
FACTS
- We are insignificantly small in a universe of a trillion galaxies, each having a trillion stars.
- We live relatively short lives and can do little to prolong life and avoid death.
- Our world and the entire universe will eventually "die" and no longer support life.
- The world is filled with opinions and religious beliefs, but no one has discovered overwhelmingly convincing truth. In spite of our uncertainty, strong religious beliefs are one of the most divisive forces on earth.
- Although there is no indisputable scientific proof that life exists beyond what we know on earth, many continue to believe in both aliens and angels and pursue confirmation of their existence.
QUESTIONS
- Can I be absolutely sure about anything, since there is always someone to question everything?
- Are ethics and religion just human traditions that are passed down or something inherent in human nature?
- How can there be any real purpose to living if everything comes from chance happenings?
- Why do we think we are any better than bugs? What gives us value?
OBSERVATIONS
HUMILITY
Seen from outer space, we are all incredibly small and insignificant. The mineral value of a human body is about a dollar, and that's all we're worth when life is over. Why would anyone think themselves better than anyone else, just because they're a little taller or stronger or smarter? Pride is pretentious; pretention is manipulative. It's all a deceitful show of force that contradicts the reality of who we really are. In the big picture, no one is really any better than anyone else. We're all in the same sinking ship.
RESPECT
Has anyone solved all the mysteries of life, so that they have the right to make decisions for others? You may think that your ideas are so absolutely ingenious that everyone else should be like you, but then why are there so many other opinions? Each of our viewpoints has value and should be respected, even if it seems obviously wrong. Even the smartest of people has been wrong at some time.
OUR DILEMMA
The great paradox is that we enjoy tremendous intellectual and creative abilities, while being constrained to a tiny space in the universe and a short lifespan. Our environment contradicts our apparent personal value. From the beginning of time, man has faced the dilemma of having to decide which viewpoint to adopt as his general outlook on life. Are we the most amazing specimens in the universe or momentary configurations of no importance?
OPTIMISM
The world is divided between optimists and pessimists, idealists and realists. Some people build skyscrapers, while others live in their shadows. But what good is a skyscraper when you're gone? Optimism only has value when it's supported by a valid reason to be optimistic. Otherwise, it's false hope and delusion.
HOPE
Imagine yourself in a sinking ship. Some people are panicking; some people are praying; some people are trying to find a solution. You're in the middle of the ocean, and there are no other ships around. One person says he can walk on water. At first, you laugh at him. What if he can?