Sep 01

Significance is Relative

Posted in Perspective · Self Improvement | Email This Post Email This Post | by James Rick

All of life’s meaning relies on context; all meaning depends on the
perspective in the story. A burning forest, a leveled home or an
untimely death – the significance of these events all depend
relative positions.

Where are you when the forest is burning? If you don’t even know
the forest is burning its not significant to you. If you’re inside
the forest while it’s burning, it’s very significant. If you’re the
ground soil – you don’t mind because you’ll be more fertile for
next year’s growth.

A leveled home is quite significant to the person who owns it, but
insignificant to a person half-way around the world that lives in a
cave.

Who loves me and who do I love? Significant relationships depend on
factors like geographical proximity, duration of time invested into
the relationship, level of pleasure derived from the relationship.
An untimely death is significant to family and friends but quite
insignificant to strangers passing by the funeral. In general
deaths of strangers are only significant to the extent: what is the
threat level to me and how can it be avoided?

What about deeper issues like the meaning or purpose of life? It
depends on what time frame you’re talking. If you are comparing the
significance of your life in this generation – it could be quite
significant. If you contrast the significance of your life over the
course of all humanity – it can seem quite insignificant. And if
you measure your life out against all time, to borrow from the
words John Keynes – “in the long run we’re all dead.” If that’s
true, what is the significance of any action if there’s nobody
around to remember it? Good question.

Significance is relative, which in my opinion leaves us with one of
two options: Zoom out and despair over the insignificance of our lives
in contrast with an infinite universe or zoom in and live from our
single lifetime which is the most significant position in the world
to us, for at least right now.

2 Responses to “Significance is Relative”

  1. Lawrence Says:
    March 26th, 2009 at 6:10 am

    Hi James,

    I’m writing regarding your article ’significance is relative’.

    I’ve been thinking a lot recently on this topic, and actually thought of the phrase ’significance is relative’ this morning, so Googled it and found this.

    I’m not really writing for any other reason than to say its nice to see someone else thinks the same way. It can be hard to get your head round, because humans are such an arrogant species. If our whole galaxy disappeared in the next second, it would make no difference to the Universe, relatively speaking. It seems pathetic worrying about money or looks when, from the point of view of the entirety of existence and time, its nothing. An infinitely small variable.

    Thanks, I enjoyed your article.

  2. James Rick Says:
    March 26th, 2009 at 7:41 am

    Hi Lawrence,

    Isn’t it interesting how we can share similar ideas – and simply do a Google search and find others with similar ideas? Technology is advancing philosophy.

    For a while I struggled with this idea of significance being relative.. I zoomed out as far as I could possibly comprehend and my life relative to the universe was quite insignificant! When I truly understood this I wandered around in a state of what I call “the grand insignificance” for a few weeks. But this enlightenment eventually gave way to despair – was life meaningless? Were we inventors of our own self importance?

    There’s an old saying: “I do not care about the philosophy what are its fruits?” So rather than getting hung up on how wonderful we are for thinking so deeply, the importance here is the question behind the question – and ultimately what is the SIGNIFICANCE of Significance being relative? And I think the answer to that question is – it gives us the freedom to detach from truly non-significant events and make whatever is most enjoyable and for the greatest good, significant.

    The fact that we are aware that significance is of our own making frees our perspective to move around inside the ‘game’. That is the fruit I believe.

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