Some days, blogging feels like I'm trying to keep an empty verbal game going. And work, even meaningful work for a non-profit organisation, feels like a chasing after the wind. At the end of it, what is left? Just a few people we had loved, a few memories, and if you're lucky, a few stories of your existence here on earth.
The Total Perspective Vortex in Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a torture machine that makes you see your place in the perspective of all infinity. The idea is that the shock of seeing your complete insignificance in the scheme of things will kill you.
But who decides significance? Is the cup of cold water given to a good man as significant as all the work the good man does? Yet both receive the same reward. How significant is the death of a single man on death row in an age of widespread executions, war, and inhumanity?
Significance has to be found internally (or perhaps relationally?). One man, Zaphod Beeblebrox, survives the torture of the Total Perspective Vortex because the machine told him "You are the most important being in the universe". He only saw what he wanted to see. Of course he also had an ego the size of the universe.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Search for significance
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3 comments:
First let me say that I agree with Zaphod (because he is almighty GAWD! See, me a secret fangirl after all), because 1) I don't know how the judging thing works if there is an afterlife, and my idea of the afterlife is convoluted and insane, to say the least.
2) Instead of worrying about what, how and why I signify, I'd rather do the business of living as life comes to me. No real reason why we should ponder on the aftermaths of death when we can spend precious time living life as we see fit.
3) I don't know if all of the above that I rattled off signifies....a creeping sensation that I might a hypocrite and that it's sheer nonsense and cliche boes bug me.
4) Zaphod is brillig, as Lewis Carroll would have it.
Yes, I am alright. Thanks for your concern. It means much to know someone wondered...lol. No, serious. I shall return in the near future if everything goes according to my diligent, obsessive plans.
See ya,
Siren.
I see you are having a Sisyphus moment. I don't care for significance; I'd rather search for happiness than significance. Why is it so important to feel significant? But if we really have to talk about significance, then I think it is defined relationally. Just as in statistics where testing for significance involves testing of 2 numbers to conclude on their difference (or lack of). So your existence has significance if it is important to someone or something.
Siren -- it is kinda neat that you always know the books and characters I talk about. About Zaphod being "almighty GAWD", well, I don't know, his ego is mighty irritating though! ;)
I'm glad you have dilligent and obsessive plans. :) Please let me know when your plans take root.
Fuzzoo -- Rolling rocks up hills is my speciality. :) I agree, searching for happiness is good too, but I find that happiness is often fleeting. I seem to need something more "solid". I like your reference to statistics in showing that significance is defined relationally: very clever. :)
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