And Then, Ignorance Begat Ignorance

[MineralMan]

9. Trying to figure out WHY people prefer ignorance isn't my goal, really.

That they do prefer it is pretty obvious. I have an endless supply of curiosity, so looking for answers to all of the questions I have has been a primary priority in my life.

I've been asked what I thought the meaning of life is. My answer is simply, "to live." Life has random origins, it seems clear to me. It takes many forms and lasts for longer or shorter periods of time. The life of every organism has a beginning and an end, that that's the whole of it. Between those two points, life's meaning is simply to live. For each living thing, that can be a complex or simple process.

Humans have the rare, or even unique, quality of curiosity. We are able to ask questions that have no obvious answers. For some, finding answers is a basic need, and religion has satisfied that need for most individuals, historically, but not all.

I know more answers about those questions than most of the people who have ever lived. Today, more people are alive than ever before, and the curious among them now have incredible tools with which to seek answers. That's exciting for some, and frightening for others. The curious seek. The incurious or frightened take refuge in simple explanations, as they always have.

Even so, my life will end while I still have many questions that remain unanswered. I don't mind. It is the questioning that defines my life. When I have answers, there still remain questions. So, I needn't worry about running out of things to ponder and to learn.

Most proofs are temporary, as the history of science has taught us. There's always something new that offers to give us fresh answers at the most basic levels. Depending on one's level of curiosity, there's always something more to learn.

Settling for simple answers is OK for some, I suppose, but I'm not able to do that. "God did it," is an adequate answer for the incurious. It's entirely inadequate for me. That answer fails, beginning with the first question.

I live now, not in some other time in history. I know the history, but all whose names are written down are dead. I am alive, so my goal is to live, learn, and explore. It is enough.