Political activists, exercise nuts, money nuts, atheists, missionaries, sports fanatics, American Idol contestants...

People do not become what we become out of some rational process. People do not spend some length of time examining objectively all the facts, weighing evidences, hearing all opinions, etc., in an effort to find truth.

No, people have a sense of void, a visceral craving to make sense out of what makes no sense, to feel connected to what is essentially disconnected, to put together what is irremediably fragmented, to control that which can not be controlled, to do something about all those resentments, shames and fears that lurk just beneath the thin film of consciousness. To “feel good about” ourselves and at least a few others.

Then, because of various accidents of circumstance -- random natural, psychological and cultural processes -- we “decide” to commit to this or that. We become political activists, exercise nuts, money nuts, atheists, missionaries, sports fanatics, American Idol contestants, and on and on, because we are driven to... BE... or DO... SOMETHING.

Then of course, it is necessary to build up some sort of reasonable sounding rhetoric to justify the “decision.” Once the justifying rhetoric is sufficiently grown up sounding, we can take ourselves to the world for display. And we can say that we need to DO something ABOUT so and so, or BE something in the world of so and so.

And so arises the essential engine of all that is silly and destructive in human history: the campaigns, manipulations, street corner demonstrations, kitchen table arguments, gatherings, television commentaries, and wars that are all intended to do the same thing: prove that the identity I have chosen is better than the identity you have chosen; prove that the cause I have chosen is better than the cause you have chosen; prove that I deserve success more than you do.

It is all so arbitrary and shallow and ultimately, ugly. But what else is there?

What are we supposed to do instead -- the little things we do from moment in the daily routine -- tie our shoes, punch in to the time clock, brush our teeth, make a baby, cut the grass? And simply accept the natural processes that relentlessly turn our bodies to soil and our “souls” to various gasses and electrical impulses?

Why not? It’s worth a try.