcoming addiction, drugs, negative behaviors, and a relentless unsuccessful pursuit of happiness, which only continued to fuel his addiction leading to jail time and more unhappiness. As a result, most in Hollywood would disassociate themselves with him, and his first marriage even ended in divorce. He started doing drugs when he was just six years old, after his father let him try marijuana. His mother also had addictions. The never ending downward spiral would result in him finding what truly makes people happy. In his words, happiness comes from living honourably, responsibly, constructively and taking care of your family.

Downey would go on to describe his addictions, it's like I've got a shotgun in my mouth with my finger on the trigger, and I like the taste of the gun metal. Eventually, he would go on to get clean with the help of his family, therapy, medication, 12-step programs, yoga, and Wing Chun Kung Fu. Downey likened his fall and rise to the mythical phoenix, and fair enough, he is now considered one of the most accomplished actors in Hollywood.

One final quote from the article that we liked from Downey, Most people are self-obsessed, then I think having kids gives you such an opportunity not to think about yourself all the time.

Overall, this was a short and insightful article on Robert Downey Jr. However, one could argue, that it doesn't specifically touch on the meaning of life as the front cover would imply. After all, one can be happy but not live a meaningful life, and vice versa, one could live a very meaningful life but be completely miserable.

#happiness #addiction #family #children