Is Being Human Enough? Why Do We Always Want More? Trying to Answer Those Questions for me
And to the writer that inspired them.
“Do not look for happiness outside yourself. The awakened seek happiness inside.”
― Peter Deunov
I read Gabriella Korosi’s article “Can You Accept Yourself The Way You Are?” in which she asks some meaningful questions. And while I was going to send her a comment, I realized it would be too long for it to be a comment.
This post is my response to her and how I express my ideas and emotions stemming from her work.
In her article, she asks these questions:
“My question is to you: Is Being Human Enough? What does humanity mean? Why do we strive to live longer? Why do we always want more?”
These are charged questions for me, ones that I will think about for a long time longer than I’ll be able to write this. I will try to answer them from my perspective.
I feel that being human is more than enough. Enough for what, though? Being human is one of the most incredible gifts imaginable. And even more so when you think about what it is to be human today. I’m an enthusiast of technological progress; that is no secret. When I think of all the things we have achieved as a collective, I get goosebumps.
In my view, it’s only natural that we want to extend our lives as much as possible while we’re alive.
If we could achieve biological immortality, we should.
I also believe it is pretty likely for us to reach that or somewhere near to it soon. Perhaps my grandchildren’s generation.
We shouldn’t forget that life expectancy at birth for a man was 55 years one hundred years ago. And two hundred years ago was a mere 33 years. We have come a long way from those statistics, and in two centuries, humans can live more than twice as much on average across the world.
Our human desire to live longer drives us to strive for immortality. To be able to continue loving and being loved. To feel emotions such as happiness, joy, and magnificence, among others. To keep dreaming, listening to music, reading, and why not? More mundane activities like eating and things like that.
The desire to get external fulfillment is sparked by an internal sense of emptiness or insatiability. The majority of people experience a sense of wanting more in some form.
Some individuals may claim that you don’t feel complete on the inside when you are materialistic. Some people point to their religious or spiritual beliefs as a source of those sentiments. It could be because of a strong sense of self-esteem or a high level of consciousness awareness for atheists and agnostics.
For me, it’s not a problem to feel as if I want something more; the sentiments I dislike the most and find problematic are those in which I believe that I “need” more. Dependencies like these are a symptom of something else going on for me.
In her article, Gabriella also says:
“Are you willing to sacrifice part or all of your humanity to become faster and more efficient in this world?
I believe that we are enough the way we are. We can always learn and gain insight from what is happening around us. It does not mean that we should change who we are into something else.
Does living a longer life really worth it if it comes with the burden of losing who you are in the process?”
I don’t believe that giving up my humanity is worth it for anything, not for a faster and more efficient world, not for anything else.
But here we go with our subjectivity. I’m uncertain we’re doing it that way. I believe everyone is unique and has their method of doing things. It’s not the What but rather the How. The way you act while performing an activity is more important than the actual thing itself.
Our humanity is more concerned with our inner world than our exterior one. We should focus much more on developing our inner world and being empathetic people who are considerate and thoughtful.
I also don’t believe we are changing humans into something else. We may have technological advancements, but the nature of what it means to be human remains the same. I should say the essence of humanity.
If we were to lose who we are, I’m uncertain anything would be worthwhile.
But what exactly does it feel like to lose who you are? Does watching a movie cause you to forget yourself? Is it possible to lose who you are when flying on an airplane? Is it possible to lose yourself while looking at the sunset?
I don’t have the answers to those questions, and I’m sure my views will continue to evolve as I get older. What I can tell you is that Gabriella’s article prompted all these thoughts and many more questions.
Thank you, Gabriella, for your contribution to my never-ending questioning.
What do you guys think? I would love to hear what others think about these subjects.
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You might enjoy this piece of mine which is the one that led Gabriella to direct me to hers.
