How many of us really sit back and ponder on life? On the higher values that give meaning to life? Youth are busy pursuing materialistic goals — all the roads to these goals being paved with wants and desires. Some achieve their goals, most do not, leaving behind embittered, frustrated individuals.
As we move on in life, examination of life invariably means one’s own life and, yes, again invariably leads to envy and regrets — of how things could have been, leading to self-pity and unhappiness. Rare is the person who having examined his life is content.
Which brings us to the need to have the intellectual ability to examine life, or, to put it differently, the need to reach a level of maturity where we can see beyond ourselves. A maturity that comes with upbringing, education and religion. Upbringing instils the values of recognising right and wrong, of helping and sharing with others, of hard work and perseverance.
Reflecting on life is a worthwhile exercise. It helps you realise the transient nature of existence, of the need to do good for its own sake, of contributing to society. As philosopher A C Grayling says, when one does ponder, you get a road map. You may perhaps not reach the destination, but it gives meaning to life.