That is the question

I recently had one of those rare, brief moments of enlightenment.

I'd been somewhat unhappy over the past week or so. Everything was just tremendously annoying to me, and I couldn't seem to figure out why. I needed to relax and reflect. So I did. And I came to realize that I (i.e. everything that can be called me) am small. Very small. Wee, even. I'm miniscule in the grand scheme of things. In fact, given the enormity of the known universe and the the potential size of the unknown universe, I am completely, utterly, and in every other way, insignificant.

No you're not; you're a special and unique individual, and God has a plan...

Quiet, you.

It gets better.

The universe necessarily exists. It can't not. The definition of the universe is that which exists. Throughout history, we've asked ourselves why. For what purpose? To what greater good? To what end was the universe intended? There is none. It just is. It is because it has to be. It is because nonbeing can't be. (Before you start harping about space, vacuum, etc., I would like to point out that there's a fundamental difference between empty space and nonbeing. Empty space is three dimensional space that can be occupied by, you know, stuff. Nonbeing isn't.)

The universe's only purpose, its sole function, is to be. It's been at it for billions of years, now.

Now, the human species is pretty neat, as far as animals go (since, you know, that's what we are). As our brains grew over time, we've developed the abilty and the tenacity to figure stuff out. We like to think of ourselves as a special species, designed in the image of God, and given the planet to do with as we please. We like to think of ourselves as the most evolved species. Well, some of us do. Others say we didn't evolve despite the overwhelming evidence, and others yet recognize the simple fact that we aren't the most evolved.

In terms of cognitive capacity, yes, we're the most evolved. In terms of physical speed, vision, smell, and numerous other attributes, we fall woefully behind other animals. Fortunately for us, our ability to figure stuff out has put us at the top of the food chain and made us the dominant species on the planet.

But I'm digressing. The point is this: Life is rare in the universe. It takes many many factors to generate it, and we have yet to figure out how to do so in an artificial environment. But given the vast enormity of the universe, the billions upon billions of stars in the millions of galaxies that we know of, in addition to everything we haven't discovered, it seems inevitable that life would evolve and that various life forms would become better equipped for various tasks over time. It also seems inevitable that one life form would excel beyond all others in terms of cognitive capacity and eventually discover how to figure things out.

Ultimately, what it comes down to is this: We weren't meant to be the way we are. This is just how we've turned out so far. As such, and this is the important part, I am an insignificant part of an inconceivably enormous, complex system whose sole function is simply to be. But that's not the cool part. The cool part is I get it. I'm a mildly interesting part of a cross-section of the history of the universe, and I'm no better or worse than the rest of it. But I am, in a sense, a manifestation of the whole (microcosms within microcosms), and it is, therefore, my function, my duty even, to be, and I'm going to be to my heart's content, because, in the long run, there is no grand scheme, no great plan, and nothing else matters.

- Naked Gravel Loader