Why The F*ck Do We Exist

Chapter 1

“ He who was a why to live can bare almost any how. “

– Friedrich Nietzsche 

But, how can we bare any how when no, meaning related answer, is endowed?

 We as human beings need a reason in life, a meaning beyond the scope of life and death. Thinking about what will happen after we depart from this world, we tend to ask ourselves, why are we in this world to begin with if we are destined to leave this world insignificantly? A question that has long been hanging in a silent echo-chamber… What is the reason behind our mere existence?

When we ask a question, we do so because we want to turn uncertainty, ambivalence or ambiguity into a logical structural answer. But what happens when no answer is to be found? 

A more complexly emphasized question is, what happens when there is an infinite number of answers? We fall into the void of uncertainty. 

One of the fundamental human needs rests upon certainty. Hofstede’s cross-cultural dimensions theory, scrutinizes the dimensional impact of “ uncertainty avoidance ” as a crucially displayed cultural mechanism that predicates society’s contrivance. 

When silence remains, actions would become useless. It would be detrimental to dwell upon a situation that we can not change. It would be pernicious to dwell upon a question that you as a convoluted cognitive structure can not answer. 

When we constantly think about the meaning of life, and repetitively ask ourselves what is the reason behind my existence, do we ever pause for a second to ask ourselves, why do I need a meaning in life? 

Take a moment and try to answer this question yourself. You are here, you exist, you breathe, you live, and you will die, what change will it make if you know the reason behind your existence or not? 

You’ll be happy? What if the reason behind your existence is to suffer so others can experience joy? Would you still want to know your why? Or would you prefer to not know your why and live life the way you want to live?

You may look at suffering from two different sides. One side comes from a behavioural standpoint. Human beings are fabricated in a orientational manner that avoids pain and embraces pleasure. 

Hedonism refers to numerous distinctive theories interconnected by the cruciality of avoiding pain and embracing pleasure. 

Another side comes from a logo therapeutical standpoint, without suffering, we would not know what joy is. If suffering disappears, so does joy. 

Why did Nietzsche say : “There are no facts, only interpretations.“? Can it be that all the answers we got throughout our existence were interpretations and not facts? How many times have you heard about a scientific breakthrough that changed previous fact related belief systems? 

Asking life, what is the meaning behind our existence is asking a universal cosmic question that reflects upon an infinite complexity. Why? Because each and every person’s interpretation can be different, and when we have an infinite number of interpretations as potential answers, we tend to be startled. What if the interpretation you followed turned out to be just another aberration? 

The meaning of life is to be happy, is an answer that I often hear. Yet again, you look at whoever gave you the answer, and they are nowhere near the state of happiness. If they know the answer, if they know the meaning behind their existence, why are they still empty? The reason is in fact, uncertainty. 

Failing to find an answer, they decide to hide behind their thumb. They get over the repercussion of emptiness by adopting happiness as a way to go. 

Religion is another side of the story as well. After finding no meaning behind materialistic possessions and status, existentialism arises and outcomes emanate. Some would commit suicide, some would live a meaningless life filled with voids of depression and episodic existential dilemmas. Nonetheless, a very common outcome is turning towards religion. Religion, wether its man made, or derives from a supernatural totem, serves the indispensable purpose of giving meaning to those who choose to adopt a chosen or given religion. 

Interpreting the journey of those who became successful in life, we can see that each and every one of them, as unique as they are, share one thing in common. They had a reason behind their success. Their motivation was constantly fueled by an integral meaning that helped them endure obstacles, setbacks, failures, and picked them up when life brought them down. 

We often hear that the experiences that bring us down, only make us stronger. However, this is not always true. Going through the trauma of breakup for example can leave a person emotionally vulnerable and weak. We get stronger when we have a reason to get back up. If your approach to setbacks was based on an ideology that this experience happened for you and not to you, the emotional interpretation will then work towards your advantage.