In moments of clarity, whether because the mind perceives without self-deception or because circumstances strip away such defenses, we see past that thin veneer of order and civilization. We see that the universe is fundamentally uncaring of human needs and desires, and its inexorable laws have no plan of or solicitation for our fragile and precarious existence.

In that physical space human beings, like all forms of life, strive for survival and, if possible, prosperity, cooperating with or taking from one another as their different resources, strategies, and interests dictate. This is the foundation on which our everyday lives are conducted, that struggle to carve survival and comfort out of surroundings that care nothing for us.