Meaning of Life

There's no meaning to life. Plain and simple. We all exist to live, be happy, and do whatever the hell we want. Some people devote their life to god, others to helping civilization, and some thirst knowledge of this very subject. Why are we here? What is our purpose? The only purpose we have is to live the life we choose as we are all responsible for our own fate. God can be there to guide us. Education can be there to better us. Sports can be there to drive us. But when it comes down to the very root of our existence, we live to enjoy the life we have. To experience life with the people around us we call friends and family. With life comes death, and when one dies the world will eventually move on. Life is unfortunate for some who don't get to live to their full potential. Its sad, but the truth. Like Sisyphus, there was no complaint about pushing the boulder up the hill for eternity. He chilled out, and found joy from torture. His joy in life was that walk of boulder free glory down the hill to start over again, and he accepted it. It's a good interpretation of my meaning of life. To just be lax and not give a damn about whatever boulder was in your way from living life.

Candide's Punishments

The Past : the slightest misdemeanor, crime, punishment, or fault could result in serious consequences. Some which are outright ridiculous and yet the people accepted them. Those were the laws, and it is because of those faults that society did not want to disobey the law. Speaking in Candide's time, his petty crimes as little as kissing Cunegonde in front of the king, resulted in severe punishment. So the question is, does it fit the crime? Speaking in Candide's time yes, but for modern society of course not. Candide could have been sentenced to death if requested but the king had figured hey lets just cut him up through the gauntlet, he will probably die there. In today's world that would be unacceptable but hey Candide did commit a crime as little as it may be one could argue he deserved it. Living a life outside the castle, in a world where he thinks all is for the best thanks to his philosopher Pangloss. Suffering after every chapter, but for what? A girl who was love at first sight to him. Going through all this trouble, for a girl whom he supposedly loves does not justify all the crimes he had commit. One does not deserve to suffer as much as Candide does in this passage, but he should not just go around killing religious figures and monkeys and brother in laws, all for a girl. That deserves punishment, were it to be in modern day society, that would be a death sentence. So in my opinion Candide has been let off the hook more than enough when it comes to these crimes.

How Do I Know What I Know?

How does one know what they know? Everything mankind has ever encountered has been recorded and examined. Everything is passed on, and like the saying goes, "you learn something new every day". I believe that is true, unless one lays in solitary away from all society. Through the internet is in my opinion the source for much of the information that I know. The average person uses the internet about 13 hours a week. No matter what they are doing on the internet they know or learn something new.

And I believe I know what I know through schooling, parents, and just living. It starts out when your a child, naive and innocent, with a "buttload" of curiosity waiting to be answered by your creators. Whether it be through communication or through records, one cannot very well erase something you know. Just by getting through the day I learn many things, for instance not to wear socks more than three times before washing them, no matter if you take a break from them and use another pair only to come back to the dirty ones. It is through self experience though, that you can really trust that you know what you know.