Sense of Life

"    ....man makes choices, forms value-judgements, experiences emotions and acquires a certain implicit view of life. 

 

Every choice and value-judgement implies some estimate of himself and of the world around - most particularly, of his capacity to deal with the world (p26). 

 

 A sense of life is formed by a process of emotional generalization....(p26). I

 

In order to live, man must act; in order to act he must make choices; in order to make choices, he must define a code of values, he must know what he is and where he is..i.e., he must know his own nature....(p26)." Ayn Rand, The Romantic Manifesto

 

Is that nature defined by others?  Is it prescribed by religion, by constitutions, by charters, or solemn pledges? Or by each of us through conscious effort? Is it defined by mysterious prodding and guidance from we call our soul? Or is it by our own quest to know the truth, who we are, where we came from, what is right or wrong, good or evil,  and,  why we are here.

 

If we were not told what to believe in, what would we believe in? What moves us to act at all?  What value are we trying to achieve? 

 

If we instead fail to define who we are and what we value as well as why we value what we seek in life, our actions would be aimless, we would have no sense of direction, we would be on a journey not knowing where we are going or what we are to accomplish and why. 

 

 Emotions and sense of survival would become the mainstay of our existence, giving into fear, anxiety, and the need to constantly stimulate our senses or protect us from our demons, or satisfy them.

 

But what if what you have been told has not been the truth, but only some made up version of the truth with the intent to conform how you act, how to believe and who you respond to?  What if we don't know what we don't know, or only what we are told we can know?

 

 Can you live without purpose?  Can you live only in the present moment?  Can you in that present moment experience great happiness and connection to the universe?  Would you be without purpose? Or would that be your purpose? Can that state of life be sustained or sustain you within this world as it exists?