“I wonder why. I wonder, why I wonder. I wonder why, I wonder why.” (R.Feynman)
It is easy to get lost in the data jungle of the internet and the social media. You come across so many different, sometimes weird ideas and experiences. How do these affect your mental map of the world? What is important? What do you want to keep? What do you need to change? Recently I wrote a thin booklet for my children with key thoughts that I picked up over the years. Call it “my outlook on life”. And maybe this could be shared on the internet as well. Together we can then improve it and others may benefit too. So let’s try….
In short films and texts many big questions pass by: We search for the cradle of humanity, but what makes us human anyway? Why can we not see God? Are people equal or not? Is the Bible literally true? Can science explain everything? Should the economy grow forever? Is there something terribly wrong with our money? What are the new virtues? You see: these are all questions about meaning and society. And whether we have answers or not: we live in our mental world of ideas, like fish in water: we can not do without – even if we are not aware of this and even if our thoughts are not evident at all.
Let’s go travelling in time. Not because of history itself, but in order to become more aware of your own world of thoughts and dilemma’s here and now. Are you joining?
Some 30 themes will be covered – approximately in chronological order of first/ major impact on human culture, even though it is often impossible to date them exactly. The order seems intuitively logical, but don’t expect simple cause-effect relations. Also I will only focus on the western culture. This is the culture in which I grew up. And also it is the culture that is now dominant as well as challenged.
An “outlook on life” is of course personal and subjective. Yet I want to be objective and critical where possible. So facts and opinions are mixed. For each theme I have provided references for further reading in case you want to check the facts yourself. Don’t expect professional competency, nor comprehensiveness. It would be very nice if this site just helps you a bit to find your own way.
Last but not least: my story has a christian background. That is the world in which I grew up and which I want to pass on. But not unchanged. No self evident, exclusive, fixed dogma’s. But also no relativism, as if truths do not exist. Ultimately one question comes up time and again: Is the future of humankind the work of God or of man? Or in other words: are we building new ‘towers of Babylon’, that are doomed to collapse? Or is it God’s hand that supports and guides man and mankind through all ups-and-downs? I want to believe the latter, but please decide for yourself.
For sure, everything that has been thought, said and written, has been done by man. Of course, how could it be otherwise?! But I believe that it is really human to see and search God in this. So no fatalism, scepticism or indifference, but responsibility, trust and love! It matters what you do or choose! Hopefully this story inspires you to this end.