The Meaning of Life

“Had I simply understood that life had no meaning I could have borne it quietly, knowing that that was my lot. But I could not satisfy myself with that. Had I been like a man living in a wood from which he knows there is no exit, I could have lived; but I was like one lost in a wood who, horrified at having lost his way, rushes about wishing to find the road. He knows that each step he takes confuses him more and more, but still he cannot help rushing about.” Tolstoy (Confession)

We rush about life, desperately looking for meaning. In our modern world, it is sufficient to pause and observe a busy street in any big city to realize that we look like ants hurrying along, but, unlike the ants, without knowing really what we are doing and where we are going. It is time to stop and examine our life, our environment and, most of all, our individual purpose.

“We approach truth only inasmuch as we depart from life”, said Socrates when preparing for death. He continues: “The wise man seeks death all his life and therefore death is not terrible to him.” One of the most important truths is revealed by the Greek genius: “Do not be afraid of death, rejoice, because you will be free of the body.” Yes, it is true that most of us fear the end, even though we know it must happen. Could we not lead a much better life if we accepted that death is only a transition to a better world, that death is what gives meaning to our lives?

The thing that hath been, is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. (Solomon)

Nothing in this modern world has changed; everything that Man does today has been done at some point in history. Solomon obviously speaks of the nature of Man; it has not changed over the course of centuries, over millennia. We fight, we love, we kill, we give, we take, we lie, we deceive, we sin, we accomplish glorious deeds, we admire Nature, we fear Nature, as we always done, ever since the first hominid spoke his first words. Man gives meaning to his life, or fails to do so; no one else does.

“He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” (Solomon)

The real message is not to stop learning, on the contrary, since knowledge may lead eventually to wisdom. But the more we know, the more we realize how little we know. Each discovery begets a thousand new questions which in turn makes us despair of ever reaching the truth. Solomon in his wisdom also tells us that knowledge makes us aware even more that Man is capable of the worst actions. No animal on earth can equal our viciousness, our total lack of compassion or our most heinous crimes. On the opposite side, no animal on this earth is able to perform more grandiose acts, whether walking on the moon or saving millions from AIDS.

We are a walking contradiction; every day, we make decisions that will impact the rest of our lives and that of many others. Our duty is to make our short stay on Earth as meaningful, as productive as possible. There is no other purpose!