Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Uncommon sense – Finding meaning in a meaningless world

Home National Uncommon sense – Finding meaning in a meaningless world
Uncommon sense – Finding meaning in a meaningless world

In the absence of any direction and lack of true purpose, one is left with no option but to either make their own way or follow the crowd. It is for the same reason that even when humankind expresses its wishes for peace and harmony, it always finds itself in the world of chaos.

It is unfortunate that those who have recognised the human vulnerability have found a pot of gold. They seek and find every opportunity to capitalise for personal gain, yet present it as if it is for the good of all.

In the absence of meaning and true purpose comes an opportunity for creativity. It is the creativity derived from the notion of ‘what ifs’ and a guess game. 

It is the beginning of concepts with which humankind tries to find some sense of foundation to stand on. As much as some of these concepts may be fraudulent, in the absence of anything naturally senseful, they become the norm from which expectations are drawn.

Humankind can get itself out of this chaos and confusion. Yet, it misses because of its obsession with chasing vanity. Every time a child is born, it presents humankind with a new perspective, a new world and a fresh start. 

Yet, the preceding generation robs itself of this opportunity by tampering with the path the newcomer has come to pave. The assumption is that the newcomer has no idea of what the world is about and, therefore, must be oriented and familiarised with its environment.

The newcomer is treated as an empty shell who must be filled and tamed to the conditions of its forebearers. This is done in disregard of the fact that the forebearers could be wrong in many ways, and what they may have thought a blessing may become a curse to the next generation. 

In these times, trying to find meaning in the meaningless world is not hard to see. It is found almost in every human expression, built on the foundation of vanity. It reveals itself in the rampant identity crisis. In the absence of knowledge of self, we identify ourselves with whatever is trending, “cool” or revered. 

It seems as if our efforts to find direction only bring more confusion – and the more we try to find meaning, the more meaningless life becomes. It is just the same as the more we try to find happiness, the more miserable we become – and the more we look for self-worth, the more worthless we feel.

As much as we try to find meaning, one thing is for sure – that no one may truly know what the purpose of life is and that life was meant to have any meaning. For, if we may live without worry of purpose and meaning, we begin to live authentically and naturally without the hindrance of the monkey mind; that just living itself without a search of any kind is the mere purpose of life. 

It is this one thing that may eventually relieve humankind from the yoke of its self-imposed suffering.

 

E-mail: karlsimbumusic@gmail.com

Uncommon Sense is published every Friday in the New Era newspaper with contributions from Karlos Naimwhaka.

etuholefrieda@gmail.com