One of the things some godless folk find unsettling, and subversive of the quest for meaning and purpose in an indifferent universe, is the prospect of ultimate cosmic nullity. I know at least one other of us is old enough to have been a Woody Allen fan before he became a pariah...
Dr. Flicker's antidote to cosmic despair: enjoy your life. Turn your attention to other things including a better future, but not to The End. (Isn't that basically Camus's message too?) And, do your homework.
"Nobody really worries much about what is going to happen millions of years hence. Even if they think they are worrying much about that, they are really deceiving themselves. They are worried about something much more mundane, or it may merely be a bad digestion; but nobody is really seriously rendered unhappy by the thought of something that is going to happen to this world millions of years hence. Therefore, although it is of course a gloomy view to suppose that life will die out—at least I suppose we may say so, although sometimes when I contemplate the things that people do with their lives I think it is almost a consolation—it is not such as to render life miserable. It merely makes you turn your attention to other things." Bertrand Russell, Why I Am Not a Christian
Having replied to Heather observing that Ricky Gervais has a philosophy degree, I want to note that Woody does too. In fact, the whole body of Woody’s work can be seen as a contemplation of the meaning of life. Once you start looking, you see philosophy degree holders everywhere; e.g., in the world of entertainment you have Lana Del Rey, Jimmy Kimmel, Harrison Ford, Bruce Lee, Steve Martin, Alex Trebek, Wes Anderson, Ethan Coen, and many others. Philosophy majors rock!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea Lana was a philosophy major -- probably explains why she is such a good lyricist.
DeleteI think Dr. Flicker is onto something here... Personally, I agree with his point. Rather than look ahead to events that you will never see nor experience, ground yourself in your reality. Focus on your own life and making it meaningful, however you achieve that meaning. To me, the end of the universe and the end of one's life aren't particularly relevant to said life. I guess what I'm trying to say is this: your life is meaningful because you make it so. Don't let thoughts of the end of it detract from the experience of it, because once that end is reached, one's despair of it is irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteI really like your comment about once you reach the end of your life, the fear and despair of it no longer matters. I feel that many people find comfort in religion to calm this fear their whole lives, instead of confront it.
DeleteI agree with Mr. Russell that it will be a consolation to see certain things (people?) die off. Even myself; life is too tiring to live forever, especially when so much of it is tedium like getting your car tags renewed and standing in lines...
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