In graduate philosophy courses, I studied some writers and some writings that I liked and that helped me through life. One of the papers that still comes to mind more than 50 years later was "Nothing Matters" by R.M. Hare.
"Nothing Matters" by R.M. Hare
Put that in Google (or Duckduckgo, if you prefer) and you will find summaries, maybe the actual paper.
Hare and his wife had a Swiss student boarding with them. One day the student came home from his class at Oxford, having realized that "nothing matters." This is a similar idea to some expressed in the Bible chapter of Ecclesiastes. We are born, we live, we die. So what? The sun rises, the sun goes down in an endless cycle that has no significance. Poor kid!
I knew the feeling and I felt evidence that the feeling doesn't hold up was everywhere. I wanted to say to the student, "Can I have your shoes?" If he said no, I would take that as evidence that his shoes mattered. His hunger, his family, his life - they matter to him now. Later other things will matter, that is, carry significance and value for him. It's true that if you look around, you might not see anything mattering but that isn't the end of the story.
I was reminded of this analysis the other day. My friend has often mentioned something not being what she expected. I don't use the word "expected" very much. I pictured her as somewhat uptight and rigid while I picture me as more relaxed and flexible. Then, ordinary language and its use plus a little self-awareness got me thinking a bit analytically. I figured out that I get surprised almost hourly. What the government does, what my friends do, the weather - all sorts of things surprise me. I read recently that much of the time that we laugh, we have been surprised by something.
Well, if I am surprised, doesn't that mean I was not expecting this to happen? I laugh all through the day. I must have had my expectations in the back of my mind while life and others and things and fate and probability did things I hadn't expected.
