Space, Time, the Universe (...and depression)

You'll have to excuse my liberal use of words in general, but especially when it comes to philosophical ideas of life and death and space and time and the universe. I broke it up so hopefully its not too much of a struggle to read . My teachers have always loved me, pumping out 15 page papers is no struggle for me. But that love of essays doesnt always extend to internet users. So with that being said:

Death is a very frightening and humbling thing in my opinion as well. I share the feeling that when I die, my body and energy will be broken down and return to the earth and used to provide nutrients and energy for something else. I feel you on that feeling of mixed comfort and terror at the idea.

Im not sure how much comfort I can offer, I dont think many people have the words that can make anyone truly at peace with their own mortality. I have no philosophy on the afterlife, or the knowledge to say with certainty whether or not one even exists. What I can offer is my philosophy on life.

Life is something precious, temporary and mysterious. What proceeds it and follows it is unknown. Which is why its so valuable, why it should be respected, and why we should pull as much enjoyment out of it as possible. I spend no time worrying about how I will be treated once I die.

I spend no time wondering how I will be judged by any god or gods. I do not pray in hopes my troubles will be heard or solved by a higher power. I have seen no evidence that something above us watches us or cares for us.

But I have seen that people have the power to end each others sufferings, we have the power to create beauty which rivals the beauty of the natural world. We have the power to create great works of art, of music, great monuments, and valuable infrastructure and legacies that not only outlive us, but contribute to the happiness, ease, value, intelligence, beauty, and safety of the lives of people we will never live to meet.

We also have the power to destroy, to rape, to ruin, and to kill, not only on an individual scale, but on a mass genocidal scale- we have created weapons we could use which have the potential to not only destroy ourselves, but which threaten to have the potential of destroying all life on this planet.

The battle of good and evil and the consequences of that battle do not take place in an afterlife, it takes place here, on this planet, and now, in our minds. Even to answer what is good and what is evil, or who falls under which label is terrifying in its lack of an absolute answer.

I refuse to give up the power of determining the course of my life, and the course of humanity to a god or a demon. Both my salvation and damnation are not things I will experience in death, but in life. As a result not only of my own actions, but the collective actions of others.

I as an individual like everyone else, holds the power to make my life as beautiful and as meaningful as I can, and through my actions, I can help to share that with the people around me and those I come in contact with.

Therefore, it is my duty to contribute as much as I can to this life, this earth, and the lives of others. It is my duty to find the awe and wonder of this planet and to seek it out and appreciate it as much and as often as possible. I have the duty to see myself as not only a part of the human race, but a part of all life on earth, and the duty to treat all life as such.

I find strength and peace not in knowing what death will be like, but in knowing what life can be like, and in knowing that in even a tiny tiny way, I affect it and I am a part of it right now.

That doesnt take away my fear of death or my curiosity of what it will be like and feel like. Rather, it refocuses my energy away from worrying and wondering about death and onto worrying and wondering about life. From one thing I have no control over, to one thing which I do.

My only real issue with some religions is that they encourage people to give up responsibility to this life, this earth, and humanity. To put it in gods hands. To let god save us or damn us. To let god determine what is right and good and what is wrong and evil.

I think all humans should take on that responsibility ourselves, and through that ownership we can gain appreciation, respect, and love for what we can do and what we are.

Death will come to all of us whether we worry about and ponder it, or not. Life though, is something which requires action, if you wish to truly experience it. Perhaps after a lifetime of enjoying it and contributing back to it, we may feel a sense of closure at its end, and more at peace with the idea that we will soon embark on the mystery of what follows it, if anything at all.

 

I don't mean to sound dismissive, but try reading some of Carl Sagan's writing. He was an astrophysicist who also had a knack for sort of bringing cosmic events down to a tangible scale. At the same time that he discusses galactic collisions, the Big Bang, and the eventual destruction of the earth, he talks about what it means for us humans.

Ultimately, it's up to you to find meaning in our temporary existence. But just because it'll someday all be over doesn't mean it is currently pointless. Could it be that humanity has risen so that we can better ourselves, little by little, eventually ascending to godhood and creating a universe of our own? I'd like to think so, and I plan to have a really great time getting there.