"We are, Goldstein asserts, "creatures of matter who long to matter." This phrase captures the central paradox of the human condition: We are physical beings governed by the indifferent laws of nature, yet we are consumed by an obsession with our own significance. Her book is about, as she puts it, "a missing piece in the puzzle of understanding ourselves, one another, and our troubled times.""
"She seeks to trace the origin of this profound desire and redefine what it means for a human life to flourish. She comes to a somewhat-surprising conclusion: that happiness isn't always attainable or even desirable, but that anyone can achieve a good life by working to create order out of nature's chaos. Goldstein's analysis hinges on an unexpected concept: the second law of thermodynamics. This is the principle of entropy, the inexorable tendency of any closed system to slide f"
An obsessive focus on endurance exercise masked questions of meaning until a cardiac arrest at 40 forced confrontation with life's purpose. The phrase "creatures of matter who long to matter" captures the paradox of physical beings governed by indifferent natural laws yet consumed by a craving for significance. The origin of that desire is linked to redefining flourishing as creating order from nature's chaos rather than pursuing perpetual happiness. The conclusion asserts that happiness can be unattainable or undesirable, but a good life is attainable through efforts that impose order on entropic forces. Entropy and the second law of thermodynamics are presented as central to this reframing.
Read at The Atlantic
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