Throughout man’s long history there have been countless events or perspectives of thought which have sought out the answer to an ultimate question: What is the meaning of life? Such a pursuit of meaning is prolific among men of various cultures and languages because it is a unifying condition of man’s existence.
According to the ancient writer Plutarch, “When Alexander heard from Anaxarchus of the infinite number of worlds, he wept, and when his friends asked him what was the matter, he replied, ‘Is it not a matter for tears that, when the number of worlds is infinite, I have not conquered one?’” (Life of Alexander). This quotation describes an interesting attitude in a man who had conquered much of the known world at a young age. His weeping betrayed a glimpse of reality that not even Alexander likely truly appreciated.