Nothing Makes Sense
And it is blissful!
The first human being evolved into existence roughly around 3,00,000 years ago. Since then, over a hundred billion human beings have existed and ceased to exist. If we had an image of earth captured from outer space at the time of the first man and we were to compare it with an image taken today, barring the depleted ice caps and green covers, I don’t think much would be different.
Existence is absurd and as human beings, we are addicted to finding meaning and purpose in our existence. Existence is a state, not a challenge that needs a solution or an answer. We as a species seem to be stuck in the paradox of macro and micro. We know that at a larger scale, even the existence of the earth is inconsequential and at the same time when we look closely at all the faculties we have, from sensory to intellectual, and when we look at our history, we invariably feel that our existence must have a magnanimous meaning.
The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for. Dostoevsky’s words capture the very essence of the answer. But this purpose is not something to be seen with human hubris of superiority. This purpose is not something that can make a dent on a larger scale. The meaning and the purpose truly arise from realizing that our existence is a state and that all the meaning we need comes from finding that ‘something to live for’.
Appreciating life is not easy for us with all the struggles we have created in this simulation of civilization for ourselves. But the fact stands that although an intricate system, it is artificial. If we were to truly use our sensory and intellectual faculties, we would find a way to move out of it. And that could very well be the purpose we so ardently seek, pursuing which, our existence will break out of molds and structures and expand infinitely.
You could be simply sitting by yourself looking at the night sky, or cooking for your family, writing to your partner, pursuing art that makes you feel alive, it could be any mundane or exquisite thing, and in that there will be a rhythm of existence.
Think of the Himalayas. They are about fifty million years old. We might climb a peak of this great mountain range and for us, it could well be the greatest endeavor and accomplishment. But these ancient mountains have seen all the pre-human eras and will probably see more eras where we are extinct. For them, our scaling the peak makes no difference. For us, it will redefine our whole existence. I feel this is what we need, knowing that our existence makes no difference to the universe and probably has no meaning at all but it has every meaning that we bestow upon it for ourselves and the people who care for us or who we care for.
There might be no grand purpose, but merely existing, free from artificial complexities, pursuing our heart’s calling, catering to the core humane elements, appreciating whatever little of the universe we know, becoming the reason for someone’s smile, loving another human being with all the love that has always been inside us, all of these and others might appear too simple to qualify as purpose, probably because we have been looking for sophisticated answers, but simple as it may sound, we rarely reach to these answers and when we do, we realize what a bliss it is that nothing makes sense!
