Hey, I'm on a Plane! I Wonder What First Class is Like Here

First, let's explore the world around us. Do you know a young child under four years old? If so, you probably enjoy being with them until they start with the "why" questions: "Why are you dressed like that?", "Why do men have short hair and women long hair?", "Why is the sky blue?"...

Patience, you were like this too! The truth is, these questions are very important, and we must not underestimate them. If only we continued to ask them as adults! Unfortunately, over time we lose interest in discovering life's mysteries. Therefore, in my opinion, it would be interesting to revisit some childhood questions that remain unanswered.

There are questions that naturally arise in the hearts of most people: Is there meaning to life? What is the purpose of life? Why does the world exist? What is the purpose of this world? Is there someone controlling things? Why do we exist?

From now on, we will call these "basic questions."

The fate of these questions stems from the natural course of life: when a baby is born, everything seems new to them: they have never seen the sky, a table, an ant, a person, or... the world at all. Everything is new, and when they encounter "strange things," they feel the need to find meaning, and then they start to ask. As they grow, the world becomes routine, nature, and the universe no longer interests them as much. This is a negative phenomenon that affects us all. This is the power of habit.

What exactly is a habit? Let's give an example: you receive a gift, you open it enthusiastically and immediately think about how to use it. You check its details, such as the brand name and functions, and it occupies your mind. However, as time passes, you get used to the item you received, your enthusiasm cools, and gradually you forget it because you've lost interest in it or received another gift.

Such is our life. When we were born, everything seemed like a wonderful gift. We looked at it with great interest and satisfaction; we didn't want to miss a moment of creation's beauty; we searched and investigated, therefore asking about the reason for things. Over time, we became too busy and had no time to be interested in the wonderful world around us. Society dictates an exhausting lifestyle, where the main concern is "how to live," not necessarily "for what to live." However, it is advisable for every person to seek the basic questions mentioned above, to live a life of meaning and value.

Imagine someone going to sleep and, instead of waking up in his bed, finds himself on a plane in mid-flight. He collects himself a bit, immediately starts acting like a regular passenger; chooses a good movie to watch, considers what to order for a meal, wonders how to adjust the air conditioner, and even imagines and thinks to himself: "I wonder what it's like in first class. Maybe I'll check it on the next flight..." Strange, isn't it? This passenger hasn't even bothered to ask himself why he's on the plane: How did I get here? Where am I headed? He behaves like a traveler who planned his flight, yet forgets the main thing - his destination.

Isn't the person in the metaphor similar to someone who isn't interested in what happens in his life and doesn't contemplate where he's headed? Isn't he reminiscent of someone who doesn't ask the basic questions?

A human is born, appears in this world at a formative moment, and the first thing he does is - cry and demand food. Thus, he continues to cry and search for food. Afterwards - to find friendship, a good university, a job, promotion, a nice house, travel, and so on. If he doesn't stop at some moment to ask himself: What is my purpose here? Why was I born? And what is the purpose of all this? He will find himself living life stripped of meaning and content.

A wise person should know their destination, the direction in which they are advancing their life, and whether, indeed, their journey is heading in the right direction. Therefore, it's right that in the first step one stops and asks the basic questions.

Human beings are supposed to understand the meaning of their actions. If you belong to a conventional Western society, you probably learned math, science, and languages from a young age, and you invest a significant portion of your time watching screens, enjoying drinking cola, and eating sandwiches. If you're in a good economic situation, you're probably planning to study, or have already studied, at a good university, build a family, and earn as much money as possible throughout your life. I'm not saying this is good or bad, but the fact is that you don't have time to ask yourself: What is the value of these things? Why are you studying? Why do you work or plan to work in the future? Why do you think it's important to get married?

It's not easy to reach conclusions, understand the meaning of our actions, and decide if they have any meaning at all. In any case, despite everything, we must ask ourselves questions about everything that happens in our lives and in the world. After all, we cannot accept a certain way of life just because everyone lives it!

Therefore, it is not enough that we must ask ourselves; we also need to seek an honest and sincere answer.

From the book "Dan's Journey for the Meaning of Life," by Roni Dayan. To purchase the book at Hidabroot Shops, click here.