The Human Equation

The Human Equation

People throughout history have debated our existence with vigor and passion championing one definition or the other. With all the words spoken and books written only one thing is for sure. After thousands of years debating the same topic we have finally gathered enough data to realize that the statistical chance of humans actually agreeing on something of that nature is near impossible. What the data and arguments have shown us is that it’s not about the broader picture but in fact about the lowly human equation. I’m not the first person to use this term and probably not the first person to define things this way but I have recently come to an understanding. Life, love, hate, passion, existence, and everything we know boils down to individual interactions (equations) between humans (integers). This in itself is no secret and a very simple concept to grasp. That’s exactly why we normally don’t give it a second thought, especially when times are hard. In fact many times we only choose to view negative interactions or the plight of the bigger picture and give them more weight when life is extra stressful. Here’s a concept to think about when you sit at your computer pondering your purpose and wondering if it any of it means anything whatsoever.

YOU are a factor in countless human equations! Ok then, that’s basic enough and I’m really not much of a mathematics person but let me elaborate. Every interaction you are a part of whether it is with friends, family, lovers, or strangers, has one constant factor…. You! Many of these interactions whether you like it or not are completely dependent on you being there to perform your operation in the equation. It can be to love/hate, laugh/cry, encourage/discourage, or simply just to smile at a stranger but it still takes “you”. Now this obviously isn’t an answer to quantum mysteries or a sighting of Mohammed or Jesus but if you really examine these individual equations you begin to see a different picture of the world. If you’ve ever had feelings of inadequacy and thought your life served no purpose then this is mathematical proof that’s you’re flat wrong! Everybody has questioned their value at times and wondered why they go through the motions they do. There may or may not be reasons for why you do what you do but the simple fact is that “you” matter! Without your integer in these equations they don’t exist or end up corrupted. Now again this isn’t the meaning of life in itself but let me elaborate a little more.

Your presence in people’s lives is irreplaceable whether it’s good, bad, or indifferent. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that some of you instinctively might have read that and said “well I got stuck with bad or indifferent”. In fact, the good news is that you can set your own value in these interactions and effectively change the outcome to positive. On the other hand, you can also change it to a negative outcome with a negative input or do nothing by being neutral and resisting change. By simply trying to focus on offering a positive input into each individual equation you can in fact make the outcome better. Sometimes all it takes to get ahead is caring more, loving more, meaning more, doing more, and helping more. When you feel like your value is the equation has gotten so low it’s not worth doing anymore, that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up, it means it’s time to move up. And anybody that’s been down can tell you there is no one single step to success! The real “Secret” like in that positive thought book/movie is the actual intention. There is no mystical power that grants you something when you wish really hard for it. That’s YOU…….. DOING IT! See “it” isn’t the result; it’s your value in the equation. The result of these equations is essentially reality as we know it! It is the culmination of human events that form our consciousness. There is no mysticism surrounding this rooting to ancient people or a god above although faith is a great mechanism for coping. It takes the outcome off your shoulders and rests it on an arbitrary being for safe keeping. Whether you choose religion or not has minimal effect on your ultimate value in equations. Look at the holy wars of today and throughout history. The reason societies never gets ahead is because it is all a culmination of negative inputs from opposing views. I wish this could be conveyed simply enough so that people on a larger level would take a hold of their identity and their value as an individual integer in this crazy equation of existence. Your value can be good and have positive consequences like love, hope, success, and leading a rich conscious life. Or it can be negative, and create problems for the equation that disturb other people and your own internal self. In addition to the simple good and bad just like in real life math there are the people who just wing it and give things fun names and call them “constants” or explain something with “that’s just the way it is” when they don’t make sense in the standard way. This is indifference for the most part. Just kind of coasting, reacting, and being shuffled around the equation so to speak. If this “coasting” of societal trends leads in a positive direction it can be a great thing but if it leads towards negativity it can be devastating overall. All it takes is a collective understanding of its value to be address properly. I think this is how we need to view things from time to time to stay in check on a larger level.

So in summation this brings me back to my point of adjusting your own values and setting your own parameters in life. Just like in math a lot of times there is no clear or simple answer to how to do thing and work with operations and functions. Sometimes people get tricky and try to make things work. It’s the same in life but we have to understand that we can edit the context of each individual value instead of changing the whole equation to fit each others needs. The meat and potatoes of what the individual human symbols represent is who and what we do. This value cannot be taken away by anything but yourself giving it up. It is absolutely imperative that if you are not happy with yourself or your value in life that you must start from within yourself and change your interactions with people on a basic level. Figure out what you dislike, or who, and address it! To start, care more about people that care a lot about you. Look at who gives a large portion of their life to you and do something good for them. Hell, just go out and do something good for a random stranger. These good interactions will, over time, build your overall value and character and make you a solidly better person. For the selfish folks reading this, there is even the instant gratification of helping people when you see the look of genuine thanks and surprise in their eyes. It really is irreplaceable! It can really be as simple as stopping to check on a car broken down on the side of the road or buying a panhandler lunch and dropping it in their hat without saying a word. So if you really want to change your life then change the individual actions you take part in. On a whole this will change “you” and how your value is interpreted by other people. Don’t be naïve and think there won’t be people who wish to use you for your value without offering anything but indifference or negativity in return. Understand that these people have a right to exist, respect them for who they are and their individual value no matter what it is, but steer as far away from them as possible. That is the downside to unconditionally giving the good within yourself and the plight of the “nice guy” who finishes last. If you can master the ability to give wholeheartedly and be strong enough to refuse to interact negatively you have achieved the ideal human existence. Yes, this is much easier said than done. This article is not meant to be an all inclusive solution just a window into the basic interaction of our world. I feel that knowledge is power, and the powerless sometimes just need to know that they have a value and by the simple act of understanding this value, they gain power. It’s kind of a roundabout concept but very compelling nonetheless.

So I leave you with these thoughts today and encourage you to take control of you value in the human equation. Whether you were aware of it or not you are a powerful tool for creating life as many people know it. When you’re gone people’s lives will be changed forever. Make the best memories, live the fullest life you can, and care with every ounce of your being. Even if people can’t or won’t find the words to tell you to your face, you DO make a difference! Your difference! Embrace it!


John Thomas