So I stumbled across this phrase “I think, therefore I am” the other day while browsing online. People were throwing it around like it’s some deep life hack, but honestly? It sounded like fancy gibberish to me. My first reaction was: “What does that even mean? If I stop thinking for two seconds, do I vanish? That can’t be right.”
My First Attempt at Figuring It Out
I started by writing it down in my notebook word for word. “I think.” Okay, that part’s easy. “Therefore” just means “so.” “I am” means I exist. So literally: “I think, so I exist.” But that still felt slippery. I stared at the wall trying to imagine not existing while thinking about it. Got dizzy real quick.
Breakdown Time
Next day, I decided to tear it apart piece by piece:
- The doubt game: Pretended everything around me might be fake. My coffee cup? Maybe an illusion. My hands? Could be hallucinations.
- The trap: Then I realized—even if I doubt everything, there’s one thing I can’t fake: I’m doing the doubting. That’s thinking. Boom.
- The lightbulb: So thinking is proof I’m here. Not because I breathe or feel, but because my thoughts are happening. Wild, right?
Testing It in Real Life
Last Thursday, I woke up after a nightmare where I was erased from existence. Freaked me out. Then I remembered Descartes. I sat up and thought, “I’m freaking out about this dream… which means I’m here freaking out.” Felt like an anchor. Didn’t cure my panic, but damn, it grounded me.
Why It Sticks With Me
Used to obsess over failures—flunked job interviews, burned toast, you name it. Now when that voice whispers “you’re worthless,” I counter: “Nah, this voice itself proves I’m here to fight back.” Not some motivational crap. Just… logical armor against self-doubt.
Still don’t fully get why a dead French philosopher’s brain fart matters in 2024. But when everything feels shaky? Knowing my thoughts are the one cheat code to reality? Yeah, that’s staying in my toolkit.
