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About the only thing that I know for certain is that "I exist". Not that you or anything in my perceived reality doesn't, but I can say with the a great degree of certainty in that I personally do exist. You can say that "you exist" and that those things you perceive to exist, are: but from a philosophical, absolute proof positive position, you cannot be 100% sure that the existence you perceive is the reality. When asked this question Rene Descartes replied: "I think therefore I am". This was his reply to that philosophical enigma, the answer to the question: How do you know you exist? Why is it so difficult to prove something as obvious as existence? The movie The Matrix probably illustrates this problem most clearly. If you were hooked up to a machine being fed what you perceive of as reality, would you know the difference. However, let us agree to agree that the world around us is real. Their is still another problem. One that we have encountered may times. Our perception of reality is not necessarily the same as anyone else's. The old cliché of the glass being half full or half empty. Probability no one perceives the same reality the same way. Then when the possibility of a spiritual or divine reality enters into the equation the problem may become more complex. However all this is probably of no importance to your discovering the purpose of your existence, because looking outward may not the best place to search for the meaning of existence. We are all unique individuals that process "reality" not according to Hoyle by rather according to self and the tools through which we have acquired this information : physical, mental and environmental. This should also make us aware that our point of view is narrow, no matter how great or powerful we are, it is still only one point of view. Another interesting thing is that we create reality both for ourselves and those around us. Some like to dive into reality, face it head on while others like to try to escape it. We could carry on this line of analysis forever. Many philosophers have done so in volume after volume of text. Perchance they came upon the correct answer; they could never prove it. So the best you can conclude is "I EXIST". The real reality is this. Pick up a hand full of dirt, touch it, smell it, taste it. There is not on thing in your body, except you, that cannot be found in that soil. Congratulations! you made it: YOU EXIST! YOU MADE IT! Welcome to the planet Earth, hope enjoy your visit. I exist and that is miraculous. Conclusion #1 is: I Exist
Interact with reality the way you would like reality to interact with you. Sounds familiar? If so go deep inside yourself and ask these questions. Would I rather have someone ease my pain or inflict pain on me ? Would I rather be loved or hated? It does not take much mental ability or very many minutes in the desert to come up with the answer. Of course the answer I give can only be mine, but through many interactions with others I have come to the conclusion that like me all other people and creatures would rather be comforted than aggravated and would rather be loved than hated. The conclusion #2 : I Exist to Love
How did I get here? "Logic" tells me that I am most likely not the first item that ever existed. I exist but I have no awareness of having created myself. I therefore have to resolve the dilemma of how I came into existence. This is not that complicated a problem as there are only two options. Either someone or some process brought me into existence. Option One Evolution is the scientific explanation for all that exists. It happened by chance it will end at some point in the future and their is no real purpose to any of it. Although this may be an attractive theory, I no longer have meaning to analyze , I just "is", the fittest survive, I die, I gone, world dies, universe gone. Although this is scientific conclusion of many it is just that, a theory. Those who believe evolution do so on faith. What if it was the "elimination of the weakest" and not the "survival of the fittest" that Charles Darwin had concluded. The former would be an attempt by the "creators" of our planet to maintain the status quo, the latter a process that Charles concluded turned monkey into man. What if the theory of Evolution is a mirrored reflection of reality and the actual truth is that we are devolving. The theory of Devolution. Many feel that there is more evidence to support this than evolution. Option Two Evolution is an alternative to the other great theory, the theory of a Creator, a supreme intelligence that created the universe. For those of you who do not feel this is a theory, it is. In order for it to be a scientific fact you have to see it, and no one has seen the Creator. Those who believe this do so on faith. The big complaint about God is. If God is so good why is their Evil? Why are their people around the world starving. The answer to this and all other seemingly "illogical enigmas" about God is this: It is not the Skinny who are starving it is the Fat. I have studied and taught evolution for over 30 years and I am still not convinced it is a true interpretation of the evidence. I have hoped in God for over 50 years and still have my doubts. So does this end with a stalemate, a situation in which further investigation is pointless. "I Think Not" The section above illustrates the difficulty of finding meaning or purpose
by trying to analyze academic arguments about existence.
A conclusion is not that difficult. Some people go into the desert for 30 years to find truth, and probably spend the first 29 years and 364 days trying to rid their minds of confusion they have accumulated and about 10 seconds on the eureka that gives them what they were searching for. The purpose of existence lies in the source of that existence. I choose to believe that source is intelligent. If their is a Creator that created all, what can you do for him/her. It would be foolish to believe that one could destroy or hurt a force that was powerful to create all that exists. What would so powerful a being want from me and you. If we apply conclusion # 2 to this problem we come up with the probable purpose of the Creator. The Creator would most probably say "I Exist to Love": I am the wind, the wind in in the dust, and you can move freely if in Me you trust. Some may say that their purpose is to be evil, to hurt rather than heal, to destroy. The problem with this theory is that it is not logical. This philosophy will cause existence to cease which is opposite to the process that caused existence to be. As Spock would say evil is totally illogical. I exist to love the source of my existence.
Final conclusion: I exist to love. Final problem: If this conclusion is correct and you try to live by it you will encounter only one hurdle. That would be your own resolve to do this when reality kicks you in the face. Like my son once said in grade 1. "I don't have a bad attitude I got attacked by a bad attitude". The final problem is me. Maybe I need 30 or 40 years in the desert to get the conviction to live what I believe. I exist to love! |
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