As Ben Stiller poignantly asks his reflection in the movie Zoolander: "Who am I?"
Blue steel aside, existence is a loaded question. What does it mean to exist, to be? This is a little different from the theme of spirituality, which questions a part of us that may live forever. Instead, this theme asks the whole general question: Who are we, and what are we doing with this whole being-alive business?
Morrie and Mitch join the ranks of millions of human beings who have been pondering this for thousands of years. What Morrie finds is that the meaning of life is uncovered through the meaning of… death. Yup—he learns to appreciate life when he comes to terms with the fact that it's not going to last forever.
Questions About Life / Consciousness & Existence
- How does Morrie influence Mitch's idea of what it means to be human?
- How does the idea of consciousness (being conscious, having a working mind) tie into Morrie's idea about existence?
- As he gets sicker, how does Morrie view his physical body? How does he explain this to Mitch?
- What are some things in society that Morrie believes undermine our human-ness?