The Quest for Meaningful Course of Action by Shahinul

The Quest for Meaningful Course of Action by Shahinul - February 2025 Scholarship Essay

Since my first year of college, I have been fascinated by the in-depth topics that predominantly philosophy aims to address. What is life's purpose? What is existence's nature? How do we perceive ourselves and the world around us? Throughout my intellectual and personal journey, these issues have led me across the diverse worlds of Buddhism, Idealism, Existentialism, and more. My love of teaching, writing, and the quest to comprehend the human condition have all become entwined with this philosophical curiosity over time. I'm still looking for significant methods to investigate and advance humanity while I work toward an MFA in Creative Writing with a fiction concentration at Texas State University.

As an undergraduate, existentialist philosophers like JeanPaul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Søren Kierkegaard captivated me and sparked my interest in philosophy.I found great resonance in their examination of personal autonomy, genuineness, and the ridiculousness of existence. learned from existentialism that we must construct meaning for ourselves by our decisions and deeds rather than having it come from the cosmos.This concept put the onus of finding meaning squarely on my shoulders, which was both freeing and intimidating.I studied Buddhism in my sophomore year, which provided an alternative viewpoint.Buddhism offered a framework for comprehending the fleeting aspect of life and the significance of compassion through its emphasis on impermanence, suffering, and the interconnection of all things.

I became a university teacher after finishing my studies, which gave me the opportunity to spread my love of literature and philosophy to other people. Teaching evolved into a means of addressing the basic issues that had always captivated me, rather than merely a career. I gained fresh viewpoints and insights from conversations with students that improved my own comprehension. Simultaneously, my interest in using creative writing to investigate these philosophical issues grew. Writing fiction gave me the opportunity to explore the intricacies of human psychology and relationships, to create alternate realms, and to inhabit different trajectories. It evolved into a means of bridging the gap between my tangible, lived experiences and abstract philosophical concepts.

The next phase of this continuous journey is my pursuit of an MFA in Creative Writing at Texas State University. I want to explore the enigmas of human psychology, relationships, and the human predicament in greater detail through my writing. Literature, in my opinion, has the capacity to shed light on the common experiences that bind us together as people, encouraging compassion and understanding. I hope to illuminate the common challenges and desires that shape our existence by delving into the inner lives of my characters. Theory and practice interact dynamically as a result of my teaching and reading, which also continue to influence and motivate my writing.

My ultimate objective is to make a constructive contribution to the advancement of humanity. I think we can work toward a more secure and peaceful society if we have a greater understanding of ourselves and one another. Literature and philosophy are not only scholarly endeavors; they are instruments for promoting discussion, compassion, and social change. I want to encourage people to think critically about their own lives and look for deep connections with one another through my writing and instruction.

The pursuit of meaningful methods is a lifelong, universal, and personal adventure. Curiosity, humility, and an openness to the unknown are necessary for this trip. Rainer Maria Rilke once said, "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves." This quote comes to mind as I continue to investigate the connections between philosophy, literature, and the human experience. We discover meaning and purpose when we ask these questions and work toward knowledge. And it is via this endeavor that we may, one tale, one lesson, one instant at a time, help to improve humanity.