Photo by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash
We often hear that humans are the most intricate beings, and honestly, that saying really hits home. Consider this: the human brain, weighing in at only about 3 pounds, contains an astounding 86 billion neurons. For context, that's roughly the same number of stars in our entire Milky Way galaxy! Each of these neurons can form thousands of connections, leading to over 100 trillion synaptic connections – a network so vast it's almost impossible for our own brains to fully grasp. This incredible biological supercomputer, while capable of understanding the most rigorous logic, often decides instead to wander down the most illogical paths. Studies on cognitive biases, for instance, reveal systematic errors in our thinking, showing how we often create our own "subjective reality" rather than processing objective input. We might quickly jump to conclusions, favor information that confirms what we already believe (hello, confirmation bias!), or overestimate how much others agree with us (false consensus effect). And the wild part? We'll then stand there, totally convinced, telling ourselves and anyone who'll listen that these bizarre detours were actually the smartest moves we've ever made. This confusing habit of ours just sparks a whole cascade of questions that don't seem to have easy answers. They just keep poking at us, pulling us deeper into this endless spiral of overthinking. It's like our brains are designed to create their own riddles, and then get completely lost trying to solve them, despite having the processing power to filter billions of bits of sensory information a second, only to consciously process at a sluggish 10 bits per second!
So, you've got a mountain of things to do, right? But somehow, actually figuring out where to even start feels impossible. You're always looking to the future, setting goals and dreaming big, but then, out of nowhere, the "ghosts" of your past just show up and start weighing you down. It's like trying to run a race with a heavy backpack on. And let's be real, you're definitely not alone in this fight. So many of us are wrestling with the same big questions: What's our purpose? Why are we even here? What were we truly made for? It's the kind of question that keeps you up at night, because if you don't know why you're here, how do you know where you're going?
It's a strange thing, isn't it? You want to believe that most people are inherently good. You really do. But then life throws you a curveball, and someone comes along and totally proves you wrong. And it's not the first time, is it? Because here's the thing: when you actually let someone see the real you, the raw, genuine you, you're also handing them the key to your vulnerabilities. It's a beautiful leap of faith, letting someone in like that, allowing them to truly understand you. But it's also incredibly risky. Sometimes, you meet someone, and maybe the circumstances aren't ideal, so you give them the benefit of the doubt. But then, as you get to know them, truly experience them as a human being, the clarity hits you. And sometimes, that clarity is so stark, so unsettling, that it makes you question your own sense of morality and ethics. I've definitely been there, a time or two, where I've left an interaction thinking, "Wow, did I just misjudge everything?"
It's pretty baffling how many people seem to skip over introspection. They genuinely believe that if they just ignore a problem, it'll magically disappear and they'll find some inner peace. But seriously, when they're doing that, is there even a speck of compassion for others in their thoughts? I really think empathy and compassion are like two peas in a pod; they go hand-in-hand. I can't really be compassionate if I don't first try to understand what someone else is feeling. And the reverse is true too – genuine understanding often leads to a desire to help. So, why is it that people, even when they've known someone forever, just can't seem to figure out how to mend a rift? It's like they've lost the instructions for basic human connection.
But then, just as you're diving deep into these big thoughts, life—with all its messy, societal demands—comes crashing in. It's like these huge boulders suddenly tumble into your path, and suddenly, the "why" you were so focused on just gets lost. The present moment has a way of yanking you out of your deep reflections, always pulling you back to the immediate.
"Life is great!" someone might enthusiastically declare. And yeah, sometimes it really is. But other times, it's just plain rough. There's work, and then suddenly your priorities have completely shifted, often without you even realizing it. You can feel utterly stuck in this endless loop, with monotony becoming your constant companion. It's a heavy feeling. But then, one random morning, you're just chilling at home, coffee in hand, watching your favorite show, and suddenly, that whole cycle of complaining feels so small, so irrelevant. It just feels good to have "life." And that's something we all forget these days, isn't it? We're constantly running, running, running. But after what? That's the part that always seems to be a little hazy.
At the end of the day, isn't it really you—the human being, with your unique soul—who gets to define these questions? You and your inner self are the ones who hold all the answers. Sometimes, you'll just effortlessly "wing it" and everything will click into place. It'll just make sense. But then there are those other times, where it's just this tangled web of possibilities, and eventually, it just becomes a beautiful, sprawling mess. And maybe, just maybe, that mess is exactly where the most profound discoveries are made.
Ultimately, this whole journey through the twists and turns of being human isn't about handing you a neat little answer book. Far from it. It's an invitation, a gentle nudge to dive headfirst into the very questions that stitch us all together. And here's a little secret: if you ever decide to read this, not from the beginning, but backwards, from the very last word to the first, you might just find your mind doing a fascinating double-take. It's a different lens, a fresh perspective that could honestly make you rethink some things, and just might leave you truly amazed at the intricate, beautiful mess that is the human spirit.
But what if, in that reverse journey, you discover the answers you've been searching for were hidden in plain sight all along?