Why Starry Nights Spark Philosophical Conversations

The eternal question, why

Perhaps the best answer to the question "Why do starry nights spark philosophical conversation?" comes through the realization that the blackness of the night, sprinkled with stars, offers man a glimpse into the dark side of life and the unexplored realm of discovery, manifest by the shiny stars, as they appear to twinkle in the sky.

The beauty of a starry night is wonderful to behold, particularly when one lives in a part of the world where one can see the brilliance of the stars, in the darkness of the night. There is a certain amount of romanticism involved, but also an element of mystery, which raises invariably the question of why.

The eternal question that man always asks is "Why?"

A stellar performance, manifest on the darkest of nights, puts the entire universe into question, whereas during the day, the immediate concern of human beings tends to be the world with all of its tests, trials and troubles. The universe is a far greater realm than that of global concerns. At night, humankind asks why for the entire universe, not just the world.

The question of life enters into the picture, as well. At night, that includes the question of whether or not life is possible in other worlds that are not visible by day. Do other worlds even exist? Every human being wants answers about life in its totality or about life, as a whole. The answers pertain to the world and the universe, not just to one realm or the other.

What human beings crave the most in life is love and thus, the romantic element of the question why, comes into play. Somehow, the twinkling stars awaken a sense of beauty, delight and joy for lovers. No one is immune to the possibility of falling in love on some starry night. Why not?

This may also have something to do with the perceived existence of a void in human lives that still demands fulfillment at some time, in the future. Can the universe be a void if stars are still hanging in the sky and actually shining?

Mankind often feels isolated and totally alone in the universe and even more so, when seeing the universe as a void. Somehow, there is the possibility, anticipation and expectation of love being able to fill that emptiness for him.

Love is a major philosophical topic of conversation, all over the world. Love has a multiplicity, complexity and diversity of manifestations. No two people will define love exactly the same way; nor should they.

Now, at a time when human beings are able to go into outer space for extended periods of time, the question of both love and life enters into that realm of inquiry. In outer space, human beings still ask the question why. The questions are now different questions than those that pertain merely to the world.

There is a certain receptivity and openness to the sky on starry nights. It is akin to the openness of the human mind, with its innate ability to perceive and to comprehend things in an analytic context.

The question of why goes way back into ancient history, mythology and folklore. Not all of the answers were found in any generation of time. Maybe these questions will find their perfect resolution in eternity?

Perhaps in some way, each human being wants to bring everything that appears to be non-existent into existence. Maybe each person wants to dimino in some way, by finding his or her own unique pathway or destiny. No one really wants to fall down with all the dominoes. A dimino will stand, because truth is eternal and stands the test of time.

Human beings are on an eternal quest for truth and wisdom. Wisdom is often associated with philosophy and scientific pursuits of various kinds. Why is asked by both philosophy and science.

There was a time when the sky was equated with God and God referred to by the name Sky. Perhaps in gazing at the sky, one has contact with the Divine? Or, perhaps one finds the kind of peace that cannot be known during daylight, as the world appears to lie asleep.

A spark can refer to light in the sky, a fiery passion, an attraction based on romantic love, something new with respect to wisdom and knowledge or have numerous other, possible interpretations. Perhaps the eternal question of why might never be answered fully and yet humankind has already received answers to many questions on starry nights that sparked philosophical conversations.