Life, the Universe, and Everything

No free rides, just a push to get started.

For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.
Henry L. Mencken

Let us endeavour to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.
Mark Twain

Why Me?

A cynic might simply ask, "Why not?", or "Got somebody else in mind?". The bad news is that there’s usually no satisfactory answer. The good news is that you can stop looking. It’s not about you, and your name didn’t suddenly appear in the wrong column of some cosmic "naughty or nice" list. We’re all subject to seemingly random forces and universal principles much bigger than any of us. We can study these forces, and possibly develop some appreciation for their grandeur, complexity, subtlety, or other qualities. In some cases, we might even develop some degree of control or find ways to minimize the consequences. We go on because we have to, and because part of our nature as humans is to explore, push limits and pool our knowledge, experience and resources. Our associations, families, societies and cultures are ways we create something enduring and larger than ourselves, which helps us overcome, or at least endure through, those things we cannot control.

Is It Meant to Be?

I’m a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more I have of it.
Thomas Jefferson

Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right!
Henry Ford

Perhaps it’s meant to be, or not to be. Perhaps it’s just a test. Some tests determine if people will stubbornly continue despite having nothing more than wishful thinking on their side. If they let it go, then they pass the test. Other tests measure determination. If you succeed after putting in extra effort to show you’re serious, then you pass. How can we tell if it’s fate or some kind of test? Perhaps that’s part of the test.

My God Can Beat Up Your God

The worlds many religions are likely here to stay, and an important part of some religions is “spreading the joy” to others. The essence of religion is faith, and for many, no amount of logic will sway their beliefs. This also makes it difficult to win converts, and a few enthusiastic believers resort to some brutal means of sharing their inner bliss. In some cases, it might be best to simply avoid discussing religious differences. At other times, try to limit the discussion to sharing personal, positive religious feelings and experiences, such as how your life is enhanced by a particular religious belief or ceremony, or how you were changed for the better. What religious values guide your daily life? What do you embrace? What do you exclude from your life? Try to remain as open-minded as you expect your listener to be, and understand that the personal feelings, intuitions, and experiences of others are just as meaningful as your own. Even when there seem to be irreconcilable differences in what people believe, sometimes they can find common ground in why they believe.

Declining Values?

People value what they need. Hunter-gatherer societies need the earth, plants, and animals. They may consider certain places sacred and develop rituals for gathering plants and hunting. Survival may require the combined efforts of an extended family.

As civilizations develop, individuals start to specialize. Culture and social customs connect unrelated people who become increasingly interdependent.

Technology such as email, credit cards and telephones allows creating virtual neighborhoods that only include neighbors by choice. We can connect with others anywhere in the world. Money and the law become important means of interaction as personal connections weaken. Corporations are a worldwide community of stockholders and board members with few local ties. Less social interaction with those we depend on reduces the need to learn to get along and work things out. Some may want to be like people on TV rather than feeling like part of a local community.

As personal interactions and local ties become less necessary, we need to work harder to maintain them. At least once a week, do something from this list:

• Do something nice for a stranger.
• Learn the name of a neighbor, coworker, worker at a neighborhood business, or someone you share public transportation with.
• Buy a product or service from a locally-owned business.
• Learn the name of a native plant or animal, and something special about it such as the meaning of its scientific name, its place in the ecosystem, or characteristics that help it survive.
• Recycle, repair, or donate an item you were going to throw away.
• Learn about a local issue and contribute in some way.
• If you learn about someone else’s problem, think about how you might feel and what you might do if you had the same problem. Do not offer unsolicited advice or lecture them about how they should feel or respond.
• Add an idea of your own to this list.

The Meaning of Life

Assuming there is an ultimate answer, what would you like it to be? If you could rearrange everything to fulfill your concept of the ultimate meaning, what would you change? Would it be all about you, or would you be a part of something bigger? If you’re not sure about one specific plan, what are some possibilities? Might there be any unintended consequences?

If you are not sure what the answer is, do you have some idea of what it’s not? Either way, how would you decide whether to believe an answer you read or hear somewhere?