Each individual possesses a unique body, distinct emotions, and independent thoughts. In contemplating the meaning of life, I believe these differences serve as both the catalyst for such reflection and the obstacles that stand in its way.
From birth to the present moment, humans experience and learn various things, often unintentionally. As we flow from the event of birth toward the terminus of death, these activities of diverse experience and learning act like intersections where accidents are prone to happen, or like quiet coffee shops where one can take a breath.
Experience and learning are not solitary endeavors. While the term “self-study” exists, as long as one utilizes books or, in the modern era, videos—the creative works of others—one is never truly alone. Experience and learning are possible only because someone else is also engaged in those same pursuits. These activities seem to contain paths that can be voluntarily shared as we travel from the starting point of birth to the finality of death.
Perhaps we follow paths that others seem to have navigated successfully because we believe doing so can alleviate the fear inherent in the journey toward death. A path already trodden by someone else feels safe, and it feels as though we can walk it in the same way. In reality, however, things rarely go so smoothly; even when they seem to, we never follow that path in exactly the same manner.
As mentioned at the beginning, this is because we all have different bodies, emotions, and thoughts. Rather, it is precisely because of these differences that each person can apply their own unique ingenuity. Whether we like it or not, it is customary that things never unfold in exactly the same way. One could say that this unique ingenuity is a “deviation” from the known path during the journey.
For instance, it is similar to taking a slight detour on the way home from work. Some might argue that “ingenuity” implies the shortest route, while a “detour” implies a roundabout way, making them different. However, the fact that unique ingenuity is a deviation from a known path can also be seen as the pursuit of interest. Just as one does not grow bored when there are places to detour between home and work—rather than simply repeating the same commute every day—ingenuity adds flavor to life.
Of course, those who find all the interest they need at home might feel differently. It is a historical fact that all humans are born and eventually die. Within this history of repetition, what meaning does one’s own life hold? This is similar to the aforementioned analogy of growing weary of the daily commute between home and work.
Naturally, it is not that the boredom of the commute itself asks the meaning of life; it is merely one of many catalysts. What is it a catalyst for? I believe it is the confrontation with death. Endless repetition makes one feel as though they are heading straight toward an encounter with death. Why does confronting death lead us to question the meaning of life? Death is the end of life. When life ends, it is also the terminus of experience and learning, of repetition and deviation.
Ultimately, repetition is the historical fact of human existence from birth to death, while deviation arises from our differing bodies, emotions, and thoughts. Why do people question the meaning of it all when it ends? Throughout their lives, people engage in experience, learning, repetition, and deviation. On the other hand, death is something that can be experienced only once in a lifetime. Since deviation arises from a specific body, emotion, and thought, it cannot be performed once one is dead.
Repetition, however, is the historical fact of birth and death that everyone faces equally. The act of questioning the meaning of life seems to be an attempt to engage with this “repetition” in some way. The act of deviation cannot occur after death. That is why, as stated at the beginning, the very things that cause deviation can be both the spark for questioning the meaning of life and the obstacle to doing so.
