What do you think of the "nihilistic mantra"? 57
What's your answer to the question "why do you bother to get up in the
mornings"?
Why do I get up in the mornings? This is really a
complicated question if you consider it from the perspective of the lifetime of
a human being. We go through different stages of our life and they can be
subject to internal and external influences that affect the decision to get up.
If we discount the physiological functions that require us to get out of bed
unless we are prepared for the consequences, then we can focus on the
activities for the day and the motivation for living. We also must assume that
a person’s mind has not been impaired.
For me, I want to get up and learn about what is happening
in the world, to learn something today that I didn’t know before, and to
contribute in some small way to make things better. I look forward to the
changing seasons and marvel at the life around me. Sometimes the simplest
things can capture my attention and fascinate me. As I look out my window in
the spring, I can see birds building their nests and contemplate on what gave
them the knowledge to be able to weave those twigs and threads into a place
where they can lay their eggs and raise their young. I am intrigued that they
have been doing this for millions of years and will be doing it long after I am
gone.
How many of us walked across the campus this day and never
noticed the trees, some that have been standing there before we were born and
have stood there in the heat and the cold? Some have shaded us on hot summer
days or in the fall on game day. How many of us looked up into the sky to see
the clouds? I want to experience life while I can and that is why I get up in
the mornings.
The only reason I can get up in the morning is if I know something of true value is awaiting me. I don't take chances hoping for something interesting or special (not that there is anything inherently wrong with that, it's just not my style). This is typically dependent on the people in my life, so who I know I'll see or with whom I can make an effort towards communicating. This is why many days that I am not scheduled to work at my job, I go in anyway to talk to my boss, who I believe to be one of the most gifted and special individuals on the planet (even though she's not a fan of my fascination with Atheism). This is also why I sometimes reach out to people, strangers, when it is not even remotely in my nature, as I am a hardcore introvert. Because if I encounter a day in which I have no motivation to get out of bed, I cannot create that motivation. I cannot talk myself into it. I will lie in bed the entire day, alone with my thoughts, and still be somewhat satisfied.
ReplyDeleteThis discussion post was very intriguing, and I hope more people have something to say about it in class.