Humanity's Question of Existence

Humanity's Question of Existence

         2022. This is the year. Blake Francis. This is my name. Sorry to be dramatic, just thought I'd open with something abnormal. Not trying to be funny, I'm drinking some whisky and this could be why abnormality seems refreshing. I'm not an expert on anything. As you can probably tell. So please, whoever reads this, read it with a grain of salt and know that whisky may be the catalyst.

         The first paragraph was a way to lighten the load of the title. The title appears provocative, mysterious, intriguing, or even arrogant. "Humanity's Question of Existence", I'm 25 years old, why am I writing about this? I don't know. But I find myself typing nonetheless, so if you want to keep reading then great, if not, that's fine too.

         To exist means to live, love, hate, regret, laugh, yell, throw up, sleep, and occasionally question why you exist. If I were to ask you, does your life have inherent value? No matter what you've done that you feel has been "good", "bad", or "ugly" does your life have inherent value? Pause. Answer in your head.

         How did you come to either a yes or no? I've asked myself that same question and in the next paragraph I'll explore the answer of yes.

         Inherent is the key word to answering yes. The word inherent implies that once we are born, our life has value and that value won't cease to exist. No matter where you come from, no matter who you are. Simply because you are alive, you are worthy. That's a school of thought that has caused division among religion and science for centuries. Those on one side saying they are loved because a higher power loves them, and those who say we make our own luck, and if love is a part of that then great. That's where God comes into the equation. Our existence, whether we like it or not, is tied to the question of if we were created. No one is questioning the existence of science. But God is science's greatest rival. Humanity's insatiable enigma that is like an itch that won't go away. There's also answering the question as "yes, life has inherent value", but God may not play a part in the reasoning. The answer may simply come from a love of oneself, and their view is that if they can achieve self-acceptance, then anyone can. I hope to be one of those "yes'" one day.

         I'm typing to contemplate the meaning of life itself. Not to reveal its meaning it, but to question. The meaning of life is a grand statement that has infinite interpretations to the unique individual. Maybe we're meant to always question. It's like wanting something you know you can't have. And then once you have it, maybe it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The thrill of the chase drives innovation. It sparks debate, introspection, and unveils a beauty that is unique to human beings. Dogs don't question their existence. But hey, who knows, maybe they do. We are all ignorant to the truth, and that ignorance irritates us. We feel as if we can science our way to the answer, and maybe we can. But right now, in 2022, we are as lost to the question of our existence as we were when we first started walking on two feet. Maybe not as lost, but until we find the truth, aren't we always going to be as lost? I think so.

         To those who answered "no" to the questioned proposed, see below.

         Does your life have inherent value? "No". To those who are averse to the word inherent, I understand. A life creates its own value, and in turn establishes that it is valuable. What you do in your life matters. Help others, be a leader, inventor, mechanic, teacher--whatever it is, as long as you are providing value then your life has value. Not simply because he or she was born do they have value. But also, someone who answers no could think life is meaningless overall. And that value is obsolete. No matter what they've done or will do in their life. Nothing wrong with that. I understand the logic and at times in my own life I have felt that to the fullest extent. Apathy is a part of the human condition. We are our own worst critics and sometimes our worst bully. I have valued most of my life. But the small portion of about 6 months when I didn't, those months were when I had the darkest of thoughts. Short amount of time, but darkness can consume. That's where I believe this essay was bred out of. Introspection sucks but is also rewarding when taken seriously.

         I find comfort in the first answer of yes to whether or not life inherently matters. Like, no matter what, my life has value. But I also struggle with accepting my own weaknesses, failures, and faults. If I believe in "yes", my life has value no matter what, then I should be fine. Something out there in the cosmos loves me and in turn, loves all life. But I also believe in "no" at the same time. That's the human condition I'm afraid. I have felt incredibly invaluable at times over the course of my long and prosperous 25 years. 25 years is not long at all, that was a joke. But seriously, what I'm trying to say is, no matter if you answer yes or no to the question prompted above, try to find your value in your own unique existence. It doesn't matter whether or not you believe in the word inherent. What matters is that you believe in the phrase, "I value myself." I also understand though that people take extreme comfort in the word inherent. I hope I can get there one day. Cheesy, I know. But usually things that are cheesy, contain the most truth. I'm still on that journey, and I know someone who reads this is as well. So, we're basically all fucked up together, and when we're together then we're never really alone.

         Provocative title from the beginning. Provocative essay? I doubt it. I feel as if this has been a sort of self-therapy for myself as I write the conclusion. Those who read it and take something out of it, that's all I could ask for. Those who read it and hate it, I understand. I still have whisky running through my veins and may wake up in the morning and hate it as well. If you've made it this far, I salute you and thanks for taking the time to read a 25-year old's take on life. Maybe in 20 years I'll have an answer. Cheers.