Thoughts on life
A friend of mine recently posted about a recent suicide attempt. I'm not going to tell you that I've never entertained such thoughts myself, but I have a philosophy which has evolved over the years and serves me well. It is the reason you all know the happy guy that I am today.
You probably know that I'm a pretty vocal atheist. One of the arguments I get most often from the religious is: "If there is no god, than you have no purpose".
Here is my response.
We live in a universe that is so large it appears infinite. In this infinite universe, the possibility that a star would form from coalescing matter is improbable, but not impossible. The probability that this star would form a planetary disc is even more remote.
Now that planetary disc needs to form plants and planetoids, and conditions on that body need to be in flux enough to create an environment where complex chemical reactions can occur. Even then, we don't know the statistical probability that life will arise. For the first billion years of life on earth, we know that life was microbial. Only in the last three billion years has complex life arisen (several times), and to the best of our knowledge, only once has it resulted in an intelligence capable of perceiving it's unique place in the universe.
The infinite improbability that conditions might arise, that would eventually result in "me" is beyond calculating. I have lived 38 years, and I might have another 40 in me if I'm lucky. Maybe. My life may be snuffed out tomorrow.
We each have a rare and unique opportunity to exist. To percieve the universe around us. This is probably our only shot (all evidence seems to indicate this) so why waste it.
We shouldn't look to others to validate our own existence. That is the responsibility of each and every being capable of comprehending the solitary and unique journey that each of us travels.
When I lose someone, I don't feel regret. Sadness yes, but never regret. It's not about what we have lost, but what we had the opportunity to have.
Wether you admit it or not, your existence has, and will continue to touch others you come into contact with. For better or worse. In the end, you will be dead no matter what you do. Even the memory of the greatest, most famous humans in history will someday be lost in time when the human race ends, or our star burns out, our the universe collapses on itself in some gigantic cosmic crunch.
Make the most of time you have. Make memories. Touch the lives of people around you. Someday, all of this will be lost. Nothing more than tears in the rain.
You probably know that I'm a pretty vocal atheist. One of the arguments I get most often from the religious is: "If there is no god, than you have no purpose".
Here is my response.
We live in a universe that is so large it appears infinite. In this infinite universe, the possibility that a star would form from coalescing matter is improbable, but not impossible. The probability that this star would form a planetary disc is even more remote.
Now that planetary disc needs to form plants and planetoids, and conditions on that body need to be in flux enough to create an environment where complex chemical reactions can occur. Even then, we don't know the statistical probability that life will arise. For the first billion years of life on earth, we know that life was microbial. Only in the last three billion years has complex life arisen (several times), and to the best of our knowledge, only once has it resulted in an intelligence capable of perceiving it's unique place in the universe.
The infinite improbability that conditions might arise, that would eventually result in "me" is beyond calculating. I have lived 38 years, and I might have another 40 in me if I'm lucky. Maybe. My life may be snuffed out tomorrow.
We each have a rare and unique opportunity to exist. To percieve the universe around us. This is probably our only shot (all evidence seems to indicate this) so why waste it.
We shouldn't look to others to validate our own existence. That is the responsibility of each and every being capable of comprehending the solitary and unique journey that each of us travels.
When I lose someone, I don't feel regret. Sadness yes, but never regret. It's not about what we have lost, but what we had the opportunity to have.
Wether you admit it or not, your existence has, and will continue to touch others you come into contact with. For better or worse. In the end, you will be dead no matter what you do. Even the memory of the greatest, most famous humans in history will someday be lost in time when the human race ends, or our star burns out, our the universe collapses on itself in some gigantic cosmic crunch.
Make the most of time you have. Make memories. Touch the lives of people around you. Someday, all of this will be lost. Nothing more than tears in the rain.