14th August 2005 Sunday

Was reminded of one of my sister's little weird question when she was young. Thought it was stupid then but it kind of intrigued me a little today. She asked "Why do we have to study? Study so much also have to die. Die with or without knowledge also the same. So why study?". Thought it was stupid then and simply replied her "Because if we study hard, we can get a good job, earn a lot of money and lead a better and happier life." Guess what she replied me? She said "What if we die after studying so hard and before we even got a job? What if we can't get a good job despite studying so hard." Don't think I answered her then. Dismissed it as some sort of freak question that isn't worth my attention.

Reflecting upon that incident now, perhaps the reason that I did not answer that question is because I simply did not know a suitable answer to that. Now, many years after that incident, I also do want to know the answer to my sister's question. What are we studying so hard for? For knowledge? Or simply to get a good job and get good money? But is having a good educational qualification equal to a good job and good money? The correlation is lesser than what you perceive you know? Look at Bill Gates. He probably didn't even have as much knowledge of Physics and Chemistry than the average A level student. But the amount he makes in a day is that of what a professional might make in his whole lifetime. So what does that mean? What is the purpose of life? I mean what was our creator thinking when he breathed life onto us? What was he expecting us to do in our lives? Is life just a journey waiting for death? If so, what is the purpose of life? To wait for the end? Or the purpose of life is to make a better life for ourselves and others? Or what? Haven't you all ever wondered?

Gosh. All that schoolwork and stress must be getting to my brain.