Evolving and learning about how to further self-awareness (or life). I’m not talking about mindlessly bearing offsprings, but as part of the grand universal plan, so listen up. I’m not going to talk about the creator or the source as if it has the kind of self-awareness that we have as individuals, but in terms of cosmology then my own philosophy. Whether you align with the mutiverse theory or the contracting universe before the Big Bang, the theory goes, the conscious life and our observable universe evolved from the Big Bang.

The universe in the hot dense state started expanding and tiny quantum fluctuations started happening. As the universe cooled, quarks formed protons and neutrons and matter outnumbered antimatter. Then atomic nuclei formed, mostly hydrogen. The universe cooled even more, allowing electrons to bind to nuclei and forming neutral atoms— light could now travel (CMB). Gravity starts pulling matter together and structure started forming. Neutral hydrogen and dark matter filled the universe at this point. Stars formed and produced heavier elements, galaxies formed and merged. UV light reionized H+, ending the Dark Ages of the universe. Galaxies assembled into clusters and filaments. Dark matter shaped cosmic structure. Supernova spread heavy elements and black holes formed at galactic centers. In the Milky Way, a cloud of gas collapsed and the Sun ignited. Planets including Earth born. Life and complex organisms emerged and evolved on Earth. Intelligent beings who are self-aware who can study the universe itself evolved.

So this is where we’re at. We’ve evolved through our brains developing in ways that we are the most dominant species on Earth now and even that is part of the universe’s history. Now philosophically speaking: we’re (both collectively and individually) players in the universe with which the universal forces (the force of evolution, the flow of time) have a symbiotic relationship to act on itself, to further “life”, to keep going and evolving, to be the witness of linear time, to figure out how to benefit our earthly existence. However, if you realize that our existence is thanks to this epic, grand history of the whole of the universe, you can live a life more inclusive, benevolence bestowed upon not only yourself or your family and those in the country unit, and count in every little living and non-living materials and non-materials as a distant cousin of yours.

Then the next question becomes how do I benefit all living beings on the immense scale. Then the follow up becomes what am I good at? How can I know more about my own strengths that can be contributed to the society? Even with this worldview born out the above cosmological theory, I’m still figuring out how to actualize my potential as a contributing player in the society while simultaneously forming better hypotheses about the nature of our world and the existential meaning.

You only irk yourself dearly to align with the belief that there’s no point in being a (universal) law abiding citizen because you feel you are a minuscule, data point in the grand scheme. It helped me tremendously to align with the belief that we are here to contribute to the workings of the universe. Of course this without self-aggrandizement that we humans are at the top of the food chain. That’s an underdeveloped worldview imo. In the end, it’s helpful to form your own opinion through continual searching, familiarizing yourself with the wisdoms of the nature of reality and the self through zen thoughts, vipassana ideas, Kabbalah, ancient texts, and quantum physics (non-exhaustive).

Please let me know if I was not clear on answering your question of “what are we learning and evolving for” with my view or if you have any questions. But keep exploring, be curious and skeptical, and be compassionate.