You in Wondering Woman

Every once in awhile (okay more like pretty damn often) I like to read about theories of life, existence, the universe, etc. to remind myself to not getting wrapped up in small shit in life. I watched a video awhile ago where a scientist was talking about how everything in our universe is expanding and moving farther apart on a grand scale. At some point in the far, far, future, if hypothetically a civilization like ours were to come about again with our technology, they would see themselves as being alone in the universe. There would be no more evidence of a big bang or billions of other galaxies because it’s all just too far away. All they would have evidence of is their own little galaxy cluster; everything else appears as a dark void in space for as long as time can tell.

I started thinking: What if our observations are biased due to a similar reason? What if our universe is just a simulation being controlled by something else? What if all we are is a state of consciousness arising out of random fluctuations in a chaotic universe and this life isn’t real? What is real?

Are we real?

Does it matter?

These questions are fuel for philosophical and theological debates. Not knowing leads to all kinds of speculation… You can’t prove God doesn’t exist, just like you can’t disprove this universe and all its laws are nothing but a simulation....

So then, everything we think we know boils down to experience and our mind’s perception.

I found this overwhelming at first. Then I began to think a little more into it. Not knowing is what drives life, ambition, motivation. Even in faith. If everyone “knew” by evidence and fact that Christianity was the true religion, would would the purpose of life be? Would you be genuine you, or just trying to stay on God’s good side? On the flip side, If you “knew” exactly how your life would play out why even live?

We all go through situations and experience emotions about them every day. Some of them are pleasant, many are not so pleasant. Many of us get stuck on a worry or thought and think things will never change or ever get better. I guess the point I’m trying to make is that observations tell us this simply isn’t so. We are surrounded by uncertainty, and the answers for some of our questions may be something we would have never thought of.

Heartbreak, worry, loneliness, hopelessness.... these are perceptions created by our mind, but just like the scientist talking about future civilizations only seeing evidence of a universal dark void– nothing is ever as concrete as it seems. We are never stuck, we are only stuck on the fact that we think we are stuck. If you viewed your situation from someone’s point of view would you see yourself as stuck as you do now?

I often think about this when I get into negative thought loops “what if I can’t pay my electric bill?” “nobody really likes me” etc… Whoever we are, whatever life is… be open to expect anything, and that often our biggest downfalls are our own perceptions. Living life “knowing” what will happen or expecting and settling to a certain standard will always lead to disappointment and uneasiness.

The Giver is one of my favorite books. The backstory is that people live in a society where everything is structured and ordered, and there are no emotions because there’s nothing to be emotional over. There are no worries, or anxiety, or love… this society takes pills to make them go about their lives to do what’s expected. There is no pain or depression. And then a boy begins to discover and experience these emotions.... I don’t want to give the plot of the book away but one thing I carried away upon finishing is that to truly live you go through sadness and pain. You must experience uncertainty. We are everything we’ve been through. Emotions, tough decisions we have to make, past experiences- they are what make you who you are and drive us to LIVE.

All we know is all we are…

Last updated October 23, 2017