What if I say that everything is completely option? Such as this post, my words, your reading. Or people that climb mountains, run marathons, even those that love playing harsh games.
Why do they do it? Why do they make their lives difficult by putting themselves in difficult positions? My questioning is optional too. I would rather watch an anime than losing an argument after yapping. But then, wait a minute. In life, what is not optional?
Your degree? Optional. The career you worked so hard for? Option. The eternal love promises you made? Optional. One can argue that all of these are necessities, however fundamentally, they aren’t. There are tons of easier alternatives to everything in life. And yet, we still choose the harder path. We chase goals which are specific to us, and dumb decisions to other. We fight and keep on fighting, until we master them.
But why do we struggle?
This simple question is what I, actually we, intend to find.
Existence precedes essence.
These three deep words were uttered by a French philosopher, Jean Paul Sartre in 1945. In simple words, it means you exist first and only after that you decide what you are. There is no fixed identity waiting for you. You were never meant to be, what you are. You were never meant to do, what you do. Strange isn’t it? Because everything that you do is a choice. Although, it sounds fascinating like I possess the whole free-will thing to me. But, at the same time, it is an open curse.
As an example, you do something which is wrong or solid crime. Although it was completely optional, but you will have to own it. Because you cannot just say, yeah, this is just how life is, or I had no other option left. Because you always have other choices. Even choosing to do nothing is still a choice. We are always choosing; we are always searching for a meaning. And this universe offers none.
Isn’t that absurd?
Absurdism, my all time favorite philosophy, was given by Albert Camus in his 1942 essay called “The Myth of Sisyphus”. Before we start to relate everything, Sisyphus was a king punished by Zeus (Ancient Greek god) to roll a massive boulder, eternally, up a hill. Only for it to roll back down every time it neared the top.
So dear friends, what did we learn here? Does it sound absurd? Well, to me, yes it is. Camus is trying to tell us that even when reality provides no reason for any of this; but we still tell ourselves that it is of outmost importance.
The same way, we imagine our own purpose. We should imagine Sisyphus happy. Because even in a meaningless situation, where there seems no purpose or progress, he is still choosing to push the boulder. And that choice of his is meaningful enough to make us happy.
Meaning
Meaning is not something assigned to us when we are born. Rather, it is something we create by choosing to struggle. So it means, this is not just philosophical; it is also a part of our biology.
In 1859, Darwin came up with the “theory of evolution”, which is considered as the foundation of all of biology. Now, put it like this, us humans were favored by the nature in order to succeed against other apes. Not because we were chosen ones; but because, we were bipedal. This nature of ours let us create a lot of things. So instead of just staying in the forest, we made the choice to move. We forced ourselves to adapt to new challenges.
Moving forward, we became the first and maybe only specie to cook our food. The cooked food increased our IQ (I made it up, thanks to the cooked food), and we developed other abilities - such as language. Since then, we have been in search of meaning. We left hunting for agriculture, and now, we are trying to build nuclear in space.
Think about it, we are not built for a comfortable life. We are built for: moment, challenge and pursuit. And our relentless need to tell ourselves that our lives matter, that we have a greater purpose. This whole search for meaning thing acts as a fuel for us. Because, a life with no difficulty does not feel satisfying anymore.
Ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.
We can avoid stress, because most of the time, it is optional. The same way, we can avoid risk. Basically we can avoid all sorts of discomfort, and it may feel good for a while. But after some time, it starts to feel empty. What good is life without challenge? Sometimes, this challenge thing makes me wonder, what good is heaven if there is no race? Because, our brain expects us to keep moving, to keep pursuing something, without a break.
And, there is nothing wrong with choosing stability. It might be the smartest way to live. Like when the problem arises, we chooses to avoid it. But, wait a minute, if everyone starts doing it, then there will be no progress at all.
When we were kids, everything was new. New places, new people, new skills and new experiences. Our brain was constantly sailing. That is why days felt longer, years felt like forever. But as we grow older, days blurred, and before you know it, it is the next year.
In the end, when we avoid struggle and discomfort in the name of it being optional, we are not just avoiding effort, we are avoiding growth and change.By choosing to sit in the harbor for the sake of ease; we are choosing a life that feels smaller over time. Because the things we deem as completely optional are often the very things that expand our experiences, makes us think and grow. When someone chooses to risk their life, to climb a mountain, it is not about necessity. It is about choosing something difficult enough, something worth struggling for. At least it makes them feel alive.
Whether it is a mountain, or a degree, or a relationship, or even a tough game, we are all doing the same thing. We are choosing what matters to us and embracing the struggle, even when the universe never required us to. Just understand yourself, be ready to choose your passion and set sail for it.
Btw, it is completely optional. Heheheh!
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What are your thoughts about it?
Peace 🕊
