From the insignificant to meaning

The human being is nothing more than an aggregate of something far greater than itself.

Notice: This text is an English adaptation of the original Spanish text.

Placing humanity at the center of everything is merely an expression of our species’ delusions of grandeur. We are part of something larger than what we are, and probably ever will be; call it the World, Nature, Life, or the Universe. Everything mentioned exists on an order of magnitude vastly superior to our own.

We are nothing more than another speck within an expansive ocean of celestial bodies. Even so, it often feels as though we believe ourselves to be above it all, oblivious to the wondrous spectacle we witness daily in things that might seem insignificant, such as photosynthesis. Roots absorb water and minerals from the soil to form sap. Light energy absorbed by chlorophyll - a pigment located within chloroplasts (its green color being no coincidence) - is transformed into chemical energy stored in various molecules, such as ATP (adenosine triphosphate). These elements, combined with the carbon dioxide captured by leaves, synthesize the carbohydrates essential for nourishing the plant. Furthermore, this process releases oxygen.

We rarely pause to consider such magnificent and complex processes occurring around us daily across the globe tiny cogs in a system we are still attempting to explain today, yet which already exists on its own.

I appreciate exploring various sociological perspectives (such as Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life) that examine humankind not only as individuals, but in this case, as a collective front. Behind this facade, we have crowned ourselves at the pinnacle of creation, deeming ourselves the rational being par excellence and master of all that surrounds us. Our true “habitats” have become large cities, empires of asphalt, or technology itself-elements that insulate us from the rest of the universe, where we can preserve the illusion of control.

Some might accuse me of reductionism. Nonetheless, I believe that now more than ever, it is crucial to recognize that despite shaping our surroundings and acquiring knowledge, we are not the center of the universe and that the cosmos existed long before we even developed consciousness. It is essential to temper human hubris in order to keep moving forward.

The Fragility and Emptiness of Existence

Thinkers like Richard Dawkins (The Selfish Gene, 1976) shift the focus from the individual to the gene; we are nothing more than evolved survival machines, vehicles forged by genes for their own survival and evolution, continuously optimizing the machine to secure offspring. Altruism may be nothing more than a probabilistic strategy for gene survival. An example illustrating this is the behavior of certain ground-nesting bird species: when a predator nears the nest, the mother neither hides nor takes flight; instead, she deliberately places herself in plain sight and begins to limp, dragging a wing as though it were broken, offering herself as the perfect victim. The predator ignores the chicks, which seize the distraction to hide. Once the hunter closes in, its prey miraculously “heals” and takes flight, slipping from the grasp of its executioner.

Perspectives such as this can frame life as fundamentally devoid of meaning. The cold detachment of knowledge takes over, and science renders us unfeeling: we are reduced to mere products of chance and circumstance whose sole purpose is to reproduce and leave offspring, perpetuating the existence of the gene or the species. Factoring in the human-temporal perspective makes this realization even more devastating. Across the millions of years of cosmic existence and evolution, our lifespan is infinitesimally brief. Who will remember history’s greatest figures thousands of years from now? If even these monumental figures risk fading into oblivion amidst an ocean of information, what will become of the rest of us?

This follows a “will to live” an unfolding of forces far beyond ourselves that sweep us along a predetermined path. Is it self-preservation? Is it the survival of the species? Is it the genes?

The Greatness of Humanity

Is this will to live, then, a prison? It would be the ideal breeding ground for an empty existence, perpetually fueled by human shortcomings and misery a tortuous path of suffering that we must accept as reality: static, immutable, a life sentence for all forms of life.

At this point, Life takes center stage in our internal debate. Life is worth living (pardon the redundancy). It is not a mere process of survival; it is a vital engine, a primal force that impels every living creature to create. It thrives on continuous self-transcendence, expressed through our capacity to forge values and to confront this intricate system of cogs of which we are a part.

We are capable of shaping Life, transcending the aforementioned existential dilemma. Life as a driving force possesses something that no theory will ever fully explain a foundational, unfathomable principle woven into our everyday routine, giving rise to subtle variations, coincidences, and situations no oracle could ever predict. It is this very principle that gives Life meaning, empowering us to grant it form and value.

In a hypothetical world where everything was predetermined, nothing would hold meaning. We would be powerless against the machinery, condemned to wander like sacks of meat devoid of volition until our vital hourglass ran dry. Yet, we stand above this; day after day, we navigate through storms until we finally spot land.

Humanity is truly remarkable. We have shown resilience and triumphed over adversity; we have created, flourished, and continued forward despite increasingly complex challenges. And yet, a creative force as potent as ours is equally capable of massive destruction even of our own species.

In Search of Meaning

What drives us, then?

How can we discover that deeply personal meaning with which to endow our lives?

The meaning of life is unique; each individual must uncover it within their own specific circumstances and moments in time. It is not something invented; it is discovered. To discover it, we must engage in profound introspection to understand ourselves and pinpoint our vulnerabilities. It means recognizing our biases, challenging them, and remaining adaptable; it means welcoming opposing views, taking on the demanding task of stepping into another’s shoes, and allowing ourselves to understand. As Ortega y Gasset wrote:“To be surprised, to wonder, is to begin to understand”.

We live in an age of overstimulation and information overload; external influences have always existed. However, we must resist falling into groupthink. Growing up in an environment steeped in certain beliefs or ideologies does not mean they represent the Truth, nor that one is bound to follow them. Grounded, thoughtful skepticism is healthy: we can question what surrounds us. Why is this considered true? Is not Truth itself a human construct? Are not Good, Evil, or Justice the same? Life itself recognizes none of these; they are human inventions designed so we can organize socially and coexist under established rules without destroying one another.

Life is analog, not binary. A lie is deemed “bad”;yet is every lie inherently evil? Justice is tied to Good; yet is every “just” outcome genuinely “good”? Are not certain falsehoods essential to life itself? Just because they are “untrue” must we necessarily condemn them as “bad”?