sure. wait. what?

“Without music life would be a mistake,” philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote. I have yet to decide if I agree with him or not. In the meantime I am going to answer so-called philosophical questions using song titles.

(I need an excuse to procrastinate, is why.)

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1. What harsh truths do you prefer to ignore?

Love is a Losing Game – Amy Winehouse

2. Is free will real or just an illusion?

Ewan – APO Hiking Society

3. Is there a meaning to life? If so, what is it?

Happy Not Knowing – Carly Rae Jepsen

4. Where is the line between art and not art?

Glory and Gore – Lorde

5. What should be the goal of humanity?

Eat the Rich – Aerosmith

6. Does fate exist? If so, do we have free will?

God Only Knows – The Beach Boys

7. What does it mean to live a good life?

Sit Still, Look Pretty – Daya

8. Why do we dream?

Troubles Will Be Gone – The Tallest Man on Earth

9. Where does your self-worth come from?

Just My Imagination – The Cranberries

10. How will humans as a species go extinct?

Masseduction – St. Vincent

11. Is it possible to live a normal life and not ever tell a lie?

You Get What You Give – New Radicals

12. Does a person’s name influence the person they become?

No Such Thing – John Mayer

13. Is the meaning of life the same for animals and humans?

Only The Lonely – The Motels

14. If someone you loved was killed in front of you, but someone created a copy of them that was perfect right down to the atomic level, would they be the same person and would you love them just as much?

What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye

15. If you could become immortal on the condition you would NEVER be able to die or kill yourself, would you choose immortality?

‘Di Bale Na Lang – Jericho Rosales

16. What actions in your life will have the longest reaching consequences? How long will those effects be felt?

Pag-Alis – Barbie Almalbis

17. How long will you be remembered after you die?

iglap – syd hartha

18. If a child somehow survived and grew up in the wilderness without any human contact, how “human” would they be without the influence of society and culture?

Kakaiba – Flow G, Bosx1ne, John Roa, Skusta Clee

19. How would humanity change if all humans’ life expectancy was significantly increased (let’s say to around 500 years)?

Do I Wanna Know? – Arctic Monkeys

20. Where do you find meaning in your life?

Poor Places – Wilco

21. What do you think would be humanity’s reaction to the discovery of extraterrestrial life?

Ask For More – F4

22. Will religion ever become obsolete?

Unti-Unti – UDD

23. If you could teach everyone in the world one concept, what concept would have the biggest positive impact on humanity?

How To Save a Life – The Fray

24. Is suffering a necessary part of the human condition? What would people who never suffered be like?

Punk As Fuck – The American Analog Set

25. Does hardship make a person stronger? If so, under what conditions and at what point is it too much hardship? If not, what makes a person stronger?

Crying in Public – Chairlift

26. Would things get better or worse if humans focused on what was going well rather than what’s going wrong?

It’s Not Up To You – Björk

27. What benefits does art provide society? Does art hurt society in any way?

Can’t Find the Words – Ward Wills, Middle School

28. How likely do you think it will be that humans will last another 1,000 years without killing ourselves off?

Anything Could Happen – The Clean

29. What do you attribute the biggest successes in your life to? How about your largest failures?

Huwag Mo Nang Itanong – Eraserheads

30. If freedom is simply being able to do what you want, are animals freer than humans?

Maybe – Neocolours

31. Would you want to know you are going to die beforehand or die suddenly without warning?

It’s All In Vain – Wet

32. Is humanity headed in the right or wrong direction?

No Distance Left To Turn – Blur

33. Does the study of philosophy ever lead to answers or simply more questions?

Why Why Why Why Why – SAULT

34. What is the best way for a person to attain happiness?

Love Love Love – Epik High

35. If you had to guess, what do you think would be the most likely way you’ll die?

I’m Just Really Tired Ok – FLOOR CRY

36. Is it better for a person to have a broad knowledge base or a deep knowledge base?

Kahit Ano – Eraserheads

37. What is the best way to train people to see the gradients in the world around them instead of just a simplistic “this is good, that is wrong” view of the world?

Make Some Room – The Suffers

38. Is intelligence or wisdom more useful?

Same Drugs – Chance the Rapper

39. Which of your beliefs are justified and which ones aren’t?

All Mixed Up – Red House Painters

40. What do you contribute back to society?

Between Something and Nothing – The Ocean Blue

41. What are you going to do with the one life you have?

Crumble – Cheats

42. Is it more important to help yourself, help your family, help your society, or help the world?

I Wonder – Bay Ledges

43. What life-altering things should every human ideally get to experience at least once in their lives?

First Love – Emmy the Great

44. What is the most important goal every person should have?

Break Free – Ariana Grande

45. Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?

Some Are Lakes – Land of Talk

46. What are you capable of achieving?

Call It Dreaming – Iron & Wine

47. By what standards do you judge yourself?

Such Great Heights – The Postal Service

48. Can human nature be changed? Should it be changed?

Nonsense – Younha

49. How replaceable are you?

Hide the Drinks, I’ll Be Okay – Arigato, Hato!

50. Why don’t we as a species take more advantage of the fact that we have almost infinite knowledge available to us?

You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones

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The Nietzsche quote is from the book The Twilight of the Idols, Or, How to Philosophize with a Hammer. The featured image is by Namroud Gorguis on Unsplash.

Keep safe, everyone!