The REALLY Tough Questions

I was thinking today of the human condition, which has been defined in so many ways by so many people. My original train of thought was that all the different interpretations of what it means to be human had rendered the human condition undefinable. As I turned it over a little more, I came to believe that just because an explanation is not definitive doesn't mean it doesn't stand. Basically, it's not so much that the human condition is undefinable; it's more like the definitions are infinite and equally valid. As long as you are a human, your interpretation of the human condition is spot- on. Isn't that both obvious and a relief?

Predictably, this revelation led me to venture my own interpretation of the human condition. This is something I had never really attempted to do in earnest. I'd only ever skirted the issue because it seemed...well... too damn big. And again, I'd believed it to be undefinable, too involved, too multi-faceted. My thoughts, stories, even sentences tend to meander- that's just my way- but I prefer my definitions to be precise, stark and, if necessary, broken down in outline format. Issues like this aren't so neat but even at the risk of gross overstatement, I feel good saying that humanism is probably the key to solving all issues that stem from misunderstanding, prejudice and other such obstacles to sharing the human condition. Just throwing that out there.

Here's a thought: If we got everyone on the planet to sum up in one sentence what it means to be human according to their beliefs, maybe we would find a thread of commonality that would reveal some universal truth about our collective perception of humanity. Coming from the perspective of religion (any religion), non-religion, spiritualism, atheism, non- belief, cynicism, naivete, childhoood, depression, unreality, narcissism, paranoia- or any of the countless other conditions that affect one's understanding of living and feeling and being human- I think it's entirely possible that each answer will share a common denominator.

As I've said, I ventured my own interpretation. It bears explanation, though, so I'll post it next time. In the meantime, what does it mean to be human? Whatever you say is right and true.