On the night I thought of this blog post topic, I had some ideas about what I’d write. I know that other content producers have covered the topic. But I compartmentalized that, thinking that I still could add my two cents.
And then the next morning, I got an email from Paula Pant as a recipient of her Afford Anything newsletter distribution list. She essentially covered the same topic. Really well. As she does. D’oh! The compartment was uncompartmentalized.
So, I grappled with whether to write this post at all. I decided to go ahead with it for a few reasons: (1) as mentioned, the fact is that this topic has been covered before, so the coincidental fact that I happened to read a piece on the subject the day I planned to write the post is just that — a coincidence; (2) my two cents are still my two cents, regardless of whether and how much they might overlap with the thoughts of others; (3) I liked my blog post title; and (4) I’m . . . not terribly bright and can’t take a hint that the universe might be trying to send me. And so, here we go with the minor question I mean to contemplate in this post.
What are we supposed to be doing on this big blue marble called Earth?
Happy, happy, joy, joy
Not to get all Ayn Rand* on you, Dear Reader, but I think when each of us knuckleheads popped out into the world, we had (and retained) a hardwired drive to pursue and experience joy. Of course, what “joy’ is for each person differs. Maybe you like eating great food, or doing a job well, or cornering the market on tiddlywinks.** And maybe I like making myself look pretty. Regardless, the drive is the same. And I think this basic element of living dovetails with the other items on my list.
Sexy Beasts
If there’s one thing that people seem to like, it’s (the act of) trying to make babies. We like it so much we even try to sell stuff with references to it. Like toxic substances designed to get stuff out of drain pipes. I think we can agree that there’s nothing sexier than that, of course. But still. Anyway, propagating is hardwired into us. Now, it’s been a long time since I’ve been a SINK or a DINK, but I’m pretty sure those groups are holding their own in this department, too. Practice makes perfect, I guess. Anyway, I suppose it’s good that we’re trying to keep our species alive. Especially since we seem to have a pretty unfortunate habit of bringing about the extinction of other species.
Stayin’ alive
Next is psurvivial. I know, I know. You’re saying “HEY! Mr. Blogger! You added a “p” to a word that doesn’t begin with that letter!” My response: how do you know? I think the dictionary is an incomplete book. After all, dictionaries seem to be adding words each year. Probably because they forgot to include a lot of words to begin with. Like “psurvivial.”
As we’ve established, we humans like making more of ourselves. We equally like making sure we each stick around. What with all the eating, drinking, sheltering and sometimes-bankruptcy-precipitating life preserving.
Some of us seem to be a little confused on this, tho. Take smokers for example.
It’s pretty well established now that cigarettes aren’t a health food. In fact, I hear they might even kill you if you eat enough of them. But that doesn’t seem to stop a bunch of folks from munching on those little sticks several times a day. And lighting them on fire? That can’t be good either. Maybe these people got hung up on the “pursuing joy” stuff. Yeah, that’s probably it.
Peace in our time
OK, I admit, “promote peace” is really intended to mean — in no small measure — “gratitude.” But I was shooting for alliteration as you might have already guessed, what with me referencing the long forgotten “psurvival.” And the last time I checked, a “p” and “g” would be nonalliterative (It’s a word. Trust me.)
I think we’re all hardwired to desire and work toward a peaceful state. Mainly because violence probably isn’t so good for our individual and group long-term prospects. This is something not in total control of the individual, but rather the collective (don’t worry, Dear Reader, I’m not a Commmunist, so this collectivism stuff won’t go any further).
And so, while we might each individually try to live in peace, we need to get others on board with that notion, too. That takes encouragement, which gratitude (for other people not trying to kill you, and maybe holding a door open for you) goes a long way toward facilitating. In other words, saying “thanks” when that word seems to fit the bill. Which I find is pretty often.
I know this because it’d be perfectly reasonable, if not wholly expected, for anyone I meet to start right off by saying to me “Ummm, you are the dumbest person ever. And you look like a baboon’s behind.” But they don’t say that. (At least most of them don’t. Some just can’t help themselves, which I get. They are kind enough to wait a few minutes before saying that. Which I think is super nice of them.)
Make no mistake, there are a lot of bad hombres people who have strayed from the path. But I don’t think their instinct for peace/gratitude has been extinguished. Just their will to be guided by it.
Anyway, I hope you, Dear Reader, got a smidgen of something out of this silly little post. At the very least it was an opportunity for me to set out some of my thoughts on life. Of course, these are big issues, and you may have your own philosophy on the matters.
* I have never read Ayn Rand. But I think this was kind of her bag. If not, it’s someone famous’ bag. And I am naming that person Ayn Rand for purposes of this blog post.
** A lot of tiddlywinks have been produced since they made their debut. Like bajillions of them. And even though there’s a good chance, Dear Reader, that you’ve probably never heard of tiddlywinks, cornering on the market on them is a fool’s errand. Don’t try it. Just don’t.
