Life Is…
Logic would seem an essential process, but…
Within university/college courses is the humanities. I always enjoyed these not because the meaning of life was revealed but rather because it wasn’t. One aspect of the humanities in particular that demonstrates this well is logic. The “answers” in a semester of this academic discipline inevitably reveal multiple variables and little cohesion, which are the realities we all deal with in various ways in life.
One of the ways this is illustrated in logic is by presenting sets of issues in which there are two choices but only one can be selected by students. Neither choice is desirable, so the choice each student makes is really the lessor of two evils. The professor will then offer an alternative version of the circumstances that presents a more problematic set of choices. Students find themselves reevaluating which of the two choices is now the lesser of two evils.
These lessons demonstrate that we can encounter choices in life that can rely on logic, but also an array of conflicting choices that represent the conundrums of reality. There are always trade offs that are inherent to the complexities of reality. Personal beliefs, values and expectations will encounter competing realities. Assumptions regarding circumstances and choices can have an array of variables.
There are always competing realities. The concept of a “level playing field” comes to mind. The wealthy have inherent advantages. But they are a small portion of the population and not really the issue in terms of general “fairness.” The same can be said when it comes to going to university/college. In theory, everyone should have this opportunity, but many are not going to succeed in this endeavor for a variety of reasons. Having alternate options is more important.
Modern culture is about complexity. Not everyone copes with this equally well, and some believe life was better when life was “simpler.” This is a myth. For all its complexity, modern life is better for most people most of the time. What can get lost is a sense of control in which there are choices — including no thanks. A majority of citizens live in large city/suburb environments that determine much about how we experience daily life.
Quality of life, more than ever, has taken on greater importance in how we evaluate our existence. Logic would seem an essential process in this regard, but many of our strongest emotions are not related to logic at all. While one can use logic to help cope with emotions — and there are many, the reality is that feelings are fundamental to our humanity. What logic does is provide prospective and insight to help process the complexities of our highly developed brains.
Life is complicated because we are complicated. The “meaning of life” has long been a unique characteristic of humanity. From philosophers to pundits, our existence has been examined, discussed and contemplated. Of course, not everyone actually gives the meaning of life much attention in day to day life. There are enough daily complexities to fill most of our available time. The attention span for contemplating our existence tends to be prominent among those most drawn to the topic, such as myself — an eclectic pragmatist.
After decades — I started thinking about this topic long ago — it seems obvious to me that our existence begins and ends on this planet. Sending humans to another planet changes nothing. Defying death through science is equally doomed. Even improving the life of humans on this planet has limited likelihoods. There may be others living in locations in this gigantic universe, but we will never meet. And it doesn’t matter. What we see is what we get. Make the most of it as best you can.
