The topic of the meaning of life has interested for as long as I can remember my existence. As a person who likes to introspect, such topic is a good one to think about. Watching dramas and stories of any kind, the meaning of life in relation to death is often concerned.
Watching the Korean Drama (for I am a Korean who was born there and lived until I was 14) Signal, an insight into the topic came to me. An epiphany, I would even say. What that is is that life is meaningful, even if you are an existentialist. Maybe that's an overstatement, but it is quite likely that even an existentialist, who thinks that nothing is meaningful and there is no meaning to existence, to believe in this insight. It is this: life and existence are meaningful because they are much better off than not existing. If you think about it, it is true. If you are the one who lives the worst life of all humans, you have got to live a life at least. Even if you are a baby who died during birth, you actually existed, whereas the others who didn't have the chance to exist didn't have the chance or any life at all. Of course, the others cannot be identified as individuals or ones with soul and consciousness, since they don't exist and didn't have the chance to have so much as a brain. However, because it is utterly hard for us to imagine not existing, I thought it would be easier to understand to have the not existing "individuals" personified. You are happy because you exist and you got the chance to be born. Enumerable--cannot be counted in actuality for they don't exist--might-existing "souls" didn't even have the chance. It feels weird to be so optimistic, for I am usually a pessimist, but it feels good I think. It is an encouraging thought. Even if nothing matters, I think things should go for the better. There is no reason for you to murder someone for no reason, just because you don't think nothing matters, as did Monsier Meursault in Albert Camus' existential novel The Stranger.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Jin Woo WonAn undergrad at Columbia University, studying Computer Science and in particular artificial intelligence. Archives
October 2017
Categories |