Who am I? How do I fit into the context of life in general? What is life?
These things are never entirely clear cut, but I don’t think I’m too wide of the mark in saying this. The vast majority of us really only ask the first two questions. We ask the first question purely in terms of the second, and we see the second only in terms defined by culture, history and the material exigencies of the moment. Some of us realise that it isn’t enough. There’s a nagging sense that humanity is fooling itself, or at least allowing itself to be fooled. In short, we see that a triangle has to have three sides.
That’s when life becomes more interesting; but it also becomes more uncomfortable, more confusing, and more lonely. Asking only the first two questions makes everything easy, because the answers are easy to find. They’re laid out for us like pink plastic baubles on a road of grey concrete. The whole system of government, commerce and education relies on them. Embracing the third question, however, brings a succession of further questions, and at the end of the line there’s always at least one to which there is no answer. So what do we do? Go on pretending that a triangle has only two sides?
I’m on the bottom rung of this ladder at the moment. So far, I’ve only come up with one answer to the question ‘What is life?’
Life isn’t anything.
And you may rest assured that it is in no way a negative answer, however much it might so seem to those who have never really asked the question. On the contrary, it’s a very positive start, and might prove to be a central truth when I finally get to the top of the ladder. In the meantime I shall continue to have fun, within the triangle and without it.
4 comments:
I am at the point of saying fuck the meaning of life, I'm just going to live it.
That's good, Carms. It means you're asking the question.At least two of the most spiritually oriented truth seekers I know are taking the same view at the moment. It strikes me as a perfectly good view to take. It's unlikely that the question will ever go away completely, but there's no harm in letting it simmer away in the background for as long as you need it to.
I hope that's my dose of seriousness done for one day.
I admit I laughed when I read your answer to the question of What is Life? Its just the answer everyone least expect to hear.
What? You mean you're not going to yell at me like you usually do? Or is this just another way of yelling at me, my Pennsylvanian Nemesis?
I have to say, Maria, nearly everybody seems to have deserted me these past couple of days. And so, Nemesis or not, blessed are you in mine eyes, my dear.
So now I suppose I get yelled at for calling you 'my dear.' That, at least, would be deserved. Have you had your hair cut yet? Do you feel the weaker for it?
Oh no, wrong way round. You're the one holding the shears, right?
You know this is all a joke, don't you. I'm bored.
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