The world is not a depressing place. And I’ll tell you of a few other things that are not depressing: a world without a God, without meaning, a world where we are insignificant, a world where humans are not number one. In my mind these are objective facts and, until someone proves me wrong, I will not be able to see the world in any other way.
When we consider the vastness of the universe, how can we possibly view humans (warts ‘n’ all) as the pinnacle of the universe? Without bombarding you with figures, humans have existed for an impossibly small percentage of the time that this impossibly large universe has been in existence. We are nothing. And I maintain that that is not depressing.
Don’t get me wrong, I am constantly in awe of the achievements of human individuals and the race as a whole. Imagine how someone 2000, 200, even 20 years ago might perceive the seemingly ordinary events of our lives today; we live in a world where we can talk to someone on the other side of the world face to face, a world of mobile phones, computers and iPods, of cars and aeroplanes, of travelling into space and breathing underwater, of medical advancements that allow people to survive horrific injuries and illnesses. I could go on, but instead I’m going to kill the mood again: we are still nothing.
What is it that is depressing about that statement? Is it not better for us to live in awe of all that is around us? There is beauty in the unknown. If humans were the most important part of the universe, well, it would be a pretty pathetic universe. For millennia, man has needed to attribute meaning or the supernatural to our existence; with the development of science, however, belief in the supernatural is diminishing. This is not a bad thing, but rather offers an element of clarity to our ever expanding knowledge. We have this and we can now see ‘this’ for what it is.
The universe is amazing, our own little planet is amazing, and our lives are amazing. Enjoy your time.
