Human beings love to understand everything. We have a deep understanding of so much… the solar system, the eco system, the human body, etc. Billions of dollars and billions of hours have gone into studying and deconstructing any and every aspect of life. We’ve had incredible breakthroughs and advances.
Of all areas of interest, human health has received the most attention and study. Through advances in science and the development of processes, procedures, and tests, we have gained insight into the intricate, and otherwise invisible, workings of the human body. We have diagnostic imaging, complex bloodwork analysis, and have even decoded the human genome. These advances have allowed us to better understand the cellular processes within the body, how our immune system seeks out and kills microorganisms, and why we think and feel the way we do. We know more about the human body and human health than ever before.
With all that we know, how much money we spend on healthcare and research, and with all the advances we have made, how is it that we are still so vulnerable to a crisis like the one we are dealing with right now? Simple… we know a lot, but we don’t know everything. We will NEVER know or understand everything.
Life is so crazy. It is unpredictable and baffling. Just think about how your life has unfolded. Think of the twists, the turns, and the events that have occurred. You could never understand it all.
I realized a long time ago that there are bigger things at work in my life. There are things I can control, but a lot of it, I can’t. Some things make sense right away, other things make sense over time, and some things will never make sense. I’ve asked myself… do I need to understand it all? Once I accepted that the answer to that question is no, things got a bit easier.
Our arrogance as humans has us believing that we will figure it all out…that someday, we will have all the answers. And when we make a new discovery, we get all excited, only to realize fairly quickly, that there is still so much that we do not know.
Think about this… with the advances in medical diagnostic testing, all the new medicines, and even having decoded the human genome, look where we are at. We have more chronic illness now than ever before in history, the highest rates of depression, unhappiness, and suicide, the highest rates of loneliness and feelings of disconnectedness, and the life expectancy has dropped for the first time EVER.
So… I believe we should continue to ask tough questions, do the deep research, continue to look for answers, but must remember… we will never figure it all out. Life is mysterious. We are not promised an easy life. The more we think that we are exempt from hardship, the more surprised and devastated we are when that hardship hits. I heard a quote years ago, and it stuck with me… “Nature is neither cruel nor kind, but utterly indifferent to all suffering.”
Years ago, I had an older patient respond when I asked how things were going… “Could be better, could be worse.” I believe we need to work hard, do good, try to do everything we can to live well, but need to also know that we will be hit with adversity along the way. And we will NEVER know why everything happens the way it does. We’ll NEVER figure it all out.
So are we good? Are we bad? Is life fair? Is it unfair? Yes, yes, yes, and yes.
