life104

"To be or not to be, that is the question..."
Surely we have all pondered the meaning of our existance, our purpose in life, life's purpose to the universal truth. Well, some of us have. We are, in fact, the only creatures on this planet who can ponder existance at all. But, out of that also comes a desire to ponder our non-existance, which can lead to a desire for self-destruction out of emotional distress. So, thus, it must be our humanity, the very essence which gives us our desire for 'purpose', that most urges for self-destruction.
As Shakespeare once seemed to ask, which is more noble to our nature? To suffer and bear our troubles, or fight against them? If one watches and weeps as arrows shoot through his spine, is it worse than taking those arrows and returning them to the shooter? I suppose that it all depends upon the society in which one is raised. It depends on if you value your own life or the lives of others more. Which is more productive a value? That depends on if you feel that your life has a purpose and a meaning to society (either that or you are merely selfish, as every other creature has instinct to be), or if you feel that your society has more to offer to humanity and that it does good to humanity to please this society. Yet, many people I have talked with dislike society. Maybe that is an intellectual fad or an American habit, but either way one is bound to hear, "Look at those people just walking and talking for nothing and about nothing. They don't even realize what they are doing." Many times, however, and sadly enough, I have found it true. Merely talking with these nothing talkers degrates a person who is not completely firm in their self. Often the feeling of upcoming waves of ignorance from others is enough to rip a woman like myself to shreds intellectually. But, from thus, I have concluded that "taking arms against the sea of troubles" will, by opposing, be at least on the path to end them. Sometimes, this ending path can lead to horrid mental distruction, however.
I was once told, "Death is a unneeded urge. We don't have to die at all." Then, why are so many people so extremely preoccupied with their passing? It seems as though some people spend their lives 'getting ready' for an afterlife they are 'sure' exists. Others waste their lives by never advancing themselves and never even attempting to learn what lies before them. As confucianism states, a fool is a man who can not gain knowledge. This is because he who can not gain knowledge is virtually lost from his humanity and his ability to ponder. He has no purpose and no thoughts. So, thus, a fool is he who exists merely for existance. Above a fool might be one who, though still meaningless to society due to his falure in collecting his humanity, attempts to better himself but to no avail. At least, then, for one matter he is not necesarily degrating others quite as much, and for another he is no longer merely an animal that walks the earth in search of nothing at all. A wise man is one who has found or will find his goals and truths.in life; he embraces his thoughts and dreams and aspirations and is open and able to learn for himself.
Why is it, then, that so many people who ponder and aspire are lead into the hands of death, or at least the ponderings or mental likenesses to death? I have known a few who, upon finding the goals and truths they seeks or pieces of them, have ungone a pain much like that to be expected of death, but which is truely so much less peaceful than death truely seems. In fact, rather that release, like death of the mortal body might be, it may actually become more of a trap, the death of the soul. Maybe this is because a dead mind or soul is continously reborn unless the pain is so great as to beg for death. Only humans feel this pain.
No other creature would care to find the truths within himself, nor even be able to. And that is one aspect that sets humans apart. Our unused and uncoprehended minds give us our advancement. But, why is it that we advance so far and so few truely understand, if any, who we are? One would think that none of our advanced brain funtions would have developed at all if we could not use them. Then, it must be so that at one point we must have pushed ourselves to such levels of advancement, and at once point it must have been necesary to maintain these advancement capabilities to survive. Why is it, then, that so many have failed?
But, we mustn't worry, for time goes on and the pondering continue to ponder, and the wise men ponder their existance and non-existance as the fools continue on with their animalistic continuations to life...
To be or not to be... that is the question.