The Futility of Being Remembered: A Reflection on Life's True Purpose
Life is a strange phenomenon. People are born, people die. 1 Some are forgotten, and some are remembered. 2 This has led me to a question that echoes in my journals: why do people want to be remembered? 3 What difference does it make to them, after they have died, whether they are remembered or not? 4 We exist in a state of profound uncertainty, knowing neither the smallest thing about our universe nor the largest. 5 Why, then, is there such a powerful drive to leave a permanent mark? I confess I have a complicated relationship with the idea of legacy. On one hand, I have written that I would never want to walk in anyone's footsteps, but that I would "want to leave such an impact on my own path that some other Gaurav might be influenced by it." 6 This isn't a desire for a name carved in stone, but a hope for a quiet, positive influence—a subtle ripple. It’s a desire to be a good mentor, perhaps, but not a historical figure. This is because the pursuit of a grand leg...