01. What is the point?

We as humans are very small, we existed for only 300,000 or so years out of the 4.543 billion years since Earth formed, out of the 13.8 billion years of the universe. The earth is 1 out of 8 planets in our solar system, our sun is 1 of the uncountable number of stars, and the Milky Way is 1 of 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe. I cannot fathom how anyone thinks they are significant. Religious people think that everything was made for humans, that humans were created by an intelligent being that watches over our shoulders. Kings and queens of monarchies think that they are above their citizens, presidents and prime ministers represent their countries and make decisions for their citizens.

I feel that my existence is just a random occurrence. 1 of 100 million of my father’s sperm swimming its way through my mother’s egg. After that, a million other genetic combinations of DNA occur, beginning the process of cell division and mutations. 9 months later, my mother went through an unimaginable amount of pain, hoping that I would be alive and well. Of the 195 countries I happen to be born in Malaysia, out of the 13 states I happen to be in Perak and out of the many races, I happen to be categorized as Chinese. My life could be very different if I was born in the US, in the state of New York, as a white American.

I feel very small as a human on earth, if I were to die, the world would not change a single bit. It is not as though I want to impact the world hugely, much less should my death affect the world in any way. However, it brings a disturbing question, “What is the point?”. Before that question though, is another one, “Is there a need for a point?”.

The word ‘point’ refers to purpose. The harder question to answer is the latter. Is there really a need for purpose as human beings if we are so small? Sure, you might feel that we have changed the earth a lot, as the current apex predator. You see buildings and machines created and built by humans. Our technologies have evolved to the point where we might figure out how to prolong life. But what if we end up like the dinosaurs? An asteroid that is big enough can wipe us out in no time. What if something we rely so heavily on, technology, gained a conscience and decided to wipe humans out of the face of the earth, just like every other post-apocalypse, sci-fi movie? What if humans were conducting extensive biological research and for some reason, there was a leak, causing our air to be toxic, leading to the extinction of every life on Earth. Everything we have found, built, and known turns into dust. Our time on earth will literally be a waste of time. To me, there is no need for a purpose, everything will end anyway. That is scary.

Let us assume that there is a need for purpose so that we can consider the question, “What is the point?” After all, we need some motivation for us to move on. Most of the time, religious people are the ones who can answer this question. It may be to praise their gods and obey the moral laws set out by their gods so that they can enjoy eternal pleasure after their death. But I still think that it makes life on earth even more pointless, what is 70 years compared to eternity? What about the non-religious? They seem to find their own purpose. It may be to protect the environment, to protect the animals or to advocate for social justice. What about underprivileged people? Do they think they have a purpose? They do not even have access to basic needs, often caused by incapable governments and politicians. What about the rich? What is their purpose in life when they have access to virtually anything in the world?

So, what is the point?

Let me scale down purpose to our personal life instead of focusing on the general purpose as human beings. The question of whether there is a need for a purpose becomes easier to answer. By natural selection, living things generally want to survive, we do not want to die. Having a purpose lets us stay alive. It motivates us to live, whether it is religion or advocacy of a specific issue. Without a purpose, life may be meaningless. A purpose can be anything, it can be as simple as living life to the fullest or as complex as finding the cure for cancer. From an optimistic point of view, the collective purpose of each human being might result in the common good of humanity.

You may deem me as a nihilist, but aren’t we all? I mean we will never know what is after our life on earth. But I still make my own purpose, thus I am not entirely nihilistic.

What is the point of your life?