Lodagus and the Spiral of Enlightenment
Confidence Spectrum: 70%
(Nearly) everyone asks themselves the same question at some point in their life. Maybe they've realized that The Game is a waste of time. Maybe their curiosity was aroused because a friend else insists that there 'is more'. Maybe they were hurt and wanted to find a reason. Maybe they were just bored. Regardless, we all eventually look in the mirror and say "what's the point of all this?". It's at this point that, classically, the religion of your culture enters the scene to provide an answer.
'Welcome to Religion 1. A, B, and C are very important, and you cannot do X, Y, or Z. The Alpha and Omega are a little odd, but have faith. Religion 1 has the answer to your question'.
There is wisdom in Religion 1. It's not a bad philosophical framework to view life. It helps you understand and see aspects of this confusing universe that you otherwise likely could have missed. As a cherry on top, it gives you a roadmap to 'be good'. To do good. It plants deep roots in a person's mind and helps create their World Perspective. It becomes fundamental to their understanding of reality, not a miscellaneous feature. To resist this framework is difficult because resistance suggests you are bad. And bad things happen to those who are bad. But that's not too important because if the cracks in the corners aren't noticed, its a nice, sound system. As such, some people stop here.
But Lodagus, our protagonist, didn't stop here. He saw inconsistencies and logical fallacies that overpowered his cognitive dissonance. 'Maybe', he thought, 'Religion 1, while not inherently evil, isn't infallible. After all, it ignores E, F, and G. E, F, and G seem pretty important to me....' After some hesitation, he took the leap and jumped from Religion 1 to Religion 2; Taking his first step up the spiral staircase of enlightenment.
Lodagus found that Religion 2 is much better. It's kinda like Religion 1, but E, F, and G aren't ignored, C isn't important and you can do Z! In fact, some people wouldn't even consider Religion 2 to be different than Religion 1. It's just a better, updated version. But with time, he noticed that Religion 2 also has problems. F and G actually aren't that important. And Z.... turns out one should be cautious with Z. Feeling a little lost, he left Religion 2. In doing so, he took another step up that spiral staircase. One step closer to the top. One step closer to his answer.
At first, Religion 3 went well. He looked back at the lower steps he'd already climbed with pride. He was glad he moved past those simple-minded answers to his question; he even felt some sympathy for those less far up this spiral staircase as he reveled in Religion 3. But as with all things in life, Religion 3 didn't last long. It too eventually revealed its pores and Lodagus's boat of confidence sank.
Disillusioned, he took another step up the enlightenment spiral when he axed this 'religion' stuff. But as time went on, he began to realize that it was just another step up the staircase. He'd just traded Religion 3 for Religion 4 but given Religion 4 a name he liked. Traded one indoctrination for another.
This continues and continues. Five, six, seven, eight... Eight really stuck. Lodagus spent years in Religion 8. It's contradictions and fallibility taking more time to become evident than previous ones. Nine, ten, eleven, twelve... Now he had 'made progress' because they were 'world views' not religions. Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen.... upward he climbed. Each step up the staircase he learned something.
Eventually, far after losing count of how many steps up this spiral staircase he'd taken, Lodagus grew tired of the staircase and sat down on the step he was on.
He was done climbing. Not because he thought he was enlightened at the top, but because he knew he was not.
He sat for a while. He looked around and saw his friends, family, and strangers climbing their own staircases. Step after step... Some thinking they were getting closer to that illusory top that was always around the corner; some actually thinking they'd found it. Was there even a top to the staircase? Is the goal even to get to the top? He wasn't sure if he was jealous of or pitied those who thought they had found the top.
Gazing out at the world, the same question that started this journey began to stir in his mind- "What's the point of all this?"
It was in that moment that he realized he'd come full circle. His long journey just bringing him back to the started point. It was poetic in a way. 'Perhaps now I'm enlightened? Perhaps this was the answer?', he thought as he subconsciously waiting for something quasi-magical to happen.
Nothing happened.
He sighed.
Giving up even on the idea of perhaps there was a subtle, clever answer to his question, he let go of the question altogether. Then, for the first time in a long time, he stood up and continued to climb the staircase with no destination or goal in mind. Simply to see how the where it went.