Some people look out at the world and conclude from its vast, awesome nature that they are insignificant. They can’t handle the overwhelming hugeness of it all, the fact that we’re tiny clay flecks spinning in an infinite universe around a trivial star. So they lock themselves in their houses and find solace in things that make them feel comforted and more important, like reality television shows, microwave popcorn, and central air conditioning.
But those things—an office job that makes no difference in the world, an evening routine of checking email and watching other people live out their fictional lives—are the very things that make me feel small and insignificant. When I wake up and look around, I’m crippled by a crushing sense of meaninglessness. So I go out and look at the world. Seeing its vastness and awesomeness makes me feel larger than my little life again, and I feel whole for a few more days.
