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Comment by syarb

3 years ago

You say "us" existing, but I think the more interesting way to phrase it is "anything" existing. Why there is something instead of nothing?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_there_is_anything_at_all

I distinctly remember being 6 or 7 drifting to sleep one night and suddenly visualising what it would be like if there existed nothing at all, not even empty space but nothing, no Universe and nothing ever happening ever or anywhere. It was terrifying.

It was about the same time that a family member had died so I was coming to terms with the fear of dying for the first time, so I guess that's what triggered this.

That page is strangely far in the Wikipedia game from getting to Philosophy. I expected it to get there much sooner.

  • The 'Existing' article is the one to blame... 'Philosophy' is there as the second term, but 'reality' is the first term and that one takes you on a pretty long detour