humanistic stuff blog

Why should we do the right thing? It’s natural to think that hard work and good actions will be rewarded, while bad actions and laziness will not be. However, life doesn’t always give that satisfaction. Many people have come to expect it, where you do something good and receive it back. In many cases, this doesn’t happen. Life is unfair and unpredictable, and while we can hope that we are treated with fairness it won’t always happen that way. Personally, I think that we should do the right thing in hopes that we will be rewarded. Even though it may not work out in the end, at least you can say you tried. It also is about your conscience, knowing that you did or didn’t do the right thing. If you do something not morally okay, you have to live with it. Even if you don’t receive punishment for that action, you still know it was wrong. In the case that you do the right thing, I believe you can continue with a peaceful conscience. Also, doing the right thing has an effect on the people around you. If someone sees you doing something for the good of doing it, they will want to do the same. They will look at you as a trustworthy person.

Another dilemma is doing the right thing even if you will be punished for doing so. Once again, I think that it’s all about personal integrity. If you know it’s the right thing to do, you should do it. It builds your character, and avoids guilt or regret in the future. You could say that the punishment is too great compared to the satisfaction from doing the right thing, but I think that making the choice to not do what’s right is selfish. There’s a reason we naturally believe that good should be rewarded, because it contributes to a just society. If we can count on each other to do the right thing, it’s helpful for everyone.

In the case of Job, God picked him as the person to be put through suffering, even though he was faithful to God his whole life. This is an example of life being unfair, when Job did nothing to deserve it.  I think the purpose of the book of Job is to make us realize that suffering doesn’t always correlate with sin, and also that being faithful won’t guarantee reward. Even though in the end Job is rewarded for his faithfulness to God, it doesn’t change the fact that he was punished for no reason. This just goes to show that life is unfair, and we simply have to accept that. It’s not a great message to leave off on, but it’s the unfortunate reality that the book of Job leaves us with.

“We didn’t know we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun”

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

-Winnie the Pooh
-Ferris Bueller

The best advice I ever received was from Ferris Bueller himself. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” I mentioned it in my last post, because it means a lot to me. The first time I ever watched Ferris Bueller’s’ Day Off was only when I was in 7th grade. My sister and I sat on our beanbags while it played on our upstairs tv. I loved the movie, but was surprised at the end. After his dream skip day, he finally lays down in bed and breaks the 4th wall to tell the viewer that advice. Before hearing that quote, I never really took any advice to heart. My family would tell me things I should do and shouldn’t do, but I usually brushed it off simply as adult talk. This specific quote stuck with me and left me asking myself what he really meant. Being in 7th grade, it was hard for me to grasp the concept, because I just had not experienced enough of life to understand it. I think around the beginning of freshman year, I started to notice what he might have been talking about. Whenever someone would say something along the lines of “enjoy it while it lasts,” it would always make me stop and remember this Ferris Bueller quote.

Once I finally had an understanding of this advice, I am really thankful that I heard it. Throughout high school, I feel that it helped me to form a habit of mindfulness. I enjoyed the time I spent with my friends more, enjoyed the fact that I didn’t need to work yet, and enjoyed more of the simple things in life. I was able to appreciate them more than other people my age can. Another quote that’s related and helped me is from Winnie the Pooh, “We didn’t know we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.” My mom told me it was her favorite quote, and it reminded me of the Ferris Bueller quote. They are both very similar, and helped me to cherish my time as a kid and to avoid regret. By being more present and attentive, it reminded me to slow down and appreciate the present. Humans are most happy when they live in the moment. These two quotes helped me to do so. They both highlight the fleeting nature of life, and those great moments in life pass by us quickly. If you are constantly focused on the future or lost in your routines, you might miss out on the world around you. These two quotes have led me to be a happier person and also reflect on my experiences.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Many people say that all life has value, which is true. However, we also judge a person’s life based on many factors, such as their relationships, achievements, happiness, and impact on others and the world. If a person does not do a good job maintaining their relationships, or wasn’t happy throughout their life, didn’t contribute to anything, then most people would say that wasn’t a good life. You can also take into consideration a life filled with suffering and pain, poverty, and a general lack of basic needs. Life is extremely complicated, and I have given this topic a lot of thought. I believe that life is a game of perspective. What one person may look at and think is a bad life, another would say it is simply a challenge to be overcome.

The problem that I and many of us struggle with is trying to find meaning in our life. Humans naturally try to find meaning in everything, because at our core we are problem solvers and thinkers. I feel that trying to find meaning in life is actually just a waste of time, because there is no inherent meaning in it. Searching for meaning in a meaningless universe is simply a waste of time. While that may sound depressing to most, it doesn’t have to be. I think that instead of focusing on what we can do to give life meaning, we should instead focus on things that make us happy and use our time wisely. We are intrinsically happier, when we live in the moment. If we are always worried about the future or dwelling in the past, it’s not beneficial to our happiness. So I think that it’s better to simply enjoy what’s happening right now, remember not the bad, but the good.

Death is something that is always present in our minds. It affects how we live, and treat one another. The more aware we are of our own mortality, the more we try to make sense and meaning of life. We do this, by finding a way to accept death. At the moment, I don’t want to die. However, If I think about living forever, it wouldn’t be so great either. Even if everyone else lived forever too, it’s scary to think about what happens billions and trillions of years in the future. Who knows what the world may look like? By finding a balance between life and death, I believe it is the best way to accept death and live a “meaningful” life.

Five things I hope to achieve in this world are all things I think will make me happier. Number one – money. I hear so many people say money can’t buy happiness, and while it may be true for them, it definitely is not for me. I want to have enough money to satisfy my needs, and have some good spending cash. Being able to have most things I want is going to increase my general happiness. Number two – family. I want to have a family and find someone I truly love. I want to give my kids an opportunity to experience life, because it is something unlike anything else, ever. I also want a partner I can live with, grow old with, share memories with, because that’s what humans do. Connecting with and impacting others lives is something many people do to give meaning to life. If your ideas and legacy are passed down, it gives meaning in that other person’s life. Three – Impact. Personally, I don’t believe I need to have some great invention or company that changes the modern world as we know it. But I do believe that if I can change at least one person’s life, then I will be satisfied. I can die knowing I helped them. Four – knowledge. I want to learn about all the things I love to learn about. The human mind is incredible, there are so many things we don’t know, and if we are to find any meaning in our existence at all, we need to learn everything we can about it. Five – I want to travel. Traveling the world is my dream, I wish to see all the sights earth has to see. I find it so interesting that there are so many different worlds and places out there, so many that we can’t possibly ever know. I hope to get a glimpse into the world and find wisdom in it.

One quality I hope to be remembered for is for any wisdom I have to offer. I want everyone to be able to experience the joys of life, and if it’s possible for me to help them in anything at all, I hope I can. Our minds are our realities, and I want to help anyone who may be struggling with that reality.

Utnapishtim responded to Gilgamesh’s relentless pursuit of immortality saying, “There is no permanence”. He is basically stating a simple truth about all humans, that they all eventually die. Gilgamesh’s quest for immortality is something that all humans strive to achieve; it reverberates throughout history and is undeniably prevalent in our world.

Impermanence is shown throughout life in numerous ways. Mortality is the most obvious example of impermanence. No one is exempt from the march of time, and death is the great equalizer. the natural world, with its cycles of birth, growth, decay, and renewal, shows us the nature of all things. Seasons transition, rivers change course, and mountains erode over millennia. Societies rise and fall, cultures evolve, and civilizations eventually fade into history. What was once considered eternal, like the empires of Rome or Egypt, is now a relic of the past.

In the face of death, humans have sought to discover meaning and purpose. Many people strive to leave behind a legacy through their actions, contributions to society, or the impact they have on others. This legacy provides a form of immortality through memory. Another way humans try to immortalize themselves is through meaningful relationships and bonds with others. They can give a sense of continuity. Through the emotional connections formed with loved ones, people can transcend their finite lifetimes. This was something Gilgamesh finally realized as he died. Also, numerous religious and spiritual beliefs provide a framework for understanding life and offer the promise of an afterlife. For some, this can provide a sense of meaning and purpose.

While physical immortality remains something that we can never have, humanity has still tried to attain a form of eternal life. We try through physical forms like art, and civilizations do their best to preserve their culture for future generations. I think our tendency to preserve ourselves is best shown through scientific progress and technological innovations. WE extend human lifespans, and the quest for medical breakthroughs continue. There is also the concept of digital immortality, where we are preserved digitally, but even the digital world itself is not permanent.

Going back to Utnapishtim and his saying “There is no permanence,” I think it serves as a reminder of the fragility of human existence. The reason we all strive to be immortal is because we know that eventually our lives will end, which most people don’t want to happen. It’s human nature to seek a form of eternal life, whether it be through our actions, connections, cultural contributions, religion, or advancements in science and technology. Trying to find meaning in our lives is an enduring aspect of the human experience that we all go through. THis is evident both in ancient texts like the Epic of Gilgamesh and in today’s literature as well. Everyone wants a life rich in purpose and significance, and so we all share the common goal of finding that purpose and living for it as long as we can.

The works you mentioned, such as Beowulf, The Odyssey, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and The Lord of the Rings, all feature a main hero. However, what makes a hero in literature and society is a very debated topic.

A hero is a person who displays courage, strength, or moral qualities and is admired for their achievements. Heroes often do extraordinary and selfless things to achieve something or to overcome a challenge. People will look up to them as role models and sources of inspiration.

Heroes always have either bravery, selflessness, determination, or a willingness to sacrifice for the benefit of others. However, these specific traits show heroics can differ from one story to another.

Of course, women can be heroes. Historically, literature has often portrayed male heroes more prominently, but there are many examples of heroic women in popular movies and books. Female heroes may not be very popular in the examples you provided because of historical biases in literature. Many stories were written in times when women’s roles in society were often marginalized. However, literature has evolved over time, many stories today depict women as the hero compared to then.

Heroes inspire us to strive for greatness, and to become a better version of ourselves. They show us that we can all be courageous and strong. Heroes allow us to see aspects of ourselves in their struggles and triumphs. We can relate to their stories, which can help us get through our own. “Unhappy the land that needs heroes,” could possibly mean that they rely one someone who will step up and save them, instead of fixing the problem themselves. Relying solely on heroes might cause a tendency to wait for a savior instead of doing it yourself.