Welcome back, dear readers, to another installment of our Question of the Week series. Today, we’re diving into a real head-scratcher from Gregory Stock’s The Book of Questions. Brace yourselves for some existential pondering and maybe a mild existential crisis or two.

Here’s the question that’s been keeping me up at night (not really, but let’s pretend for dramatic effect):

What is so important to you that, without it, life wouldn’t be worth living? Would your answer have been any different 10 years ago?

Now, before you start frantically listing all your prized possessions or frantically calling your loved ones to make sure they’re still breathing, let’s take a moment to really digest this question.

The Great Nothing

Here’s a shocker for you: my answer is… nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. The empty set. The void. The… okay, you get the picture.

“But wait!” I hear you cry, spitting out your coffee in disbelief. “Surely there must be something so precious, so vital to your existence that losing it would make life not worth living?”

Well, dear reader, I hate to disappoint, but I’m sticking to my guns on this one. There isn’t a single thing in my life that, if taken away, would make me think, “Well, that’s it folks! Time to pack it in and call it a life.”

Now, before you start wondering if I’m some sort of emotionless robot (beep boop, does not compute), let me explain my reasoning.

The Buffet of Life

Picture life as an enormous, never-ending buffet. I’m talking about one of those Las Vegas-style spreads where the food just keeps coming, and you need a map to navigate all the stations. Now, let’s say your absolute favorite dish – we’re talking the crème de la crème, the pièce de résistance of your culinary world – suddenly disappears from the buffet.

Would you:

A) Shrug, grab a plate, and try something new from the other 9,999 options available?

B) Declare the entire buffet ruined, flip your table, and storm out in a hangry rage?

If you chose option B, I hate to break it to you, but you might be missing out on a lot of great experiences (and probably aren’t invited to many dinner parties).

Life, my friends, is that buffet. It’s vast, varied, and full of surprises. Losing one thing, even if it’s incredibly important to you, doesn’t negate the value of everything else out there.

The Resilience of the Human Spirit

Here’s the thing about us humans – we’re remarkably adaptable creatures. We have this annoying (or amazing, depending on how you look at it) habit of bouncing back from even the most dire circumstances.

History is full of examples of people who’ve lost everything – possessions, loved ones, health, freedom – and yet found reasons to keep on keeping on. Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, wrote about finding meaning in the most horrific circumstances imaginable. If he could find reasons to live in a concentration camp, surely we can manage if we lose our smartphone or our favorite coffee shop closes down.

The Paradox of Importance

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying nothing is important to me. Quite the opposite, actually. There are many things I deeply value and would be devastated to lose – family, friends, health, my collection of novelty socks (don’t judge). But here’s the paradox: the very fact that I value so many things means that no single one of them holds the key to my entire existence.

It’s like having a really diverse investment portfolio. If one stock tanks, it stings, but it doesn’t wipe you out completely. You’ve got other investments to fall back on.

The Time Machine Test

Now, let’s address the second part of the question: Would my answer have been any different 10 years ago?

Fires up the time machine, sets coordinates for 2014

Poof

Coughs dramatically through smoke and steps out in questionable 2014 fashion

After careful consideration and a brief stint as my younger, possibly more foolish self, I can confidently say: Nope. Same answer.

Ten years ago, I might have had different priorities or valued different things, but the underlying philosophy would have been the same. Life’s worth isn’t determined by a single factor, no matter how important it might seem at the time.

Playing Devil’s Advocate

Now, I can already hear some of you muttering, “Easy for you to say. What if you lost something truly irreplaceable?” And you’re right to challenge this perspective. So, let’s play devil’s advocate for a moment.

There are certainly circumstances where life can become incredibly difficult or seemingly unbearable:

1. Loss of a loved one: Grief can be all-consuming and make the world seem colorless.
2. Chronic pain or illness: Constant suffering can wear down even the strongest spirits.
3. Loss of freedom or autonomy: Being unable to make choices for oneself can feel dehumanizing.
4. Losing one’s sense of purpose: Feeling adrift without direction can lead to despair.

These situations are undeniably challenging and can push people to their limits. And for some, they might indeed feel like life is no longer worth living.

But here’s where I’d gently push back: even in these dire circumstances, there’s always potential for change, growth, and finding new meaning. It might not be easy, and it might not happen quickly, but the possibility exists.

The Sanctity of Life

This brings us to a deeper philosophical question about the intrinsic value or sanctity of life itself. Is life valuable simply because it is life, regardless of its quality or circumstances?

This is a complex issue that philosophers, theologians, and ethicists have grappled with for centuries. Some argue that life has inherent worth and should be preserved at all costs. Others contend that the quality of life matters more than mere existence.

My take? Life is precious precisely because of its potential. Every moment alive is a moment where something could change, where you could experience something new, where you could make a difference – however small – in the world around you.

It’s like holding a lottery ticket. Sure, the odds of winning the jackpot might be astronomically low, but as long as you’re holding that ticket, there’s a chance. Being alive is holding that cosmic lottery ticket, and who knows? Your numbers might come up tomorrow.

A Call to Reflection

So, dear readers, as we wrap up this existential journey, I invite you to reflect on your own answer to this week’s question. What do you consider so important that life wouldn’t be worth living without it? Has your answer changed over the years?

More importantly, I challenge you to consider the flip side: What are all the things that make your life worth living, even if they’re not “essential”? The small joys, the fleeting moments of beauty, the connections with others, the potential for growth and change – these are the threads that weave the rich tapestry of a life well-lived.

Remember, life is not a single-item checklist. It’s a complex, messy, beautiful, terrifying, exhilarating experience that can’t be reduced to a single factor.

So, the next time you’re faced with a loss or a challenge that feels insurmountable, take a step back. Look at the bigger picture. Remember that buffet of life we talked about earlier? It’s still there, waiting for you to sample its endless variety.

Now, it’s your turn. What’s your take on this question? Is there something in your life so crucial that you can’t imagine living without it? Or do you share my “nothing is that important” philosophy? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Who knows, your perspective might be just the thing someone else needs to read today.

Until next week, keep questioning, keep exploring, and keep living – because life, in all its imperfect glory, is always worth it.