Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself — Jean-Paul Sartre
Arun Kumar + AI: Atlas Carrying the Weight of Meaninglessness
Summary: It is easy to put forth an argument that the universe is devoid of inherent meaning — it is just there. In the backdrop of cosmic meaninglessness, it could be a struggle to create or sustain purpose in life. But there may be some ways possible to navigate this tension between seeking meaning while knowing it is all meaningless.
It is not too difficult to provide a convincing argument that the universe at large — comprising galaxies, stars, planets, and more — may not have any inherent meaning or purpose.
Starting from the Big Bang, the formation of these cosmic structures is guided by some fundamental facts and principles, two of which are gravitational pull and random fluctuations. These phenomena might be sufficient to explain the emergence of stars and galaxies without invoking the need for a designer (and thus avoiding the complex questions that such a hypothesis itself might raise).
Perhaps it is only a matter of time before that through theoretical frameworks and observational data, we will understand the ultimate fate of the universe and the reason for the Big Bang. In doing so, we may eventually address questions about the beginning and ultimate end of the universe. For now, however, such answers remain have to wait.
It i s a solid premise that the universe may lack inherent meaning. In fact, a universe devoid of meaning or purpose — one that exists without the “why” of its existence, its trajectory, or the purpose of its journey — offers a simple explanation to the teleological questions about its existence.
Nothing could be simpler than saying: it is just there.
The same might be true of our existence or the emergence of biological life — it is just there.
In a universe without inherent purpose, the emergence of life could also be a result of pure chance. Moreover, if we were to start from the same (or approximately similar) initial conditions, the solutions that evolve might follow a variety of trajectories, with none being more special than the others. What we are living and witnessing is merely one of those trajectories.
The bottom line is that not only is the time between our birth and death devoid of inherent meaning, but our lives are also not part of some grand mechanism imbued with purpose.
This presents a problem for human beings, who (a) possess a consciousness capable of questioning the meaning and purpose of their existence, and, when confronted with the possibility of not finding such meaning, may spiral into existential despair; and (b) have an awareness of the future, coupled with the realization that their death awaits them in that future, without knowing what, if anything, lies beyond.
And yet, between birth and death, we must live — live with a sense of meaning and purpose. Without this, the journey of life might feel as burdensome as Atlas carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The fundamental struggle of existence is finding meaning and purpose in life when one can present convincing arguments for the lack of inherent meaning in the universe’s existence (or for that matter, when universe offers none). Even if we succeed in creating meaning, the next challenge is to sustain that meaning against the backdrop of the pervasive meaninglessness that permeates the universe.
Doubts and cracks in our defenses — those mental fortifications we build to shield ourselves from the void of meaninglessness — are bound to appear.
To manage this tension, one can create meaning and purpose, striving to make life fulfilling while remaining fully aware of the inevitable encounters with the “dark side” — those moments of falling into the abyss of meaninglessness. We must prepare for such occasional descents and remind ourselves of their inevitability.
A more proactive approach might be to regularly remind ourselves of our mortality, the uncertainty of what lies beyond death, and the prevalence of meaninglessness that surrounds us. And yet, even with such awareness, we can still find meaning and purpose: a reason to rise in the morning, something to look forward to. The path forward involves embracing the tension between the need to create meaning and the need to sustain it, while recognizing that, in the grander scheme, no inherent meaning or purpose exists.
Living with this tension can be a creative exercise. It is this tension that made me write this essay — and perhaps it is the same tension that has kept you engaged in reading the very last line.
Ciao, and thanks for reading.
