It was mentioned in class today that as people get older, they lose sight of the “value of the journey”, they just look for the most efficient way from Point A to Point B. This, in turn, makes this part of human life known as the journey more like a calculation than an experience. The journey would just be another step in the hypothetical calculated life that Dostoyevsky speaks about in the first paragraph on page nineteen.
The class also discussed why the majority of people experience incredible fear and anxiety when Point B is taken away. It was mentioned that taking away Point B from someone basically induces a feeling that drives people insane, the feeling of being a tiny spec in infinite space. I think this can all go back to when we were asked if we wanted to know for certain that God existed. Many people replied “no” when they were asked. To put it simply, Point B represents a purpose/goal to be achieved. Without that, it’s kind of like, “Oh crap, what now?” If we knew for certain there was a God, I think the people who responded “no” would ask the same question.
To kind of veer away from what I just talked about, we spoke about if what we learn in class is actually worthwhile. It was mentioned that talking about all of these concepts Dostoyevsky talks about would only be useful if you decided to be a hermit. Honestly, the fact that right now, if I chose to, I could just drop off the grid and go be a hermit is kind of comforting. It wouldn’t be pleasant being that I don’t exactly have an accumulated income to sustain myself after the fact, but I could do it if I really wanted to. It’s comforting because it reminds me that at the end of the day, you should really give some thought to what you stress over. Not completely rid everything of importance, just pick your battles. So, yeah, it is worthwhile just to build a different perspective and enhance your thinking. You may not agree with what's being said, but It's better to be intelligent and knowledgable than just another run of the mill member of society.
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