10 Facts that make us question our existence
In our everyday life, we face certain facts with a sense of obviousness and simplicity, but they suffer from ignorance. Or, at least the facts suffer a lack of appreciation for their magnificence. These facts, then, are often forgotten or overlooked as they happen. Our ignorance of such facts, which actually intend to make us question about our existence, generally leads us into the whirlpool of illusion.
Here are 10 such facts that make us question our existence:
1) I am running after money most of the time:
I know that I am a human being, who does have the ability to think, but most of the times, I tend to run after money more than anything else. It is like I’m running after my breath. I forget that it is not money that gives me value but all the things in this world which are precious and give credence to my existence.
While running after money, I also forget that, money is that thing which comes between me and my self. Money obscures my sense of morality too. It makes me an immoral being. I even tend to sell my soul for it and do many things which make me vulnerable to certain things or situations i.e pain, illness or death. To be honest, I know the importance of making money in this present day world, but why do I forget that it is not the end of all? What’s happening to me?
2) I am ignoring the people around me:
I know about the different characters and mind-states of different people around me, but most of the times, I ignore them because their existence doesn’t have any monetary value for me.
If I’m having a fight with someone, I forget that, he/she is also a human being who has the right to talk and express their anger and the pain which overwhelms them. And I don’t deserve to be mistreated. Just because I am rich, it doesn’t mean that I must mistreat others around me. In fact, there are many people who are wealthy but they love their own and never mistreat other people.
3) I am wasting my mind in useless activities:
I don’t see things from different perspectives and dimensions; instead my mind is occupied with various useless activities. I think that different people at different levels do waste their minds in things which are not tangible and hence, are of no value to them. And it is these things which distract them from the real purpose of life i.e living to live, living with full meaning and purpose.
For example, while watching tv or playing computer games, I forget that I am a human being who has a mind that could be busy with certain thoughts which could put me in touch with the world around me and give me something important to live for e.g. help other people get out of their mental blockages or help society progress spiritually etc.
4) I have biases between humans and animals:
This bias between humans and animals is an actual fact which hurts me. I must realize that I am an animal like the rest of them. We all have same rights in this world. We all deserve to be happy and live peacefully without being oppressed by others.
I know that we are humans, but we must also realize that my personal happiness does not depend on an animal’s life or death. Cows, goats and dogs are happy whether they live or die, i.e their happiness is intrinsic to their biological existence. They don’t need external change to be happy. On the other hand, I don’t get my happiness from my inherited body just because I’m a human being; therefore, it doesn’t matter what happens to me if I lose my physical body or not. e.g. I can still be happy without having a physical body which is full of pain and suffering all the time.
5) I am more attached to my life’s possessions than my family:
My parents are what define me as a human being and they are the most precious things in my life. Even though I know that they, themselves, would not be able to take care of all the things which I have accumulated, I keep them among my treasures and do not let them know how much I love them.
Well, this is what we call attachment. We are never ready to give up anything that we love because we think that it’s going to bring us happiness if we lose it or for some other reason. But this is just a futile effort because it cannot take away our happiness from within us.
6) There is the Sun and the Moon in the sky:
The existence of the Sun and the Moon is just a matter of fact, but it never occurs to me to question them. I have never tried to realize their importance in my life. If they are not there, I wouldn’t be able to survive, yet I ignore them.
They are the source of light and heat which help me with my survival in this world; without them, I won’t be able to carry on with my life as a human being on this planet. There are so many facts about these bodies which could change our perception about them if we think about it for a little while. For example, the Moon is also a source of rain for this planet and the Sun controls the other planets. They are the most important bodies in our Universe. How many times do we read about them in books? But still, we never question their existence because it’s not something which happens to us often and it has no economic value for us.
7) I am a selfish human being:
The whole world is filled with selfish people and I am one among them. I am not saying that all people are selfish, but it is true that, in many cases, we tend to think about our own and never about other people’s needs. I have been hiding myself from other people’s pain for years now and this has really affected my relationship with many others.
This selfishness has become a part of me because the world has taught me to become a selfish human being by making me believe that it gives me some sort of advantage over others. It is like the competition between animals in which some are given more food than others or the power to dominate another animal doesn’t exist here either.
8) I always try to show more than what I am:
Sometimes, I put on a lot of fake smiles and pretend to be happy in my life. Yet, I know deep inside myself that this is not the real ME. I have also never tried to express my innermost feelings or thoughts which are kind of inhibitions from me.
When I see someone sad, I try to make it seem like that person is happy by smiling at them. This is just one example of many others which happen very often in my life without me realizing it. It’s a fact that all human beings have the same kind of emotions and thoughts, but we choose not to share them with others because they are not worth sharing with them.
9) I don’t think before saying things:
I always feel like I have to say things which are quite unnecessary or hurtful to others. Even though, I know that what I am saying is not true and it is hurting them, but still I cannot control myself from speaking the words which come out of my mouth without thinking it through.
Speaking without properly thinking have frequently had consequences like being overwhelmed by emotions like anger. This ultimately takes a toll on my relationships with the people. And trust is a very important thing in today’s world, and I don’t want to lose it. So, it is better that I tame this habit of mine and learn to think before speaking my words.
10) My mind-body correlation is mysteriously wonderful:
I have never given much thought to the way I conduct my thoughts or how they relate to my actions. The fact is that I act as a result of my past actions and most of the times, I don’t even realize what is happening or why I am doing it.
The mind and body are almost the same thing. There can be no action without a thought because they act together all the time. They work hand in hand but one is not responsible for the other. For example, I have always been making decisions on my mind regarding the things which happen to me or the actions which I take. However, I never pay attention to the ways in which my thoughts affect my actions.
These are some facts which have been affecting my life and I think it’s time to change it. I have come across many concepts, ideas, books and philosophies which have helped me but all of them were focused on changing only one factor at a time. It has never occurred to me to look at what is affecting the entire equation instead of just looking at one component of it.
How can these 10 facts make us to question our existence?
Despite being familiar to them, I usually ignored them as they didn’t appear that much in my life. I never realized before that the facts could make me to question about our existence in the following ways:
- What is the purpose of this beautiful life?
- The universe doesn’t start and end at my selfishness.
- I am not taking my own existence too seriously.
- I constantly feel a need to share my thoughts with others but they are always wrong.
- My mind and body are connected in mysterious ways though it is hard to explain them.
- I am just another animal in many ways, and above all, I am wasting this beautiful life.
- The reason for existence of myself and my loved ones as a whole is not my creator or god which has caused everything around us. There must be something else which we are missing out on which explains the reason for our existence.
- Scientists develop ‘Fabric’ to be integrated into clothes or wearable electronics
- How to become a happier and healthier person?
After pondering for two and a half months, I made the decision firstly to stop ignoring the facts and learn to look at them more closely. This will give me a better understanding about the ways in which they affect my life and therefore it would be easier for me to deal with them.
These are such 10 facts that really make us question about our existence. Also, one can question about their own existence. If we think of these 10 facts and do a little research on them, it can be very interesting and enlightening.
It is also possible to question our own existence if we consider the similarities that exist between us and other creatures. Many philosophers like Renee Descartes believed that everything can be explained through our own unique traits and qualities when it comes to human beings.
