The lingering scent of eternity

It is true that, in observing the human race (as a species and in reference to their state of existence), one can certainly come up with an endless list of questions among very few answers. The how's and what's of mortal life are much easier to grasp than the why's. I've mentioned the role of motivation but so much of how they occupy themselves seems to come from a sense of routine, or even worse, boredom. One would think that the idea of impending mortality would provide a certain stimulus, even passion, to a life; but it seems this is so rarely the case.

We are in a uniquely qualified position to comment, of course. I have spent centuries wandering to and fro across the face of the earth, and there are others present who can remember the early days of sunlight. The challenge of immortality, strikingly similar to that of mortality, is discovering a purpose. Just as humans require a sense of purpose to engage their destiny, we too must choose a purpose to fill our endless moments. We are all aware of those who have chosen to ignore this fact and gone to sleep, fallen into madness, or even worse, exposed themselves to destruction. In light of the trials of immortality, it would seem safe to imagine that mortals would have little trouble finding purpose for the duration of their brief reality. This assumption, however, would be tragically flawed.

Indeed, for the most part they seem content to simply destroy themselves and those around them. This occurs not only on the individual level, but consistently on a national level as well. We have seen more conflict of all kinds, resulting in greater losses, now than at any previous point in history. The clear observation is that humanity has failed to learn from its mistakes. What is not so clear, once again, is the "why." We have yet to discern why they so eaily take up arms, so easily assault their fellow human beings in every way possible. One theory centers around the idea that humanity is able to get to the point of discovering purpose, but they then use that purpose as an exclusive tool of division, attacking those whose purpose differs from one's own. This is, however, a working hypothesis at best.

The shocking evidence of the abrasion of human relations (avoiding subjective terms such as immorality, brutality, or evil) is mysteriously accosted by the capability of mortals to act unselfishly, and even generously (once again avoiding terms such as good or morally) toward eachother from time to time. Discussions of this nature must unavoidably involve a great deal of subjection, for we will be discussing concepts along the lines of beauty, truth, and virtue. As you will see, in the case of humanity, much like all of existence, lines are not so easily drawn. The failure of humanity to understand the formulaic balance of joy to pain plays a central role in the ongoing conflict.