Posted by: ANJ February 7, 2014
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Why are we born in this world? Is our survival a purely scientific result of the “selfish gene” that replicates itself from one generation to the next? I took evolutionary psychology class as an undergraduate and we were taught that the gene is merely selfish. Its sole purpose in this world is to replicate itself by making babies. Thus the desire to coopulate with the healthiest person we meet. Read “healthiest” as the most attractive individual. Apparently looks have something to do with genes. The cleaner your skin and the more symmetric your face, the less likely you are to have parasites living within you. Yeah… ask the evolutionary scientists, they have an explanation for it all. And apparently for the same reasons men look for a younger, hotter, voluptuous and more symmetric girl- because that means she is healthy and sterile. And women are more attracted to taller, muscular and yes… rich men because they can provide for the babies and protect them from any external threats like being attacked by a sabertooth tiger or a mugger. And yet I ask you… is this why we are born into this earth? To find an individual that would give us babies with the highest quality of genes?
The things that I am supposed to be attracted to, I am not. I did not want a tall, muscular, rich man that would give me beautiful babies. In fact I have always wanted to adopt than have babies of my own. And as for riches… I went to school so that I could provide for myself. Though it is given that I would not marry a guy who did nothing for a living, I am not instantly attracted to someone because they have money.
I was talking to my mom today when she posed the questions “why are we born into this world? What is our purpose?” I think this is a more philosophical question and you can dwell on this topic for hours, days or a lifetime and yet you will never know the answer. Or perhaps you will know the answer but the answer will only apply to you. What this world and life means to you might not mean to me. I was born in a collectivist country where your actions impact everyone in your family. You go to college… oh how well your family must have raised you!! You fail out of college… oh what shame to your family for having a failure. Everything is about everyone. This has brought further questions to me about the meaning of life. Was I born to keep everyone happy? Is my purpose in life greater than just being able to do things I enjoy and make sure I have a good quality of life? Or is it that I was born because of the same reasons that everyone is born? The selfish gene brought me into existence just like the 7 billion people who inhabit this world with me.
Everyone thinks they are special and everyone thinks that they have a purpose in this world. In a survey where people were asked if they thought if they were “above average,” “average” or “below average,” 80% individuals said that they were above average. That response itself goes against the definition of average. And after learning all this, I still struggle to understand where I fall in that continuum. Where do I belong in this world? What is expected out of me? Am I wrong to want to lead a life where I don’t want to make beautiful babies with someone who can provide for me? Am I letting my family down by walking out of the path that has been made for me by the thousands of other individuals who have walked through it? Am I wrong to want to do things differently? Or am I giving myself too much importance by thinking that my decision would impact anyone or anything in this world?
Sometimes I fool myself into thinking that I know the answer. I tell myself that my life is my own and I can do as want. And then I wake up and face the reality where people are judging me, looking at me for guidance and expecting that I know my responsibilities. Happiness doesn’t comprise of my internal state of mind but the collectivist feeling of content. I am selfish to think otherwise. And yet all I can do is dream and wonder… wonder if I am merely existing because I was born into this world to exist.
The things that I am supposed to be attracted to, I am not. I did not want a tall, muscular, rich man that would give me beautiful babies. In fact I have always wanted to adopt than have babies of my own. And as for riches… I went to school so that I could provide for myself. Though it is given that I would not marry a guy who did nothing for a living, I am not instantly attracted to someone because they have money.
I was talking to my mom today when she posed the questions “why are we born into this world? What is our purpose?” I think this is a more philosophical question and you can dwell on this topic for hours, days or a lifetime and yet you will never know the answer. Or perhaps you will know the answer but the answer will only apply to you. What this world and life means to you might not mean to me. I was born in a collectivist country where your actions impact everyone in your family. You go to college… oh how well your family must have raised you!! You fail out of college… oh what shame to your family for having a failure. Everything is about everyone. This has brought further questions to me about the meaning of life. Was I born to keep everyone happy? Is my purpose in life greater than just being able to do things I enjoy and make sure I have a good quality of life? Or is it that I was born because of the same reasons that everyone is born? The selfish gene brought me into existence just like the 7 billion people who inhabit this world with me.
Everyone thinks they are special and everyone thinks that they have a purpose in this world. In a survey where people were asked if they thought if they were “above average,” “average” or “below average,” 80% individuals said that they were above average. That response itself goes against the definition of average. And after learning all this, I still struggle to understand where I fall in that continuum. Where do I belong in this world? What is expected out of me? Am I wrong to want to lead a life where I don’t want to make beautiful babies with someone who can provide for me? Am I letting my family down by walking out of the path that has been made for me by the thousands of other individuals who have walked through it? Am I wrong to want to do things differently? Or am I giving myself too much importance by thinking that my decision would impact anyone or anything in this world?
Sometimes I fool myself into thinking that I know the answer. I tell myself that my life is my own and I can do as want. And then I wake up and face the reality where people are judging me, looking at me for guidance and expecting that I know my responsibilities. Happiness doesn’t comprise of my internal state of mind but the collectivist feeling of content. I am selfish to think otherwise. And yet all I can do is dream and wonder… wonder if I am merely existing because I was born into this world to exist.