Aidan K Nicholson

Going Forward Slowly Aidan K Nicholson

The stages on life's way are often cloudy, confusing, and utterly absurd. We grapple with such perplexing questions as: What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? What is my purpose? Is suicide justified? If God exists, why is there suffering? Can any of these existential questions be answered? These are all very challenging questions and questions that the contemplative individual ought to critically consider in order to live a thoughtful life. At the core of the existential predicament is a strong desire to know the unknown, to understand what humans may not be capable of understanding. We want closure. We want to feel satisfied and fulfilled. We want our queries vanquished. We want to be happy and to live well. Aristotle argued for his notion of eudaimonia: flourishing and living well with what we have. In order to achieve this, some people think we have to "find" our meaning, "find" our purpose. Existentialists have bad news for you: you cannot find meaning and you cannot find purpose. They do not exist intrinsically. That does not mean we cannot be happy and live well, nor does it mean that meaning and purpose can never exist. It is up to us. Along life's way, we will face many obstacles, try to resolve existential paradoxes, and try to lead a happy life, but it is up to us to create meaning and create purpose and ultimately create a life worth living. Such a life is not to be found but generated.