Why Do I Exist?

By Kevin Si

Ever since humans have been able to think, we’ve wondered, discussed, debated, and written about one crucial question. It has plagued philosophers’ minds for centuries, and even with the advance of modern science and ideology, no one, from the likes of Plato to Marx to Nietzsche, has agreed on a definite answer. 

Why? Why are we here? Why does humanity exist? Do we serve a higher purpose, or are we just insignificant specks of carbon in an infinite universe? To generalize the question; What is the meaning of life?

Name any philosopher. Plato, Confucius, Socrates, Descartes, Locke, Kant, or even Nietzsche. Everyone and anyone who has thought long and hard about the meaning of life has come up with a different answer from the next. According to Plato, one of the fathers of learning itself, the meaning of life is to study as much as one can. After all, what is there to live for when we don’t even know much about our existence? Sounds rather bookish and mundane… Or, consider Confucius’s perspective: everyone should fulfill their duties to others. Helping others is something that everyone should be (morally) willing to do, but to dedicate one’s entire life to doing so? Maybe these ancient philosophers were just outdated. Try Nietzsche’s opinion, that life is, well, without meaning. While Nietzche’s opinion seems reasonable, it’s a bit too extreme to think that “all values are baseless and that reason is impotent”, as there has to be some kind of commonality between humans that ties together a common interest, right? 

Even though we are all our own individual self, with different social, religious, personal, and genetic dispositions, there should be, at least, some semblance of a common rule of humanity. Assuming that the previous statement is accurate, then perhaps it is our interpretation of the question itself that is the issue. 

In order to better understand, I’ll narrow down what the question is asking. While the word “meaning”  has many interpretations, the inescapable truth is that there is no meaning associated with life other than what our consciousness can assign it. Our religions and beliefs (or lack thereof), our experiences, and different values all contribute to our own, subjective definition of life. Thus, a range of “purposes” in life is expected among those who inhabit this Earth - from simple to complex - with some claiming life has no purpose (nihilism) or that pleasure is the only meaning (hedonism). While any interpretation of meaning is possible, I believe that all of these beliefs are tied together in one way or another. After all, we are all human, each with the capacity to feel joy, sadness, anger, fear, and more. You might doubt how 7.98 billion people could possibly be working towards the same goal, but let me explain. 

I believe that there is, in fact, a near-utilitarian purpose that we can all relate to, in big or small ways, derived from the common Golden Rule — “Do unto others as you would have them do to you”. While the rule itself is pretty unrealistic for our modern society, its message is relevant. People who choose to understand others by putting themselves in another person’s position exercise an important ability in developing their maturity, empathy.

This growth towards becoming an adult human is an essential part of the meaning of life. While what someone wants to attain can differ from person to person, the act of being able to emotionally and mentally mature is one of the core aspects that makes us, well, human. Thus, it is safe to conclude that a truly generalized meaning of life is to improve one’s emotional and intellectual intelligence to achieve maturity and empathy. 

Then, a universal definition of the meaning of life would be to become a free, mature adult with the privilege to make their own decisions while wanting everyone else to have the same opportunities and privileges. From there on, it is an individual’s choice to pursue hobbies, lifestyles, or people as they wish, without any universal “right” or “wrong” ascriptions. [Note that this does not include murderers, rapists, or others like them, because they lack an empathy for their victims which would prevent someone from committing such acts.]

At the end of the day, the ability to choose what you want is yours. But I urge you to think carefully about what makes someone human. The power of empathy is such a valuable one to our society and how we interact with other people. Every day, people are motivated by their empathy to be selfless and courageous. If we as a species no longer care about each other or believe in helping someone else to our own detriment, then what will be left of our society?