Culture
We all want and need the same. For some one to notice and pay attention to us. To be taken care of and be loved.
The meaning of life is life… everything else is man made
Marck – some time around 1985
This is in no way a rejection of religion, beliefs, convictions or otherwise. It is a simple realisation. That the meaning of life is to create more life. Nurture and protect it in every way we can.
Including life in a wider sense. Beyond having more living beings and plants populating our planet.
It is how we live our lives, what we create and why. What we experience together – the memories we carry with us into the next generations. How we evolve as a species.
That, despite our advanced knowledge of the world we live in. Our achievements in science and amazing technological abilities. We still don’t understand or even grasp the bigger questions. The things we don’t know we don’t know. And possibly we never should.
A longer view
While humans may be limited by only having been around as a species for a good hundred thousand years. We will surely continue to develop our understanding of the world we live in, innovate and further the technologies we have developed so far.
We have come far explaining physics from a technical perspective. And with a tremendous amount of respect for all our brilliant scientists. It is a case of very close, yet so far away.
I believe they will agree, there is still an exciting journey of discovery ahead.
With all we have achieved in the last few thousand years. Imagine how much we can do in the next hundred thousand! Provided of course, we begin acting on the important lessons from our past.
Remember, the sun will still be keeping us warm for another ~billion years. If we choose to stick around.
Meaning
While we may some day be able to describe our physical world. ‘Meaning’ is a whole other concept.
Every single culture, social circle, family and individual have their own understanding of what it all means. We may use common references and behave alike, to tell others that we are ‘a lot like them’, and we see the world in a similar way.
But how it feels, what it means – will always be highly individual.
Meaning will always be linked with all the sights, sounds, people, cultures, books, movies, music , … you have experienced since you were a baby.
Beauty of life
That is the true beauty of life.
That although we as humans identify with ourselves and groups in similar ways. What it means to us is ever evolving, it is individual. It changes during our lives.
It is new and precious for each of us. Even if we should some day have all the ‘technical’ answers, life will continue to evolve. As long as we create new life, and have the opportunity to live free.
There are a million ways to live a good life, as we revolve around each other. It is diversity – evolution – that has brought us this far, and will continue to carry us further.
The world is good, and wants good
We some times forget that the mere existence of life is amazing. That overwhelmingly we do good things for each other, and good things happen every day.
If it was not so, the few bad elements would have conquered long ago, taking every one of us down with them.
But we haven’t allowed it. And we will continue to fill the space between us with tolerance, peace and inclusiveness.
Our future lies in all that we can learn from each other
Common cause
People get up in the morning, and 98% worry about taking care of their loved ones. Or find someone to love and be loved in return.
In the industrialised part of the world. Life is lived by the clock. Days scheduled from morning till late night – trying to keep up, get ahead, do enough. Life can feel repetitive, and people are increasingly feeling lonely in our current social media culture.
In other places, it is a less desirable struggle to just survive. It’s hard work, trying to get enough food for the family, and hope to keep them safe from weather, violence and disease. In places, good education and sanitation is but a dream.
And too many have even less. Displaced by our raging planet, violence and the few who thinks of nothing but themselves.
Nature has its ways, though we must treat it with more respect.
But we have no excuse for violence!
Through all of it, everything we go through together – and alone. There’s heart, generosity and beauty. We are occupied with maintaining life – and creating new life.
There is a build in hope that it will all be ok, that life is worth the effort. Although few of us find the time or energy to consider looking for meaning. There is hope, that one day we will all find it.
The meaning of life is – life.
… everything else is man made.
We created the world we live in, with all its innovation, wonders and cultures. Some of it we inherited from our common past, much is done every day, and everything we – humanity – have done together through time, can be cared for and protected, it’s an immense source of knowledge and learning. And with everything we have achieved, one important lesson about the immense ability of the human race emerges;
Everything we have created, we can choose to change – for a better future.
A note
Please don’t see this as a comment, or viewpoint, on the very complex and sensitive topic of birth control, contraceptives and abortion. That is a separate conversation.