I Mean, What Do You Think? | Teen Ink

I Mean, What Do You Think?

June 30, 2013
By lily9799 PLATINUM, Franklin, Wisconsin
lily9799 PLATINUM, Franklin, Wisconsin
49 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire


“Okay, I thought, what am I? I mean, what do I believe in? What do I represent? I really don’t want to believe in anything in the first place. Can’t I just have, I don’t know, facts? No beliefs? No faith? I would like that best, but if you’re just relying on facts, there’s not much you can say for certain. I mean, everything you hear is almost taken on faith. Someone says something on the news or the radio, some new research, you’re deciding whether it’s true based on how reliable you think the source is. In the end, it’s always possible it’s a total lie. You have to take it one some kind of faith, because, there’s always some doubt that goes along with it. Okay, so I have to have faith sometimes, even if I’d rather say I don’t.
“But what does that say then about beliefs? Don’t beliefs rely on faith? If I believe that there’re no supernatural things, I’m still going on faith, aren’t I? Even if that faith is based on science, which, you know, tries its best not to rely on faith. That’s why I’m not sure I’d want to be an atheist. That would be a belief.
“How about agnostic, then, I thought. They’re open to everything, not saying that anything’s actually wrong, and that someone else is right. I like that. I mean, of course some things to believe are wrong though. I think it’s more of a taking in other people’s opinions than saying that they’re all right. Even with that, you have to admit some of what people believe is wrong.
“Okay, so, either way, I have to believe in something. I mean, you can’t believe in everything, that’s basically believing in nothing. How about.... I don’t know.
“So, either way, you have to believe in something. I do believe some things are wrong and some are right. But, how do you know you’re right? If some things seem so obviously wrong or so obviously right, how can others think the exact opposite, just as strongly and surely as you do? Shouldn’t it just be, I don’t know, human nature, that the good things are known as good, and the bad things known as bad? I’m pretty sure other animals don’t have this going back and forth in their heads. I mean, besides figuring out the best way to survive. Should I cross the road or not? Run or freeze? Attack?
“Maybe that’s what we’re doing.
“Trying to just protect ourselves. Which works best for us? Are what these other people think beneficial to me or not? If I don’t like it, then, why not say it’s bad? I shouldn’t have to deal with something that makes me uncomfortable, that’s bad for me. Isn’t that what animals do? But, is it really worth it? I mean, trying to get rid of those things that might be threatening, that seems a little dangerous in itself.
“Believing in nothing probably makes it a whole lot easier to deal. But, you know, that’s impossible. I believe that I’m real, I’m talking to you at the moment, that’s real. I don’t really have any proof of anything, I mean I have science, but we could all be wrong, couldn’t we? Couldn’t we be wrong? Anything or everything we know could be totally untrue. What, it could. But if you do that, you’ll go insane, so I guess it makes sense to believe in something, for sanity’s sake.
“Well, do animals believe then, do they actually mull it over in their minds? Hey, is that tree really there? So, then, are those bright lights, like, dangerous?
“Anyway...I think it’s better to believe that there will be nothing than thinking there’ll be something. Less to stress out over. If you don’t think there’s anything there, then, you don’t have to be disappointed when there isn’t, or worry over which place you’ll end up. If it turns out there are different places to end up, at least you didn’t spend all that other time worrying about it. Because, I think that a lot of times the worrying ends up being worse than what actually happens. If that’s true now, it’s probably just as true later. Right?
“I mean, what do you think?”


The author's comments:
I was really just going with what popped into my head, more of a thought process, but I thought, 'hey, what if I actually asked?'

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This article has 2 comments.


on Jul. 10 2013 at 10:27 pm
lily9799 PLATINUM, Franklin, Wisconsin
49 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire

Thank you so much! I love it that it was so relatable and I love hearing that it gets the reader thinking.  This feedback is really good to hear. :)

JRaye PLATINUM said...
on Jul. 10 2013 at 2:41 pm
JRaye PLATINUM, Dorr, Michigan
43 articles 10 photos 523 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Have you ever looked fear in the face and said, &#039;I just don&#039;t care.&#039;?&quot;

You know what I think? I think I can relate to this, compeletely! :) It all can be confusing, choosing what to believe in, wondering if we're right. I overthink things like that all the time! I think this is a real interesting essay, it gets the reader thinking! :) Great job