EXISTENCE: #WHY ARE WE HERE (The African Nigerian Perspective)

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Why are you here? Have you ever asked yourself this question. Many today have pondered over this question but few really sit back to find out, some do for a
moment but never having more than a brief thought of it but live on at what is present. While some have never thought about it.

Why do some people not ask or seek out answers to such critical questions that more or less define the purpose of existence. Well they are reasons I can identify with, three of which are:

1. CULTURE
2. SURVIVAL
3. COMMUNALLY LIFE & INTEREST

CULTURE
The norms, beliefs, and traditions of people shape an individual's idea, thinking, and decisions. Culture and environment influence the way of life of an individual which identifies what is most important to him or her. For example, what is at core for an African man (that is, the meaning of life of an african man) it is to eat and provide for his family. What is at core for an African woman. It is to serve her husband and take care of her children and if a man or a woman does not achieve or accomplish this, he or she feels unfulfilled, empty without meaning.

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SURVIVAL
Understanding the basic functional behavioral pattern of an African, a key principle in life is Survival. It can be linked to that of the hunter's life. Wakes up in the morning with the instinct of food (meaning to survive you must eat) if he had a wife she looks up to him for headship and protection and she prepares for what he has searched for during the course of the day (food) or support him in the best way possible she can, no long-term planning in a hunter's life or a far reaching purpose than what the world in which he lives in already knows.These things are passed down to his children (generation after generation) for good or for bad.

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COMMUNALLY LIFE & INTEREST
An African life pattern revolves within to eat, to drink, to marry (or be given in marriage), to have children and bless his grandchildren, a communal life. There is nothing wrong with a communal life, communual life has fine benefits (one of which is less anxiety about life). Personally I find joy in some aspects of a communal life, however an african revolves within a communal life which shapes his interest and what he learns defining the way of life around him or her. Conscious about this or unwittingly he gives less thought to more. Is there more to life? There is more to life he may ask but just for a brief moment but why should he ask for more to life when what he wants or needs is present with him, life (EXISTENCE), a wife, a family, children, food. Would there be a need to ask for more. Why we are here? But there again when his dear ones dies at such critical moment he asks, he whales, he cries but for a brief moment, eventually he says to himself I will see them again in the AFTER-LIFE with his ancestors and then again which ends his criousity for more.

So I ask myself again and again why are we here? Why am I here? Am I here to survive? To hunt (work for food) Am I here to marry? To have children or is there something more?

I would appreciate your comments and if you wants me to continue this write-up on my next post please let me know.