Sayings of a Gadfly
by Max Maxwell

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THE MEANING OF LIFE

 A woman asked the Gadfly, “What is the meaning of life?”

 “What is the meaning of a hammer?” asked the Gadfly. 

 The woman said, “Its purpose is to drive nails.”

 “You know this because you understand the context in which a hammer exists.  Now, what is the context of our life?” asked the Gadfly.  

 “The woman answered, “The earth?”

 “Yes.  What is the meaning of the Earth?” asked the Gadfly. 

 The woman said, “I don’t know.”

 “To know this you must know the context in which the Earth exists,” said the Gadfly. 

 The woman asked, “Is that the universe?”

 “Yes.  To know the meaning of life, we must know the meaning of the universe,” replied the Gadfly. 

 The woman asked, “What is the meaning of the universe?” 

 “I don’t know,” said the Gadfly. 

 The woman said, “That is not very helpful.” 

 The Gadfly said, “To ask the meaning of life is not a very useful question.  Better is to ask yourself if you are able to live life meaningfully.”
 

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© Copyright 2014 Kenneth J Maxwell Jr.