A Controversial Reflection on Human Existence

Why do we spend our entire lives chasing goals that lose meaning the moment we reach them? Human existence often feels like an endless cycle of ambition, disappointment, and reinvention—yet we rarely question whether the cycle itself is worth participating in. Some say the purpose of life is happiness, yet happiness seems more like a fleeting chemical reaction than a lifelong state. Others insist that meaning must be created, not discovered—but if meaning is something we invent, does it truly hold any weight at all?

Perhaps the most unsettling question is this: Are we genuinely free, or merely conditioned? Our beliefs, values, and even dreams are shaped by the societies we grow up in. If so, can we really claim ownership over our lives? Or are we just the result of countless influences masquerading as individual choice?