Category: Wonder

Is It A Wonderful World?

Sometimes it feels as though everything is awful. Does that feeling obscure how wonderful the world is? Or is it, in fact, not full of wonder?

It’s a simple fact that humanity faces existential-level crises, from climate change to species extinction. In addition, ongoing wars, uncertainty over artificial intelligence, political unrest add to an uneasy sensation that sometimes feels like it permeates everything.

And yet, there is great wonder in the world. There is stunning natural beauty, like waterfalls or mountain ranges. There are is an amazing variety of animals, birds, and fish that populate every nook and cranny of the world. In addition, there are man-made wonders that are a testament to our species’ ingenuity. We understand the world as never before, and have ever-increasing ability to improve things.

Of course, some of these are in conflict: our ability to impact the world is putting our climate future in jeopardy. We risk losing the amazing diversity that exists in the animal and plant world, which in turn endangers our own future.

But shouldn’t that add to the wonder, in fact? Just because the ecosystem is fragile doesn’t take away from how special it is. In fact, just the opposite: fragile, impermanent things can be the most wonderful. Think of, say, the intricacies of an individual snowflake, which exists for such a short moment in time.

As the famous song begins:

“I see trees of green/Red roses tooI see them bloom/For me and youAnd I think to myself What a wonderful world.”

Is that, in fact, true? Or does the peril we face, human stupidity and greed, and our uncertain future detract from it? Is the world wonderful?

Related questions: How can we maintain wonder? What’s the most amazing natural wonder you’ve experienced? What is the greatest problem facing humanity? Is it a cruel world?

 

Is There A Conversation You’ll Never Forget?

Have you ever participated in a conversation that immediately seared itself into your memory? Has a talk you’ve had ever been that impactful?

Conversation is the primary way we humans communicate with each other. While some conversations may be routine or trivial, others can be profound or even life-changing.

For instance, think of the discussions you have had while falling in love. That might eventually lead to making room for someone else in your life. It might even result in marriage and possibly starting a family. While there are other ways to express love, talking is something we all engage in all the time.

Can you think of conversations that you have had that have stayed with you long after? Have you had discussions that have changed your life? What, if anything, can you identify as a commonality in these meaningful interactions?

Related questions: How can we encourage meaningful conversation? What makes something memorable? Where do shared ideas exist? How can we maintain wonder? How can we become better listeners?

What Brings You Spiritual Fulfillment?

There is something in the human condition that calls out for spiritual fulfillment. How do you get yours?

Throughout recorded human history, the human species has sought out spiritual fulfillment. There have always been philosophical questions that have been asked: why is our world the way it is? What happens after we die? How can I find meaning in my life? Why is there something rather than nothing?

To try to answer some of these questions, some people turned to a supernatural explanation. There might be one or more gods, that are responsible for everything.

One god might drive a flaming chariot across the sky each day that appeared to us as the sun. Another ruled over the oceans, and his temper caused the frequent storms that would toss ships hither and yon.

Or there might be just one god, like the one in the Jewish, Christian, or Islamic traditions (they all derive from the same origins). That one created the heavens and the earth, the story goes, and everything we know.

Alternately, there might be a strictly scientific approach. As we learn more about how the world works, we delve deeper and deeper into the rules for matter and how it interacts. Elements, atoms, the quantum world, and so on. This approach might answer some of the big questions, but left others untouched.

Still others choose to look inward, including meditation, or internal energy that can be harnessed or manipulated. Some cultures use mind-altering drugs as the vehicles for spiritual exploration.

How do you connect with something larger than yourself? It might mean going to a house of worship, reading a sacred text, or spending some time each day in quiet meditation. What brings you spiritual fulfillment?

Related questions: What does spirituality mean to you? Do you have a personal philosophy? Where do you find meaning in your life?

What Are You Most Curious About?

What you are curious about as an individual helps define you. And what we are curious about as a society helps define us.

Curiosity is one of the driving forces in our development as a species. It can influence the questions we ask, and bring about the scientific discoveries we make as a result. It can inform the stories we tell, and even before that, the stories we read.

But society is made up of individuals, and what we are curious about individually ultimately defines our collective curiosity.

With that in mind: what are you most curious about? And what do you do about that curiosity?

When we are young, the interests we have drive our learning, growth, and development. That might include which books we choose to read, the friends we make, the elective classes we take in school, as well as other life choices.

As an adult, it can influence the jobs we pursue, where we choose to live, who we marry, and so on. Seen in that light, our curiosity helps inform many of the key decisions that define us.

Can you think of examples of something that made you wonder, and how that eventually led, step by step, to some aspect of your life today? Does your curiosity play a part in the hobbies you take part in? The job you have, or the work you do in that job?

Do you read books, skim Wikipedia articles, watch documentaries, or take part in discussion groups? In what ways do you satisfy your curiosity?

Related questions: What makes you curious? How can we encourage curiosity? How can we maintain wonder?