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At Least It's Not Nihlism

We're all insignificant in this universe — according to my beliefs. We exist on a relatively small rock drifting through time and space, and conditions happened to exist in perfect synchronization for life to exist and evolve, giving rise to our (un)fortunate existence. I honestly don't think there really is any concrete and inherent meaning in life. It's been called a pessimistic viewpoint, but I feel as though it's the opposite.

Like the existentialists, I also believe that we should attempt to overcome and persist through this absurdity in the universe. Even if life has no inherent meaning, meaningful life is not nonexistent. Rather, we find our own pathways and discover what brings meaning to us. For some, religion might be a way to find meaning in a sea of absurdity for some, while creating good may be the way to find meaning for others. Regardless, meaning does not not exist: it merely does not exist on a level above the human being. Meaning is not universal, and meaning is not created before we are created; in other words, existence precedes essence — or some variation of that phrase.

Nevertheless, even though I feel as though we're insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe (which also does not exist), we can be significant within our globe. We are freed from the bondage of absolute meaning and given the ability to effect change within our own communities, on our own planet, or, heck, in our own solar system. While Earth might be destroyed by the sun in a few billion years (meaning life on Earth is likely already halfway through its lifespan) and traces of the existence of Homo sapiens might be lost, we'll still have had an impact on each other, seeking meaning through our own actions. 

For me, the idea that we are not bound by inherent meaning and that we'll never be able to change the universe provides a sense of relief. The inevitable will, well, inevitably happen, but we are not bound by any powers to change what is within our own control and forge meaning how we see fit, consistently struggling and persisting against the great absurdity of our universe.

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