(17, CT, USA) Anonymous - An Introduction to My Mind
Most things don’t make sense. Actually, no. Nothing makes sense. If you consider any of the “facts” of our universe for more than a moment or two, you’ll realize how nonsensical all of it is. Here’s one such fact: what goes up must come down. Why is that? Because of gravity, someone will tell you. But why does gravity exist? Well, that same person will respond, gravity is actually the result of matter bending spacetime. But why does matter bend spacetime? Now that’s a difficult question. The person you ask might take a while to ponder as they search their brain for an answer, but I can almost assure you that an honest interlocutor will inevitably answer with, “I don’t know.”
Try this with any fact that you claim to have knowledge of, and there will always be a point at which a “Why?” is met with an “I don’t know.” Even some of the most agreed-upon ideas, like the idea that the earth is round, will be met with this conundrum. Why do you believe that the earth is round? If it’s because science points to that conclusion, why do you believe that science is a reliable path to truth? If it’s because science tends to produce results that are consistent with reality, how do you even know that what you call “reality” is real in the first place? “I don’t know” lies at the end of every one of these paths, no matter how far you have to travel to reach it. And this is what is so unsatisfying. We live our day-to-day lives as though we are justified in claiming absolute knowledge, but in reality, our beliefs float upon a vast ocean of uncertainty.
Most people deal with this epistemological nightmare by simply avoiding it. They take the facts that life has handed them, and they sail on without ever feeling the need to ask questions. But that’s not good enough for me. While I could theoretically prevent myself from giving into all of the inquiries that I have, I don’t think that I could ever be happy doing so. Instead, I have chosen to swim freely in the ocean of the unknown. I actively search for parts of the universe that I have yet to learn about, whether it’s science, history, or musical theater, and I excitedly dive into the pool of unpredictability that lies ahead. Perhaps it is true that nothing makes sense. Perhaps it is true that nobody can actually “know” anything. But why should that matter? Let’s embrace the pure insanity that is the universe, and let’s try our best to have a good time while we’re at it.
P.S. I swear that I'm not a flat earther.
