Question for the Commentariat.

[silveradept]

Please answer the following two-parter, if you feel comfortable doing so.

(a) Have you successfully resolved the existential crisis of not only mortal life, but the likelihood that you and what you do will be essentially meaningless in the history of the cosmos?

(b) If so, please let me know your solution and its reasons. If not, please let me know where your difficulties are.

I'm still wrestling this one, and I have yet to find an acceptable answer in either religion or philosophy. A TARDIS and/or the ability to see what the post-life experience is like, remember it, return to life, and then evaluate by that standard is about as far as I've gotten for acceptable outcomes. I'm sure there has to be at least one that will click and fill the void of being able to conceptualize oneself in cosmic terms.

Comments

[songtocecilia.livejournal.com]

I'm no philosopher, but I'd like to think I've come to terms with my life's utter insignificance in the face of the cosmos. Every now and then I get a feeling of disorientation, though, realizing that I could do anything and in the grand scheme of things it wouldn't matter.
I am anti-religious (I hate to put it that way, but I really do think it causes more harm than good), but the way I see it, it's kind of liberating. It's okay to make mistakes--they don't matter overall. You make your own meaning in life. Whatever makes you happy, keeps you alive and well, is what you should strive for. And who knows what awaits us after death? Personally I think it'll be like unconsciousness, only forever, but one never knows. If there is a reckoning to be had at the end, I'd like to be able to say, "I lived my life as I saw fit, and tried to be the best person I could based on my own standards. I was true to myself. If this offended you, I'm sorry." I hold reason and logic very high on my scale of worthiness, but also compassion and courage. If there is a god, and it doesn't like that I've chosen reason over faith, I honestly don't care. It was my choice, and I'd make it again. I would rather be in "hell" with most of the great scientists and artists of all time than go to heaven without them.
Oh, but I think I'm digressing. What I mean to say is, try to find fulfillment in real life, whatever does it for you. Natural beauty, family (oh, wait, I seem to recall you saying your family wasn't very congenial), art, music, science, politics... one can easily fill a lifetime, several lifetimes, exploring and experiencing the Earth.
But in the end, I suppose many people look back and wish they had done something "more" with their life, something worth remembering. But I think as long as you are remembered by friends and loved ones, that's enough. I think people especially feel like time spent at work, particularly mindless sorts of jobs, is wasted time. But I don't think any job is truly a waste of time. You're doing something to improve people's lives. And there are, after all, many jobs to choose from. Asimov predicted that one day robots would be doing all of the messy, boring jobs that humans don't want to do, leaving humans to fill the more interesting careers (the population had fallen somewhat, though, too. I think right now a lot of people would be out of jobs altogether if robots came around).
Am I digressing again? I hope not. I think sharing things with other people is one of the most important things about life, but maybe that's just me, that happens to be what fulfills me. Some people might find solitary contemplation and discovery more rewarding. But we are social animals, after all, and I think we need each other. When I retire, I would like to look back and see that I made a difference in some children's lives, and furthered the cause of music (I'm training to be a music teacher/conductor). But different people have different goals.
Oh, I don't know what I'm saying any more. I hope something in here resonates with you. I always love reading your posts.

[silveradept]

Woreking in libraries, I too hope that I can see I made a difference in people's lives when I reach the end of the work life. I do think that sharing and learning together are wonderful things.

I think sometimes the crisis rears its head because all of the praise and life-changing things that may have been said about me do not actually reach my ears, and thus, lacking evidence that I am making a difference, the conclusion that remains is that I am not. Which is depressing.

So thank you for saying you like to read what I have to write.