Somber Realities, Inspirational Hopes, and Truisms of Life

Most people do not think of death frequently, dwell on the shortness of life, or consider the effects and legacy of their life. I do.

It is better to attend a funeral than a wedding; despite the gloom of the occasion. Life is often more closely scrutinized. When people realize that death comes like a thief in the night, they likewise realize the importance of life. At any moment, your life may be cut short, would you be proud of how you have lived your one shot at existence?

I have had an ongoing relationship with the fear of death, like a light switch, in that it is off again and on again. Currently I have a healthy fear of death. I fear death occurring before I have alleviated the world’s ills or contributed to the global library of philosophical thought.

Making the Most of Life: Your Options

Life is short; we must make the most of it. This much most people can agree on; the issue is how we enact ‘making the most of it’. While it is true that you could live for yourself and no one else, but any happiness derived from that existence would be fleeting. You would either live in isolation or keep limited, likely criminal, acquaintances. If you kept limited acquaintances, you would have broken from your purely egotistical lifestyle and accepted some morality in order to maintain your associates. If you lived in isolation, you would likely harm society, therefore incurring its wrath, resulting in a punishment likely contrary to your short-lived egotistically based happiness. Following a strategy of long-term morality-based happiness is much wiser; living a moral life to the benefit of society and the individual results in sustained happiness of you and your companions. Even better would be to fight the injustices of this world, improving the global society for posterity’s sake, whom will likely shower you with posthumous gratitude.

Why Fight Injustice?

Why do I fight the injustices of the world? Furthermore, why do I advocate you picking up the good fight? Simply to change the world, cliché as it may sound. Writing about what I see as reasonable and right, I see it as my duty to do what I can, regardless of the consequences. As a thorn in people’s sides, I would write even if popular opinion were against me. I know that some of the finest individuals, such as Socrates, Jesus, Martin Luther, Thomas Paine, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan, were all contemporaneously ridiculed or persecuted before their ideas were accepted. I write as a thorn in people’s side because I struggle to challenge how people think, to question their preconceived notions of life. Daily, I choose the lonely road over the well0traveled road of popular opinion. Ultimately, we should fight on, together, because of our children. What twisted creature would not improve the world for, at minimum, his own flesh and blood?

Injustices of this World

There is too much injustice in this world to pass on to the next generation; too much to strive to improve. While I realize every time has its vices that is no excuse to ignore the issues of our era. Humans suffer globally, from the wails of starving babies to the bone-chilling shrieks of the tortured and dying. Ideologues of many stripes push fundamentalism of various colors, resulting in hateful polarization and stereotypes across our planet. Government enlarge themselves as they violate our sacred individual rights. Animals suffer unnecessarily in order to supply our ravenous craving for meat. Unborn babies die while religious programs teach only abstinence, ignoring safe sex practices. This is done for the sake of their worldview while irresponsible behavior occurs resulting in unwanted babies, sterile humans, the metastasis of sexual diseases, and the deaths of millions from AIDS. Dysfunctional families abound while domestic violence mars physically, and emotionally. Forests, potentially home to many cures, not to mention their biodiversity and ability to store carbon, are perpetually receding to the onslaught of humanity’s voracious desire for land. Young girls are raped and then punished for being raped while yet others are genitally mutilated. Moreover, it is excused as a different culture instead of being rigorously castigated. Of course, there is more to the picture than the senseless suffering.

World's Achievements: Inspiring Us Forward

Despite the tragedies transpiring globally and locally, the hopes of life inspire me to continue the war against the injustices of this world. Richer than most of the world, we live in lavish comfort in comparison to the world. Because of our wealth, we have the ability to create the fine matter of life, such as art and philosophy. Modern man can connect with more people over augmented distances than ever before because of our modern technology. This current technology simplifies our life, consequentially freeing us to undertake more imperative tasks. We Americans assist foreign governments and peoples, often without any form of gratitude in response; nor do we expect gratitude, we perform these charitable acts because it is the right thing to do. We in the west live in the most open, free society that history can recollect throughout time immemorial. Because of our open and free society, we are extremely tolerant and are provided with the sacred right of uncensored political opinion. These two opposites of life, horrid injustices and noble achievements, remind me of one of the great truisms of life, change.

View Change as Positive, Not Negative

Because it is often seen as tragic, change is perceived in a negative light. However, consider a different perspective; change brings potentially innovative opportunities. Relationships may fade, but new ones blossom; the telegram fell, but the phone rose; the radio sits in dust, but the television now brightens the room. People must learn to adapt and embrace fresh prospects in their friendships, career and life or they will fade away to die in the past.

Final Reflections

As you reflect on the shortness of life and contemplate on how it should affect you, remember two things. First, that you may assist the world in numerous ways. I write, but writing may not be for you; find what works for you. Second, remember the circle of life. Not even accounting for the spread of ideas that our contemporary technology makes possible, your ideas can proliferate through the world beyond your wildest speculations. Someone will pick up your idea and reuse it, therefore recycling it back into the current discussion of their age for yet others to ruminate over. The conception and propagation of ideas is how people are recalled. People may die, but ideas are eternal.


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