The Meaning of Life

Perhaps the most perplexing aspect of the search for meaning is that it exists at all. Meaning as a requirement for existence is absent in nature. Animals seem satisfied with the never ending quest for food and pleasure; human beings are unique in their search for the “why” of it all. Why is it so hard for us to find satisfaction in the knowledge that we exist? Perhaps we have sought so fervently because we know just enough to allow for the possibility of more; so our intelligence has proven to be a hurdle as much as it is beneficial. I suspect this is the concept that the author of the Adam and Eve story was attempting to capture when he caused his characters to eat from a tree that imparted the knowledge of good and evil to them. It's our intellect that's caused us, uniquely among life on earth, to distinguish between animalistic tendencies and a higher calling; but if there's no higher being calling us, could it be our own understanding of our potential at a primal, unconscious level that drives us to ask the question, “Why?”

No longer does mere procreation and food gathering serve to satisfy our desire for meaning. That would be like using a supercomputer as a piece of furniture. We expect more from ourselves and society, and with no god to provide artificial significance and no afterlife to assure us more will arrive, we are suddenly forced to create more. What that creation looks like depends entirely on the individual, but from the writings of wise men throughout history, the testimonies of others alive today, and my own experiences, I can write of three primary categories of existential meaning: social activity, personal fulfillment, and discovery.

Social activity includes any interaction between human beings. We find happiness in helping others, because we understand at a deep level that the true potential of the human race has never rested on the shoulders of any one man or woman; it is the accomplishments we make as a whole that are catapulting us to a celestial status when compared to other species on this planet. So, we find meaning by encouraging society to progress, either by helping others or performing our vocations well. The latter might be more difficult for someone whose job seems trivial, but in a free and democratic society, which all societies should strive to be, there is nothing preventing anyone from planning and reaching towards a more fulfilling vocation. Of course, the most stable source of fulfillment is found in the very act of contributing to society using a skill set that takes advantage of an individual’s strengths - not in the type of contribution; but I must confess to being far from such a state of Zen.

Personal fulfillment is fairly self-explanatory. If we seek out that which pleases us without debilitating ourselves in the process, we will find our time on earth to be more enjoyable, and therefore the sweet pang of existence will be more manageable. This isn’t a requirement for meaning; rather, it is a helpful tool for leading a fulfilled life. Rarely does one need to convince another to seek happiness in this way. More often that not, the challenge is in understanding that it is only a limited source of meaning.

Another vast source of social meaning is procreation. On a purely sexual level, this falls under the category of personal fulfillment, but in relation to family, it can be fulfilling beyond measure. In fact, there are those who seem to live only to create more life, and they appear to be content on a deeper level than those with money and power. I believe this is in part due to the natural provision of an existential Other through mutual respect, trust, and love - perhaps the one force of nature that transcends reason and science - inherent in healthy lifelong partnerships.

Love often results in offspring. Children permit humans to project themselves into the future through genetics, as well as the passing on of valuable information and skills - perhaps even cheating death on some small level. These tendencies are biologically hardwired into us as a way of ensuring our survival as a species, but given the intricacies of our brains, it's no wonder our familial functions have evolved to bewildering complexity. As with personal fulfillment, the biggest danger in regards to procreation is the tendency for those to forget that we must find meaning outside of it in order to live a balanced, healthy life. In short, social fulfillment allows us to find meaning in you, me, and the space between.

One of the most profound moments in the journey of life is the realization that there is no destination. Typically, there is no career, significant other, or cause that will provide true, lasting happiness. Fulfillment is subjective, but I and many others have found that it thrives in balance and harmony. A life spent carousing will fail to provide substantive long-term relationships or profundity. A life spent at home studying or at work being productive will be lonely. An impoverished life will often be full of strife. A life in exorbitant wealth will often be characterized by arrogance and a lack of discipline. However, a life lived in the center of all these will provide fulfillment. This, of course, is a matter of opinion, but one that is shared by many of the wisest people in the world’s most accepted worldviews, regardless of their reasoning. It's also frequently tested and found to be true, as it's difficult to base one’s entire life on the observation of others, however consistent the results appear to be from the outside. The important thing to remember is that these kinds of truths are not absolute. They will vary on an individual basis, and because there's no higher power providing us with a manual for existence, we're free to explore morality and determine from experience or the examples of others what thoughts and behaviors are beneficial, distinguishing them from those that are not.

Meaning is found to be more urgent and poignant without an omnipotent, omniscient dictator - even without an afterlife. Suddenly, it is up to us to seek it out, to give our lives context, to fulfill our own desires. The possibilities are limitless, and we are free to explore them. This is exhilarating, and can allow people to experience an enhanced version of life, in contrast to one held back by religious dogma plucked out of thin air by well-meaning theologians over thousands of years. With no afterlife, a sense of urgency arrives; coupled with the understanding that meaning is waiting to be discovered, the result is a desire to immediately get off the couch and make life happen!

On a societal level, discovery is the proverbial carrot in front of our noses, convincing us to move onward, much like the concept of the afterlife, but tangible and real. The unknown beyond the reach of our watchtowers, submarines, and satellites gives us motivation to continue seeking, because we do not know what we might find. The final answers we seek may be waiting for us to discover them on the outer edge of the universe, at the center of the earth, or possibly even in our own minds. If we do not take up this tremendous task, who will?

As far as we know, we are the only beings in the universe who have the capacity to explore it. The same holds true for technology; there are untold possibilities in front of us in the technological field. Discoveries that add dimensions to our existence we never could have imagined may lie in wait just around the corner. Consider how social media has transformed our lives, making it possible for humanity to instantly communicate to one another from opposite ends of the earth, bringing us closer together and enabling us to exchange ideas globally on a worldwide marketplace. The Egyptian revolution was the result of such progression; in fact, it may never have occurred or even been successful without networks such as Facebook and Twitter, neither of which existed just a decade ago; that’s 10 years in the light of thousands of years! If we refuse to accept the calling of discovery, and there are no others who are capable of doing so, that could be the greatest tragedy the universe has ever known. While not everyone can be on the forefront, we can all take comfort in the knowledge that we are part of the most magnificent organism in the known universe: humanity. Every seemingly insignificant action is part of the whole, and the whole is possibly the greatest meaning there is. Perhaps we are the mechanism through which the universe will discover itself, and to be a part of that in any way is to experience profound, everlasting meaning.

What is Faith?

"The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves."

--Richard Bach

Everyone, even atheists, should consider the possibility that a spiritual world exists. However, we shouldn’t assume it exists until we find evidence that it does. I've heard people respond to this argument by suggesting that the burden of proof lies on those attempting to disprove religion, simply because religion has ruled unquestioned for thousands of years. Let me point out that the reason I take issue with religion, spirituality, and god, is lack of evidence, not because I want to go against the flow. The burden of proof isn't a matter of chronology. For example, I can’t assert that there's a monster under my bed and then deny you proof simply because I presented my position first. That would be childish.

Right now, the planet contains upwards of 6 billion people. With the widespread use of social media, a kitten can’t make a cute noise without being recorded and posted online for the entertainment of others. There are TV shows with large budgets that have the express purpose of investigating paranormal activity. Digital technology has made every computer with an Internet connection a portal to a monumental documentary on humanity and nature as the story unfolds before us. Tsunamis, tornados, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, deforestation, revolutions - all of these are now available to view, often as they occur in real time.

Yet, with these millions of videos, there hasn’t been one that’s been proven to be undeniable evidence of a spiritual occurrence. I know I’ve never experienced any allegedly spiritual happenings that couldn’t be explained in a much simpler, more natural way. Ask yourself when you last witnessed a miracle rather than hearing about it secondhand. In religious books, however, miraculous incidents seem to be the norm. Oddly, those occurrences become more frequent and fantastical as the clock rewinds. So, the question becomes, is it coincidence that well-documented, large-scale spiritual occurrences have diminished as science has progressed; or has it become easier to verify facts, causing demand to sharply decline for stories claiming to be true but offering no evidence to back them up? I’m going with option number 2.

Really, that should be the end of the discussion. If you tell me a unicorn exists, and I ask you to show it to me - or at least a picture of it, tuft of hair, or possibly a horn that was shed - and you refuse, I’d be a fool to trust you; yet a significant portion of the population believes wholeheartedly in the concept of faith. This is likely due to a denial of faith's true role in religion. It's the theological trump card played by spiritual leaders on questioning members of the flock in order to maintain control. I’ve experienced this many times in the Christian church.

Boiled down, faith requires that we believe the word of god, period. However, more complex versions do exist, such as the Calvinistic notion that people can only obtain faith if it is bestowed upon them by god. As a result of this theological loophole, I've already been asked several times whether or not I ever really believed in Christianity. The reason for the question is all too obvious: if faith is a gift, or calling, then those who change their minds were never really given the gift. This copout is one of the few things a Christian can say to me in a debate that will actually make me angry. I recall times in my life when I would pray to god every evening and ask for forgiveness for my inability to be selfless in all my actions throughout the day. So, yes, I believed – to a fault. Where did I get such an unhealthy, self-deprecating mindset, you ask? Answer: from the Bible.

Christianity holds that we are deeply flawed and worthless outside of Christ’s sacrifice, which makes us perfect, as we are meant to be. However, the fact remains that the Bible tells us we are reprehensible as we are, so much so that god won’t allow us in his presence until we’ve been cleansed. Because we exist in this world as we are, and not as we should be according to divine standards, the message is the same: you are unacceptable. Note the similarity in this type of relationship with god when compared to an abusive marriage, wherein a husband might beat his wife knowing she will not leave him, because he has convinced her she is worthless and will never find someone better. This technique is also used by pimps to keep prostitutes working for them.

 Theological nuances aside, the end result of faith is the same: believe without proof - belief for the sake of believing. By that reasoning, we should all believe in unicorns. However, the general consensus is that unicorns don’t exist, because we haven’t found evidence of their existence. Strangely, religious people bypass this logic using the concept of faith, but only on matters associated with their own religions. This exercise in mental gymnastics when presented with one’s own cognitive dissonance is disconcertingly similar to the concept of “doublethink,” as George Orwell described it in his political thriller, 1984. In the novel, a totalitarian government maintains control over its population by training people from an early age to rely entirely on the government, not only for information, but also for thought processes.

One common argument used in religious circles to placate the need for proof is that life is evidence of god’s existence, because it’s just too complex to occur without a guiding hand. This concept has been dubbed, “general revelation,” in many theological circles, and really there’s nothing wrong with, it except for the conclusion that almost always follows. It’s true that an “intelligent designer” (as Michael Behe refers to his alleged creator in his book, Darwin’s Black Box) may be an explanation for life; but that is as far as the argument can take you.

Even if there is a creator, we know nothing of its nature. It could be kind or cruel; it might have a limited source of knowledge or be all-knowing; it could be male, female, or asexual; it could be alive or dead; it may expect certain behaviors from us, or it might not care at all, choosing simply to observe and take notes in a bizarre, cosmic experiment. A Christian pastor might tell you that god’s nature has been revealed in the Bible, while an Islamic caliph would point to the Quran as god’s revelation to mankind. They can’t both be correct, as they both claim god endorses only their version of the truth, and those who disagree with them will be punished in the afterlife. But if you listen to their reasoning, they sound eerily similar; it all comes down to faith. This is to say nothing of the fact that science has provided us with a perfectly viable theory that uses reason to explain our existence instead of magic or imaginary friends.

So, what is faith? Faith is humanity's attempt to selectively ignore the inconvenience of reason in favor of the emotional comfort derived from familiar ideologies, institutions, and power structures.

Just a Little Metaphysics

 Who are we? Are we at all? Why shouldn’t we lie, cheat, or kill? And of course, the ever elusive, “Why are we here?” It can take a surprising amount of courage to begin asking these questions, and even more to search for their answers, looking past predetermined worldviews that prescribe half-truths and often outright lies in short, convenient sound bytes. People have all sorts of reasons for avoiding the search for truth, whether fear, confusion, or lack of time; but without asking these fundamental questions, we can't be certain our lives and actions are meaningful. So, let’s start with, “Are we at all?”

The argument has been made that we can't know whether we exist, since we have no proof that the signals being sent to our brains are accurate, and therefore everything is meaningless. I disagree. It’s possible our empirical senses are flawed, but unlikely they’re entirely fabricated. Truth seekers must allow for any possibility, relying on humanity’s greatest attribute, reason, to distinguish that which is likely to be true from that which is not, always willing to change positions on any topic if adequate evidence to the contrary is provided.

I submit that there's no absolute truth we can be certain of; there are only varying degrees of likelihood. Sure, you can throw your hands in the air and give up out of refusal to play the odds, but that would be foolish. At any moment, an airplane could crash on our heads, but we shouldn’t live our lives as if that were the case, because the odds of such an occurrence are very, very low. Similarly, we shouldn’t act on the idea that our empirical senses are fabricated simply because there's a remote possibility they might be. We must look at the evidence, which stacks up in favor of our senses, confirmed by consistency in our own lives and corroborated by the shared experience of billions of other humans on the planet, along with thousands of years worth of recorded history.

I figured we could start with just a little metaphysics, since that’s really the beginning of the philosophical journey. When building a worldview, we have to start with a blank slate. Imagine you just came into existence, like a baby but without the messy birth process; then, try to analyze what you know of reality from the 5 senses. Once we’ve established that reality is perceivable, we can set out to discover the truth. The best part is, almost everyone agrees on this basic stuff. That is, most people believe that what we can see and touch is real. It’s the rest that we tend to disagree on.