Intergalactic Fortune.

Not going to take a dump on anyone or anyone’s belief system but let us engage and be objective for a brief moment and discuss the reasons for some of the things we do rather than discuss the things themselves. I'm no expert but hey opinions, we've all got them right?

Why do people believe?

In what? In anything! I mean let me go ahead and start with a few basics. Horoscopes. I mean come on, let’s be reasonable for a second. At what point did it seem like a good idea to think that we, as insignificant a species as we are or even as a planet are somehow at the center of some intergalactic system that allows one to in an extremely vague manner predict the future. That all these monstrously enormous astrological objects that look like mere shiny dots from our perspective move millions of kilometers just to allow us to predict the future. The fact that your horoscope is shared by hundreds of millions of other people and is still expected to apply to all of you should be a clear indication of how unreliable this is.

Now stop me if you disagree (this made me laugh a little because I know you actually can’t stop me but that statement helps make this sound like an actual conversation) but let us look at this from my perspective. We as a species live in an unimaginably large universe, a universe that is indifferent of our existence, in a galaxy that isn’t the biggest, in a solar system with a sun that can be dwarfed by some out there and occupying a space that isn’t particularly special. We do however have one thing going for us though, our planet was positioned immaculately at a distance that is both far enough and close enough to the sun to allow liquid water on the surface, to allow life. By life, I mean both single-celled organisms and atom bomb building primates. 

But I digress, believing, why do we do it? So vigorously at that. I think it is for precisely the above-mentioned reasons. We truly are that insignificant, we weren’t even the first living organisms on this planet. To think that we are truly alone in the universe? Not part of some deity’s master plan? That the universe really doesn’t care? People can’t stomach that. Believing in something greater than ourselves gives most people a peace of mind, the thought that some all-powerful figure is looking out for us makes swallowing the very many bitter pills life hands us that much easier to do.

To me personally, it is simple, it is easier to have a docile and tamed population that fears the invisible hand of God, A god or some other supernatural and unseen force, over a wild and ungovernable population that is hell-bent on doing as they please because they have come to grips with their own mortality and the fact that they really do only get one life. But that would honestly be a shitty society to live in, I mean the world is terrible right now but I won’t even try to imagine how that one might be.

I think people believe in things greater than them because it gives them peace, it makes living easier. It is essentially some evolutionary trait or something. It actually makes them better people (most of the time at least, let’s not dive into the realm of religious extremists or anyone that believes in the harming of others for whatever purpose). 

If only we could understand that as masters of our own fate we have the power to make our brief stay on our round blue planet better, not only for us but for those living on it with us.

Being agnostic and hailing from an incredibly religious family I’ve learned to respect the beliefs of others regardless of my own personal feelings. 

But hey let’s pray on it. 

Shit, wouldn’t I slap a nun to get a “World peace bro. Yeah, seriously. It's finally here! Some constellations moved around and it’s all good times for you and humankind henceforth.” Horoscope reading.