I read with great interest John Kaag’s review in The Atlantic of Rebecca Newberger Goldstein’s latest work on the human “mattering instinct”; yet, as I reflect on her thesis from the vantage point of my 90th year—and through the lens of 50 years as a clinical psychologist—I find that our unique personal perspectives are ultimately anchored by a more universal, relentless reality: the law of Entropy and the unidirectional arrow of time.

The Reality of Entropy

While every human perspective is valid, we are all subject to the Second Law of Thermodynamics. We move from order to disorder—a process where energy dissipates—acting as a universal principle for all matter of existence.

In my clinical experience, I have observed a fascinating biological paradox: as our metabolic rate of movement slows in our 70s, 80s, and 90s, our internal perspective of time actually accelerates. This shift in body function creates a lived experience vastly different from youth, yet it is a transition that is universally applicable to all.

The Equality of the Transition

We are all distinct individuals, yet we eventually face the same universal reality: the Unknown and the Unknowable, or what Immanuel Kant identified as the world of Noumena.

To bridge the gap between our lived experience and this inscrutable reality, many turn to their respective spiritual and religious faiths. Others look to a naturalist, science-based perspective to face the universal mystery of existence. Yet, regardless of our varied degrees of knowledge, reputation, or living circumstances, we all remain equal when facing the reality of our transition. We move from human existence to another stage of existential Reality that remains forever beyond our realm of understanding. In this, we are all equal.

Diverse Manifestations of One Whole

Whether our awareness of this reality stems from cosmology, mathematical science, or spiritual belief, we are all diverse manifestations of One Eternal Force.

Whether viewed as a Point of Singularity manifested in infinite fractions of One Whole—partially glimpsed through mathematical and chemical formulas—or as manifestations of One Supreme Reality, these perspectives provide us with a sense of connection. They offer a sense of enduring existence beyond our conscious life, providing a necessary degree of self-comfort as we face the Unknown Reality that we all must eventually encounter.

#Philosophy

 #Entropy

#Psychology

  #ClinicalPsychology

  #MentalHealth

  #TimePerception