Existence Nature

Human beings live for a purpose much like any other living creature. The motives for life can be explained from various viewpoints depending on the situation and the context in which the issue of existence is posed. Surprisingly, many human beings cannot explain why they live and how they come to be. Many individuals have been unable to understand why the world is built in a manner that affects their lives. The Heart of Darkness and the Silent Sharer by Joseph Conrad investigate how human beings strive to grasp and uncover the mystery of life.The former is the story of the civilized, enlightened person who knows how to go on a journey to Africa only to discover the darker part of his life and behavior. The second, on the other hand, gives us the puzzle related to the young, uneducated person who is tasked with determining the fate of the person who killed another human being when defending himself. The book explores perceptions human beings have and the desire to the heart and mind that make people act differently. This paper examines the book and uses it to try to explain the nature of existence of a man.The nature of existence of human beings is intricate, and each person has their reasons for existence. People continuously try to search for the reasons to exist by looking at their past perhaps to help them understand where they came from and why (Conrad 24). Historical knowledge can help one know or project the future. The question of who I am continues to bother many people. Many people try to explain who they are based on their backgrounds. People will use their history to describe why they exist in a certain way. The past can be horrifying and unpleasant, but human beings continue to use it to justify their existence.Sometimes, lack of information about the past or the origin of a person can be tormenting. People are pushed by the desired things to reveal whom they are to do things can affect their lives. Mr. Kurtz set out on a journey at night to the heart of Africa to establish where he came from to be able to explain who he was and why he existed (Conrad 26). In the process, he meets his dark and evil soul. Perhaps, he might have reformed to be a civilized person, and his past could no longer be used to describe his reasons for existence. Some nature of survival is to improve the quality of one life through learning. Mr. Kurtz had acquired knowledge about his surroundings which could make him relate with it better. Going to his past seems to corrupt his belief on who he ought to be. Human beings sometimes in the course of trying to explain who they are end up becoming worse creatures as their backgrounds might not have been the best.The nature of existence is complicated, and sometimes life presents to people what they are incapable of doing (Conrad 29). The fate of human beings is based on the people one will meet in life. Daily activities of people can set them free or make them slaves. The ‘Secret Sharer’ is the story of the young man who is not experienced in skipping, but he is compelled to decide the fate of a fugitive sailor (Conrad 30). The fugitive sailor at this point was not free despite going about his activities without disturbing other people. How the fugitive sailor had lived sometime back was not haunting him. He has to take responsibility for his actions. At one point, he had killed a person in self-defense. His move might be in self-defense, but he is not free to do what he thinks is right for survival. As it is currently the case with human beings, the rules and regulations do not make them free people. They have to operate within certain boundaries. The failure to act according to the given rules can land one in jail. Even the human conscience is not free. Continually, the people’s way of thinking is shaped by what happens around them or whom they interact with.Desires of the heart and mind determine how people live. Though not always but most of the time desires will drive people to live in a certain way. People have the unlimited wants which will determine how they live. Complicated situations can compromise people’s aspirations.To sum up, it is evident that the nature of human existence is a complex mystery to solve. People do different things with the intention to explain why they exist. Many human beings resort to use their past to describe why they exist. The history solely cannot sufficiently be used to describe the nature of human existence. People are not free to do whatever they feel. The rules and regulations of how to interact with other people make one not to be free. How people live is influenced by their desires of the heart and mind.Work CitedConrad, Joseph. The Secret Sharer and Other Stories. Penguin UK, 2014.