| I have to agree with jebarker, you have to start with the realization that there is no meaning to life. We just grew here. The reason this first step is so hard for so many people, is due to a major lack of perspective. We scope our lives within the framework of human social interaction. We completely ignore the physical reality of our life: the astronomical improbability of our existence as a semi-self aware life form. This search for purpose really does seem to be something that happens in people's 30s. In that era (over 30 years ago for me!) I also went through it. I eventually created my own framework (hey, we're all engineers here, right?) that I called probablism. I did a back of the napkin estimate to the total mass of the earth/solar system/universe, and then compared this to the total mass of all life on earth/all "higher" life forms/all humans. I inferred from this ratio the probability of being a sentient being, as opposed to inanimate matter. The ratio is, literally, astronomical! If I remember correctly, something like 1 in 10^^50! This is how outrageously lucky we are to even be here talking with each other! We're SO much more likely to be part of a cloud of interstellar hydrogen 8-) But then ask yourself, how often do I consider this incredible good fortune when considering my outlook on life? Instead of focusing on just how lucky we are to be here at all, we spend our days worrying about how we compare to other people! We worry about social position, wealth, influence. It's a total failure of perspective! The older I've become, the more obvious this failure was to me, and the more I've appreciated just having a chance to be alive. Enjoy life son! We're only here for brief moment, and we should appreciate just how lucky we are to have that moment. |