I had met an older man who had apparently been trying to counsel me about some matters in my life. As the two of us walk out of a building on to a street, he said that he had been able to discern one of the "shock absorbers" which I used in my life. By "shock absorber" he seemed to mean a method which people used to cope with problems. He went on to state that the "shock absorber" which I used was "trying to make sense of everything."

I thought I saw what he was trying to say. Apparently a "shock absorber" was something which could help a person cope with problems, but a person would be better off discarding the "shock absorber." Such was the case with "trying to make sense of everything." Since a person couldn't "make sense of everything," it would be better not to try.

But I had an argument to make in my defense. I told the man that I was fully aware that I wouldn't be able to "make sense of everything." But nevertheless, I felt it was practically my main endeavor in life to continue trying, even though I realized I wouldn't succeed. The man seemed interested in the way I was talking, as if I might possibly have reached some understanding concerning the subject.