Throughout my life I've struggled to find meaning. I've wondered, am I alone in this? I'd like to hear what others have to say. Particularly others that are more knowledgeable in philosophy.
Given that religion exists I'd say you're not alone in seeking meaning.
There are parts of your brain that exist for the sole purpose of identifying why things happen, imagine the advantage an organism has that can spot patterns in their environment and make predictions based off of what they've seen.
Unfortunately sometimes that hard wired part of the brain seeks to find deeper meaning in places that provide no meaning.
Shadows don't exist, but we see them, they have no purpose because they are nothing but an emergent phenomenon.
An asteroid travels through space for millions and millions of miles in the depths of nothingness between galaxies. It is never seen by a sentient being and is far enough beyond the range of gravitational affect of everything that it's influence is less than a single decaying atom. Why is that asteroid there, what is its purpose? It exists to exist.
You are a bundle of atoms destined to lose cohesion, revel in the beauty of it.
On the one hand, we have an omnipotent god that made everything. Is responsible for everything. All that.
On the other we have a bunch of atoms that randomly mashed together over billions and billions of years and eventually did things like paint the Mona Lisa and landed people on the moon
I, personally, find myself far more awestruck by the second scenario. And, yes, see the beauty in it. Truly.
Given that religion exists I'd say you're not alone in seeking meaning.
There are parts of your brain that exist for the sole purpose of identifying why things happen, imagine the advantage an organism has that can spot patterns in their environment and make predictions based off of what they've seen.
Unfortunately sometimes that hard wired part of the brain seeks to find deeper meaning in places that provide no meaning.
Shadows don't exist, but we see them, they have no purpose because they are nothing but an emergent phenomenon.
An asteroid travels through space for millions and millions of miles in the depths of nothingness between galaxies. It is never seen by a sentient being and is far enough beyond the range of gravitational affect of everything that it's influence is less than a single decaying atom. Why is that asteroid there, what is its purpose? It exists to exist.
You are a bundle of atoms destined to lose cohesion, revel in the beauty of it.
"You are a bundle of atoms destined to lose cohesion, revel in the beauty of it."
Yes, maybe this is all that there is....and it's not so bad?
On the one hand, we have an omnipotent god that made everything. Is responsible for everything. All that.
On the other we have a bunch of atoms that randomly mashed together over billions and billions of years and eventually did things like paint the Mona Lisa and landed people on the moon
I, personally, find myself far more awestruck by the second scenario. And, yes, see the beauty in it. Truly.
Good luck in your search
I don't see beauty in any of it though. It's mostly ugly, and gross.
That's cool too, you're somehow 7-8 octillion atoms that collectively agree that they're ugly, neat
Selflessness is the most logical explanation; God or not.