Musings In Bed And Train

Amidst the murmuring of the common sheep, each one of the concious bipeds hears the faint humming of life. It is a tune that runs through and through leading the bipeds towards an unknown goal. What is the goal of life? It would seem at first glance that the ultimate goal of what we call animals is to reproduce and keep alive that hum, that natural song. But if we merely live to reproduce then there is really not much point in living the way we do. If life's goal is to keep life going then it is but a mere attempt to survive. What then is the point of evolution?

The bacteria say, "We survive quite well, thank you very much. We don't need you to give us more habitable habitats, though they are rather nice. However, honestly speaking, feel free to bugger off because we've been here and will be here a lot longer than you fragile bipeds and your 'higher level' of conciousness."

And so we run along scientifically, superstitiously, morally, politically and by doing this we say we are distinct for mere 'animals', mere 'beasts'. "Our life has purpose". But does it really? What is the purpose?

Ask a parent and they'd probably say, "We want to make enough money to support our children and ourselves till we die."

I wouldn't know, that's just speculation. But doesn't that come back to finding a means of keeping life going?

Maybe the goal is to: Live a fruitful life by helping others within our means etc etc etc.

Helping others is to help them to survive isn't it? Do we always come back to the point of keeping the 'circle of life' going?
Or maybe the goal is to "Unravel The Secrets Of The Universe"! But doesn't everything the unconciously, so self-concious bipeds do have to have a practical use? "Curiousity killed the cat" they say. Some would say, "Curiosity has killed us all."

Would unravelling the secrets of the universe fulfill that "oh so wonderful" dream of the naive to live forever? Again keeping life going seems to be rather important though ultimately rather pointless.

I call individual eternal life a dream of the naive because I say there is no point in eternal life. Yes it would be nice to have the time to do everything there is to do, see everything there is to see. But would you share that sip of immortality? If you don't share it wouldn't you not stare at other's deaths every day? To watch the ones you love die to be replaced by similarly mortal loves is more of a curse than a blessing. What is complete knowledge when you're all alone? A veil?

And yet there's more. To be so "blessed" with eternal life (and so independantly fulfill nature's purpose), comes coupled with eternal aging. How many centuries of knowledge can make up for creaking bones, leathery skin and assorted health problems. Sure you can't die, but you can sure as hell be in quite a bit of pain.

Thus advocates of eternal life might turn to a different phrase: Eternal Youth. Again, would you share this eternal youth? Would you rather watch those around you growing old and dying while you remain spry, youthful and 'blessed'. If you choose to share it, who would you share it with? Surely it becomes even more of a curse once you share it. First you share it with a partner, then maybe your children and theirs and their children's children, in the end you have a race of "immortals".
What's so bad about that? Isn't that good? Isn't it easier now that we don't have to worry about dying before we fulfill what we wish?

Well, once you fulfill EVERYTHING, what will you do then? After a while everything will have lost it's flavour, just as even now there are young-ish people so bored with the world around them and life in general that "been there, done that" prevails and wonder is lost to all but the children and those who are able to overcome the deadening routine of life itself.

What is the purpose of life? Why live forever?

Why question all this? Why why?

Because.