Nothing happens without meaning.... 意味がないことは起こらない？

Nothing happens without meaning.... 意味がないことは起こらない？

Beware: Philosophical thought to follow... 哲学的な話なんだけど。。。

In Japanese, I might just say this line or basis for moving forward is just 素敵 or “Wonderful.” Belief in this sort of simple line of thought, impresses significance on every little factor of the day. One starts to look for coincidences, fate, and purpose in all things when they have this as part of their worldview. It gives one a vague reason to march forward without hesitance, confident that one's actions and living have purpose. However, the complication that arises, as with all philosophical pursuits, is truth.

Does everything that happens have meaning? I mean truly, does it? Is this thought “true”? From my viewpoint, the answer is “of course.” However, I would addend that answer with the slight warning that you may never know what that meaning is. I suppose you could say that is a convenient supposition as well, but I'm not naive. While I hold the belief that all things happen for a purpose, I do not hold the belief that I will be omnisciently aware of what those little purposes are.

Regrettably, my fiat doesn't answer the philosophical question which is most nearly, “What proof can you offer to satiate our curiosity of how this could possibly be?” At this point, I think the typical person would offer you a myriad of little things that have come to have significance over time which would likely be vague enough that they could be quibbled with individually. However, such a response doesn't even come close to the heart of the matter, because there is a complication herein: I have stated belief in an absolute.

Yes, for those of you panicking philosopher-types, I did just interject “belief” into the realm of “philosophy.” It is where it rightly belongs. The only reason one has faith (did you catch the word reason???) is because they have found it reasonably justifiable. If not, they are simply being a liar to themselves and have violated the first step towards reason/philosophy anyway. They lack the brutal honesty necessary to proceed and are living a lie. I suppose you could say that is harsh, but as the saying goes, “Truth hurts” because truth is the simple, the pure, the impartial, and the uncompromisable reality. Denial of truth, eventually leads to a point in time where you run headlong into it.

Allow me a moment to flip the coin around and rise from the previous “tails” equation towards the hidden “heads” equation. The only reason one philosophizes is because of a faith in philosophy. After all, one must have confidence in the tools of his/her craft before picking them up. Anyone, Christian, Buddhist, Atheist, Hinduism, etc I think can agree with this line of thought. Actually, if one doesn't, then therein lies a belief that philosophy is in some way lacking. However, ironically, such a belief is still a belief. It is a belief that is simply based in bad philosophy. I don't think that is a spiral from which one can escape. You either have a good belief(view) of philosophy(reason) or you don't, but you still have a belief.

Now, I must return to the matter of an absolute. An absolute, being as it is, is nigh impossible to satisfactually prove to someone predisposed against it. It is simply impossible to span all the situations where an absolute covers, and that will inherently leave doubt in the other philosopher's mind. A proposed absolute is best approached from a pragmatic perspective, especially in the case where proving or unproving becomes a simple matter of faith.
Take the one that we are dealing with here:
Nothing happens without a meaning.
What is meant by that statement? I think it means that everything, no matter how small or large, has significance or purpose either to ourselves or to those around us. Essentially, everything gains value.
Short of going through everything in my life and attempting to explain what meaning each individual thing has, I think the doubting Thomas-types will never be satisfied.
Therefore, I propose a pragmatic perspective.
Either this belief helps you in this life or it doesn't. If it doesn't help you, don't hold it. If it does help you, hold it. Personally, I believe that holding it, gives one a more beautiful perspective on life. No longer does the rain falling simply mean you have to carry an umbrella that day. Instead, it is day where someone, somewhere, or perhaps something, needed that downpour. Right?

Yes and no. There is a further reason for people to reject this sort of belief. Psychologically it is helpful, yes I believe that is hard to deny. However, a simple pragmatic perspective for life should never satisfy the truth-seeker. Again, we return to the issue of an absolute being true. Wait, before you say something trite like “never use absolutes.” please use that noggin of yours. “Never” is indicative of an absolute and, therefore, such a statement contradicts itself. It would be far more correct to express an issue with a specific absolute than to attack them, ahem, absolutely.

I then, run up against a wall. I do believe that all things happen with a purpose, but not because I have reasoned it into existence. Instead, it is something more so based in experience which is always something far more difficult to explain. The best I can do to try to explain why. I see things as having a purpose as something deeply allied with optimism and the belief that things do not have a purpose is something allied with pessimism. By pessimism I mean to express not the simple negativity of a critic, but true pessimism, the kind that leads to despair and a death of joy. On the other hand, optimism to me is not a blithe positive outlook but is an informed positive outlook, one that possesses hope and joy. A lack of such optimism in life is to take a path downwards to death's door, completely. Therefore, I cannot even entertain the true pessimistic path to despair with regard to meaning in life.

If I can live for the enrichment of a single person's life, I would do it.

I apologize. The above is what happens when I sit at a desk for nearly eight hours three days in a row with next to nothing to do and nobody to really engage in conversation. That freedom feeling has changed now that I know how to use the internet at work. I get more stuff done now... just not personal stuff.