Thursday, September 1, 2016

On constants, variables, and the meaning of life

Prof. C: Hey, I was just wondering, have you ever thought about the meaning of life?

Prof. T: I think the meaning of life is a variable

Prof. C: You mean the meaning of life is variable, i.e., it can change over time?

Prof. T: That too. But also, it is like a variable in a programming language, or a mathematical model. When you simply declare the variable, it does not really have a meaningful value. It is only when you explicitly assign a value to the variable that it comes to mean something. I think you have to assign meaning to your life; it is not a universal constant.

Prof. C: That sounds complicated, and to be honest, a bit scary.

Prof. T: I know. It can be a blessing or a curse. We should choose wisely. We don't seem to put nearly as much thought into it as we should.


"Challenging the meaning of life is the truest expression of the state of being human." Victor E. Frankl

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