You want to know why we’re here. What’s our purpose? What’s the point?
I’m going to tell you but you might not like it. Then again, you might be like me, having suspected it all along but had a hard time absorbing it and accepting it. When I finally realized the truth, it was liberating, even exhilarating for me, partly because of the enormous sweep and perspective it gives, partly just because I was glad to finally know after so many years of trying to understand.
The truth is, we’re made of atoms and molecules, and we do what atoms and molecules do. In other words, free will is wishful thinking. We do what we’re programmed to do by the laws of physics and chemistry, and so did our parents and their parents.
But wait, there’s more!
The whole concept of the individual is rather arbitrary. We function as cells in a larger organism of society and nature, and our actions and thoughts are constrained by the limitations imposed upon us, starting with gravity and avoidance of threats to survival, moving on to economic constraints. Society and nature force us to fit, and provide us our ways of thinking. So we’re actually in large part expressions of the larger organism, in the same way that a heart cell or a skin cell is an expression of the larger organism to which it belongs. Don’t get me started on the question of integrity of the individual mind, when we’re really a bunch of competing thoughts and neural organs. What is a thought, anyway? Don’t get me started.
So we’re living deep in an illusion. But the illusion goes further.
We’re expressions of the physical world, right? Maybe.
We have lots of internally consistent evidence for the existence of the world we see. What doesn’t really make sense to me is how something comes from nothing. Fine, put your favorite god into the picture, and then try (without evading the question) to say where that god comes from. Your god creation story is circular and does nothing to add to the explanation.
No, the true substrate of existence is void. The universe exists within a void.
But the void exists within the realm of limitless possibility, imagination, math, abstraction. It still doesn’t mean anything though, sorry.
So there’s no meaning to life, death, or what happens in between. So be bold, adventurous, love each other, make the most of life. Or not. Forget your dreams and flip burgers, snort meth, or work for a big abusive corporation and help them cheat people. Whatever.
At least you know. Cheers.