The Philosopher

Surrounded by cobblestone walls that – to any other man, would have made one felt imprisoned – was the home to the greatest mind of the century, Emilio DelVecchio. The renowned genius was a master in several crafts: writing plays; musical composition; architecture; and, his most notable profession, philosophy. His deeper thinking challenged his city so brilliantly that he had, some argue single-handedly, transformed his city into the Mecca of philosophy; the premiere schooling of brilliance. Flocks of aspiring thinkers traveled the world to study under his students for even a sample of their tutor’s genius. His method was simple: “Ask until you cannot ask why; if you cannot ask why, you have asked the wrong question.”

The master of philosophy taught a healthy hunger of knowledge as well as intellectual ignorance. He empowered broad thinking and delved into the intricacies of morality and spirituality, but he was quick to coach a balance of peace in the insatiable greed for information; as it was made evident to him early in his life that when one processes a certain wealth of knowledge, the prideful man assumes then that all knowledge may be acquired, leading the foolish man into a life endlessly unsatisfied, like a dog chasing its own tail. This naturally prompted the city to inquire Emilio’s thoughts on man’s greatest unanswered question: the meaning of life.

Emilio DelVecchio humbled his status with an intentionally simple décor, as not to attract an already dangerous temptation to sulk in unnecessary luxuries; which, with his rather unimpressive abode, retained his privacy better than many imagined, as the world sought after every word he wrote. Yet tonight, he prepared a fire in his cobblestone home and contemplated the long awaited answer to the even longer unanswered question: the meaning of life.

Sinking into his chair, Emilio pulled a small wooden table in front of him and opened his leather-bound journal. Flipping the first page he examined a self-portrait he sketched many months ago. His balding head was crowned with long, wavy hair, like a border collie; and his bulbous nose stuck out above his pensive lips, always turned downward and giving an unwelcoming face.

Emilio flipped through the journal and made his way to the latest blank page. He brushed his hair with his square, coarse hands, and prepared to answer the most difficult question:

“A unique, specific challenge must cross one’s path, unavoidable or insurmountable, that brings his thoughts and settles it on the question of his own existence. The challenge is likely to come from a state of idleness or after a sought after goal and discovering in oneself unfulfillment to a certain degree, generally an underwhelming joy compared to the expected relief or celebration, thusly extending for a greater fulfillment in life, having fixated one’s own happiness, and, perhaps, purpose, in a single, achievable goal; for no one aspires towards what one cannot attain.

“The achieved goal that leads one to question his own existence is first pursued by only two reasons: covetousness or biased perception; yet both may certainly inspire one towards the goal, but I have determined that there are these two motivations alone that draw any man towards something. Covetousness is the sinful recognition that one lacks what someone else has, and by judging their contentment with what one lacks, one, therefore, believes one will be happier with it. This extends to having what is similar but not enough, such as money; every man has some form of wealth but they are not all wealthy, and a man who purchases a house will covet the man who has the bigger house.

“Biased perception is first conceived from a pure ambition, unadulterated and, essentially, Good; Good referring to the Chief Good that betters a person and those around him morally perfect. Yet in having unattained this goodness, the expectation becomes unrealistic, leading oneself to believing one has a sense of incompleteness without their goal.

“Essentially, a goal comes from a lack in one’s life; though I must clarify that goals, in their purest form, are Good, and should be aspired towards; it is in the essence of pondering the meaning of life am I noting that once one achieves a goal and feels dissatisfaction that the goal was prioritized too greatly. In other words, bluntly, a search for purpose.

“Purpose drives one to believe one’s life is intentional, yet there is a truth suppressed in the comfort of purpose: man will never know, on earth, the effect of their purpose in its entirety. The fortunate few whose names stretch over the world have the closest experience, but a life purpose is only fulfilled once the life has finished, as the purpose would not be finished if one still lives; therefore, a life purpose cannot be achieved like the goals one sets for oneself, whose ends are met and enjoyed. A life purpose will not be enjoyed by the one who fulfills it, only the recipients in the man’s life or following him.

“The purpose must only feel unfulfilled if it has been achieved; which, conversely, is not one’s life purpose. The unfulfillment of a life purpose is the misunderstanding of his purpose to begin with. Therefore, one must have decide his own life purpose, having set forth an attainable goal, as men only aspire towards attainable goals, if it is unfulfilling. A fulfilled life purpose must be decided by someone who has the authority to decide what one’s life should be spent fulfilling; and this person must know they will see the entirety of one’s life in order to determine one’s purpose, also suggesting that this person or being must have the authority to make one for said purpose.

“I digress briefly to discuss why we have sought to understand our purpose and the meaning of life since we first formed our thoughts. The question comes from either inherent knowledge or taught information, as do all things, reactionary or rehearsed, which suggests that the meaning of life has been proposed to us. The pursuit to understand the meaning of life is proposed by the understanding, first, of our world and in mankind as imperfect; a recognition that life ought be better. Yet if we know no other life, we must have been offered a better life or promised one. The reflection of mankind is that we have fallen short of the better life, either offered or promised; and man understands this through kindness and meanness, as Good and Evil. A hypothetical moral dilemma intrigues the great minds to theorize an oughtness, a better way or True way to life. This oughtness and desire to understand better living is understood by all: that we are short of this Goodness.

“Therefore, as sinful beings, we aspire to understand our collective purpose and the meaning of this finite span of existence. Conversely, a purpose is given to one by someone who knows the purpose of life. This draws us nearer to my conclusion; an exploration of the possibility we were made by someone to fulfill his purpose for us. In suggesting that we are made with a purpose by someone, to fulfill a purpose, presumably, for them, we should consider that this person or being that has made us must not only agree that life ought be better but intended it to be better; and if this person intended it to be better, we should consider they also decided what is better, suggesting they are the epitome of Good. This being, if we continue to consider they made us and intended our lives to be better as the epitome of Goodness, offered us or promised us a better life, as we recognize life ought be better. The person who made us, therefore, if we continue to consider these thoughts with full attention, must have intended us for something. Seeing as our own goals oft leave us unsatisfied, our grander purpose, our life’s purpose, I suggest, may be related to the person that decided our life purpose. In conclusion, perhaps our purpose is not to understand life rather the one that made it.”