It has been a while I ventured beyond my circle of friends and followers on this platform into the general community. Since I decided to spend a bit more time here today, I decided why not see what the rest of the community has been up to. That is pretty much the backstory to how I stumbled on this question. Is life fair?
It is one that we will all generally answer quite easily without any form of introspection - A capital NO. Life definitely isn't 'fair' to a majority of us. It is hard, often filled with tragedies and malevolence (am starting to sound a bit like Jordan Peterson..lol) and gives us little moments of respite till we die. Yet if it were all so condemnable, a lot of us would simply exercise the suicide option which according to the Stoics is always available.
The mere fact that the overwhelming majority of us still cling so fiercely to life despite its trials makes me wonder whether the question should be dignified with an indepth introspection when we simply ignore the answer and move on. Yet when we do make such soul searches, the answers and questions that arise may bring forth epiphanies on how to improve our lives.
So Is Life Fair?
The first response to the question is actually another question - what do we mean by fairness?. In the article leading up to the question the author provided some critical insights into this perspective by highlighting how our opinions may already be molded by differences in our experiences. Someone going through life with a disability or a tragic illness views the World quite differently from a healthy person, likewise someone born in a poor, autocratic regime compare to those born in Western democratic societies.
Fairness is relative and subject to experiences, but the human mind has a way of amplifying negative experiences that even those with seemingly 'everything' still go through life feeling slighted from their personal experiences.
If I keep thinking too much I may end up writing a really long article which just isn't my style so I will stop here with my own experiences and insights.
For me I have been a bit privileged to be shielded from the worst forms of suffering from n early age and have pretty much accepted the despotic nature of life as I've grown older. From love (which has affected me) to physical challenges which has affected some of my loved ones, to personal failures due to circumstances beyond my control, I would say looking for fairness out of life is near impossible.
What gives me respite is accepting and evaluating the outcomes we want from our existence. While it may be futile with fairness, a fulfilling life is not out of reach for most.