Philosophy               A Time for Compassion           14 October 2024


   Humankind suffers.  Delve a little into a person's troubled mind, and
   you will inevitably uncover the root causes: exhaustion, pain, and
   death.  No, humanity does not live in a global prison, as some
   thinkers suggest.  It may, at worst, be a prison of one's thoughts
   and perceptions.  But life on this planet, for those capable of
   reason, is more akin to existence in a hospice.

   To me, birth seems like the final stage of a terminal illness,
   inevitably followed by death.  Birth, the trial of life, and death -
   this path is the same for each of us.  The more optimistic minds
   might argue that life is not solely composed of suffering, that it
   also holds moments filled with joy.  Moments indeed - but what lies
   between them?  Life, by its very nature, has been designed this way.

   The world simply is.  And a human simply is.  People inherit their
   sense of existence from the world, but the world is just there.  It
   has no grand purpose; it simply exists.  One cannot derive meaning
   from something in which meaning never inherently resided.  What
   humans can do is create smaller, fleeting meanings within moments -
   and it is in those moments that they feel happiness.  And that, for a
   time, is enough.

   The Earth, and the universe at large, is not a prison, if only
   because no one is sent here to serve out a punishment.  Life emerges
   spontaneously, typically without malicious intent but also without
   consent.  We are placed here, not by choice, but neither as
   punishment.  Life opens its doors to each new arrival much as the
   doors of a hospital open to terminally ill patients, who cry out the
   moment they first open their eyes.

   There is no cure for this illness, nor is one possible.  Humanity
   might one day invent immortality, stop the aging of cells, or
   transfer consciousness into a machine.  Perhaps the brain could even
   be rewired to experience eternal joy and celebration.  I would rather
   die than live such a life.  Eternal stimulation holds no appeal for
   me; I would rather leave and embrace eternal oblivion, even if I will
   not be able to feel it.  I do not need it.  What I crave is silence.

   Though this view may seem pessimistic, it is not without optimism.
   Yes, each person will die, and eventually, so will humanity.  But for
   now, there is you, there is me, and while we live in this hospice and
   continue to receive new terminally ill patients, while we live among
   these fellow patients and, crucially, understand that we are part of
   this community of the doomed, we can reduce the suffering - both our
   own and that of others.

   It doesn't matter whether those around us understand this.  There is
   no need to force anyone to accept this view.  Yet, once you grasp and
   accept this concept yourself, life becomes far simpler and more
   comprehensible.  From this perspective, social standing,
   achievements, and legacy no longer hold importance: whether you are
   wealthy or poor, intellectual or simple-minded, a freedom fighter or
   a servant of a long-entrenched tyrant, your roles are equal.  All of
   us are patients in this hospice.

   I look through the window at the hospital courtyard and see humanity
   playing there.  From this vantage point, it is tempting to forget all
   grievances, all the evil, all the foolish and impulsive actions
   committed by others.  When you realise that the common thread binding
   everyone is exhaustion from life, pain from past experiences, and
   inevitable death, all you want to do is embrace them and offer what
   little comfort you can.

   Of course, I do not condone violence in any form.  But I do believe
   that the greatest act of violence is bringing new people into the
   world without their consent.  These people were never asked if they
   wanted to live, yet they are condemned to existence.  There is no
   justification for those who maim or take lives, for that only
   amplifies suffering: both in the act of killing and in the aftermath
   for those left behind.

   We, humanity, seldom question the creation of new life because we
   assume that if it aligns with nature, it must be right and good.  One
   might label nature as an embodiment of cruelty, but it is not so.
   Nature is indifferent to our suffering.  It creates us and sets us on
   our path without malice.  It is simply fulfilling its function.  Only
   recently have people emerged from their caves and begun to find more
   suitable ways of living.  Still, out of habit, we obey nature's old
   commands and continue to create new lives - not out of malice, but
   usually out of ignorance or inertia.

   To cease overcomplicating life and to accept it as it has always been
   - meaningless, painful, finite - is one of the greatest achievements
   a person can accomplish.  But equally great is accepting
   responsibility for the lives of our fellow terminal patients.  For
   one day, this hospice will be empty, and the suffering will end.  But
   while we are here, we have the freedom to lessen the suffering of
   both ourselves and others.  We can show compassion toward each other
   and understanding of the situation in which we have all found
   ourselves, through no fault of our own.





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