The son and I were listening to a podcast called Philosophize This on the Creation of Meaning series. Stephen West's voice filled the kitchen while the week-end cooking was being done by Yours Truly, and a history project was being colored in by the son.
Many of us are familiar with the Existential Quest of mankind. In the absence of knowing exactly what animals think, we assume that as a species, we are uniquely gifted with existential angst. Does a whale worry about it? Do octopuses? Sheep?
Existential Angst
We all feel it at some point in time - some more keenly than others. Some for more prolonged periods in time.
https://www.philosophizethis.org/search?q=creation%20of%20meaning
"Hmm…" we said almost together, and laughed. We were both thinking of that beautiful night a week ago. We were driving towards the middle of nowhere, in search of a parking lot, wide enough to allow us to glimpse the marvels above us, and far away enough from urban settlements to truly allow the darkness of the night to creep in and enclose us. It was during the preceding waxing moon phase, which meant that the skies were moonlit past midnight. So, we started driving past midnight and reached a suitably dark spot at about 3 a.m.
As we gazed up at the stars that summer night leading up to the August full moon, we were filled with this sense of awe. A sense of gratitude for being a part of this incredible universe, and for being able to play a small part in it.
One of my favorite quotes from Ursula K Le Guin from the Lathe of Heaven is:
"Things don't have purposes, as if the universe were a machine, where every part has a useful function. What's the function of a galaxy? I don't know if our life has a purpose and I don't see that it matters. What does matter is that we're a part. Like a thread in a cloth or a grass-blade in a field. It is and we are. What we do is like wind blowing on the grass."
― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Lathe of Heaven
The Perseid meteor showers were supposed to peak around dawn and we yawned our way through a steaming cup of tea to keep us company during the wait. In time, one or the other of us would yell, "There!", and the others would moan. Till then, we gazed upwards, our eyes acclimatizing to the dark.
Whether we saw the meteors brightly enough or not, we did land up seeing the Milky Way -cloud-like stretch out and yawn in the canopy above. Lazily strewn - intensely bright in spots, and each star shining to its own capacity.
The Creation of Meaning
Huddled up watching the stars like that lulls the brain into the universe. With a slow sense of serenity and awe pervading your being, I found myself wondering about meaning.
Without meaning to, we attach an awful lot of meaning to many things.
Back in the kitchen, the son & I snapped back, and agreed that as far as meaningful experiences go, stargazing was at the top of the list.
"At what point do we decide that being us is all that is expected of us? Be a planet, be a star, be a galaxy, be an elephant or a human-being. There is nothing else. Why do we keep wanting to do meaningful things?" I asked.
The husband gave me an amused look, and said, "Huh Hmm! Pesu!" (You can Talk!)
I had the grace to laugh.
"But really - why not move to an obscure part of the planet, watch the stars at night and just live a happy life?"
"Why not indeed?" He said, barely hiding the laughter in his voice.
"If more of us could do that, then existential angst would not be a thing, and without that, are we human-beings? That is how we come full circle or spiral into non-being! Get it? Get it?" I said chuckling. "Even the galaxy's shape looked like we needed an artist's rendition to show us the rest of the picture of the spiral. "
The daughter, who'd come yawning downstairs, said, "Thank goodness I wasn't here for that meaningless lark. You'd have woken me up, and Euuuhh", she shuddered and peered into the simmering contents of the stove. "Ahh - all my favorite things today! Thanks Ma!"
"The Creation of Meaning! Ladies & Gentlemen! " I said with a flourish, and she laughed.
Question for you:
Life's meaning to each of us is different and it is different at different stages in life. What are some of the things that you think give meaning to life?
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