The true value of our existence

To the editor:

I believe the universe was “created” when the separate natures of intelligence and emotion joined together as a primordial form of Logic, causing a Big Bang explosion of energy that is outwardly expressed as matter through the laws of physics and life and a will-to-live.

The intelligent laws of physics control the physical universe, while an emotional will-to-live energizes life’s struggle for survival. The true value of our existence can only be appreciated by understanding the physical laws that control gravity and the other forces that keep order in the universe —nothing is wasted because there is a continuous recycling of everything. The mountains get washed into the sea and are replaced through volcanic activity and plate tectonics, while plants and animals have their own means of reproduction.

The automatic, impersonal, and infallible laws of physics produce the necessities that enable life to survive on Earth. The intelligent laws of physics cannot be broken, but they can be redirected —to some extent— by the mind of man, whose scientific use of reason enables us to build computers, move mountains and go to the moon. Our use of reason also creates religious systems of belief that give us a purpose in life and the emotional strength to survive.

Life’s will-to-live is generally motivated by pain and pleasure, and also by man’s emotional awareness of joy and sorrow that helps determine the true value of what is worthy of pursuit. The basic necessities of life remain the same, but with the passage of time, changes in the environment require all forms of life to either evolve upward or become extinct.

All species of life, including man, are subject to evolutionary adjustments, however, the use of reason and passion enables human beings to develop an “inner-self” that is composed of the non-physical attributes of memory, imagination, intellect and will — and the inner-self continues to exist as a soul in the spiritual realm of an afterlife.

The intellectual knowledge and emotional experience of human beings is preserved through human culture, as well as by instinct, heredity, and the talents and abilities some people are born with.

The subconscious influence of human inner-selves might add to the total knowledge of mankind, but regardless of how it happens, through our continued survival and the ongoing process of evolution, human beings will eventually achieve a higher stage of consciousness —one person at a time.

There are many things we don’t understand that might be made clear in the afterlife, but I’m in no hurry to find out —because the true value of our existence can only be found by experiencing the physical pain and pleasure, and the emotional joy and sorrow of life on Earth.

Art Carney

Wasilla