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Philosophizing The Big Question

Life. What is it? That is a philosophical question. It’s probably the oldest question in history. But does it have an answer? Of course it does. It’s been, what, a thousand years of humankind? Of course someone would’ve answered it by now. And people have, they’ve answered and created careers out of it. Entire lives based on that question.

There was Diogenes, a beggar kind of guy who eventually became one of the founding members of a branch in Greek philosophy. This dude existed around the time of Alexander the Great and Plato and Socrates. There’s a story about him;

One day Diogenes is out in the beach just chilling when Alexander the Great approaches him and asks “I have a huge empire, it is the greatest, tell me what you want and I will bring it to you!” Diogenes replies with annoyance on his face “Get out of my sunlight.” Alexander, being a proud dude, says “if I wasn’t Alexander, I’d be Diogenes.” To this, Diogenes replies “if I wasn’t Diogenes, I’d be Diogenes”.

Diogenes was known to be weird. In fact, he was exiled from his birthplace, Sinope, for it. But at least he knew what he was doing, had the guts and the self esteem to do it and justify his actions. He was a social outcast and sometimes, I relate to the guy. This society in general, this big bad world out here, it doesn’t encourage individualism unless you’re rich enough or powerful enough to make a difference. Being rich isn’t an easy thing, else everyone would be rich. Karl Marx had views on how society works between the rich and the poor and he founded communism.

We’re encouraged to think and act collectively, as a herd and anyone with creativity or originality, anyone who may potentially think or stand for themselves are discouraged. I think if civilization is to advance, to progress, this view must change. However, it’d be horribly long and even in the end, may not completely be different. In every era, there are problems, and revolutionaries, and the bringers of a new era. Problems only exist if you have choices and humans, have way too many of those.

The hand that’s been dealt me in life, it’s getting me nowhere. I will lose this hand. In the words of NF (hip hop artist); Time to threw away the deck and got my own cards.


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