Put on Earth to live or to simply be alive?

Oscar Wilde once said:

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most People exist, that is all.

A statement that many of us at some point in our mediocre lives, can probably relate to. But, at what point does life become just an existence of mediocre proportions and how do we live again?

The determination of what living is has no measurement and can only be determined by the individual that questions their own happiness. Many people in society have their own opinions on what determines other peoples happiness but thankfully societal pressure on how a person should or should now act is slowly starting to fade out. Or, at the very least becoming much easier to say 'fu## you'

However, many will argue that happiness is not necessarily the key to living well because statistically we are 20% more unhappy now than we were only 3 years. But, is this because we truly are unhappy or are we unhappy with society?

I think the short answer is, both. In a world that has progressed in medicine, art, individuality and sexuality, we still seem determined to pull down on that progression with our lack of understanding when a woman tells us:

I'm perfectly happy and I don't want children

Don't want children? How can you not want children? Does your Husband not want children? You don't have a husband? But, you're nearly 30.

Yes, patronising, uneducated and dark age questions that are laughable yet disheartening in this modern and progressive world. Do we really need children to live? Or do they just make us exist?

Well again, the answer to that question can only be determined by the individual. I mean, sure, Allen and Tim may want children to truly fulfil their lives and be happy but Jessica and Jason may want to travel the world to fulfil theirs.

I think however, to go back to Oscar Wilde, he was on to something when he quoted such a sentence, and the recent 'happiness' surveys only outline that more. Of course people are more unhappy now, we stick up for ourselves and we are told that we shouldn't. We don't and we are told that we should. Everybody is PC or people aren't enough. If we come out as gay we are just part of the 'trend' and if we say black lives matter we are told we are racist.

So how do we determine what makes our life worth living?

Well let's start with:

1. Death

Death makes life worth living. It takes care of itself, it's inevitable, nasty, dark and something that only leaves misery and pain. So, life itself can be worth living, simply by thinking about the inevitability of death.

2. Creation

No I don't mean our creation, I mean the creations we make ourselves. Our writing, music, art. All of these could be determinising factors towards a life worth living. Andy Warhol is a fantastic example of this. A man who consumed art and nearly lost his life because of that consumption.

3. People

Ok, so we already spoke about the need for the world to tell women that they should procreate and have children. But, children are not the only relationships that we have. The relationships we form with out loved ones, family, friends and even work colleagues or strangers can make our life worth living.

Malan Wilkinson decided back in 2018 that she would commit suicide, but fortunately for her, a passing stranger decided her life was worth living when they saved her from committing such an act.

4. Environment

Ok, I don't mean the actual environment of plastic wastage and green house gas prevention. I mean the environment you choose to call home. Some people love the smell of the toxic fumes in New York City (unfortunately) ,while others enjoy the fresh cold arctic air.

Cecilia Blomdahl is a YouTuber that lives in Svalbard. One of the most northern populated places located between The North Pole and Norway. Home to only 2000 residents, more than 50 nationalities call the town in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, home. The views are beautiful so side note, if you haven't checked her out, I suggest you take a look.

5. We don't

So possibly the easiest answer I could give may also seem like a cop out. We don't. We live, we die, we laugh and cry in between. I don't believe we ever truly make life worth living because I believe life is always worth living, we just have to live with it and determine how we will become happy. Be it through our children, our relationships, our travels, our work, our art and so on. We are the answer to what makes our lives worth living and nobody can determine the answer because it has always been the same.

Life is always worth living.

Thank you very much for reading my article and supporting my work. I am determined to keep writing about whatever my mind determines to be important enough on the day. A little love would go a long way but a tip would go even further.