There’s no point in trying to figure *everything* out

July 25, 2014 by Joshua
in Awareness, Education, Nature

Do you get hung up trying to figure everything out or worry you can’t succeed if you don’t learn enough? A lot of people seem to, to the point it debilitates them.

I like information, but I don’t get hung up trying to figure everything out like I used to.

Another way of looking at everything

I find the following perspective helps.

Our minds didn’t evolve to understand everything. They evolved to help our ancestors live and pass on their genes. If my life is in danger, I focus on solving the problem. As long as my life isn’t in danger, I use my mind to enjoy life and experience emotions I want—in other words, living the life I want.

The universe stretches on for billions of light years in every direction. Each other person is as complex as I am and I don’t even understand myself perfectly. To understand another person like I understand myself I’d need another brain, which I don’t have. And there are billions of other people. I can’t comprehend them all. Nor could all the people who led fulfilling, rewarding, etc lives but they still did and so can I. I’m fine figuring out what improves my life and leaving aside the effectively infinite amount of other information, riddles, etc.

We don’t need to understand that much to enjoy life and have great relationships.

That said, if I enjoy playing with a problem or feel like solving it will improve my life, I’ll play with it out of enjoyment or expectation of using the result. Fun and joy are always fun and joyful.

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