The Meaning of Life

 In general, we compare and contrast to discover similarities and differences between everything and anything around us. It is a good way to understand new information, most of the new information we acquire we automatically compare it to something we already know so that the new information can become familiar to us.  In the essay “The Meaning of Life,” Roger Cohen compares the emotional states two monkeys are in after having been part of an experiment for several years. The monkeys were part of a protracted experiment in aging. Canto, aged 27, was given a restricted diet with about 30 percent fewer calories than Owen, aged 29, who got to eat anything he wanted. The conclusion made due to this experiment was that “caloric restriction slows aging in a primate species.” Roger Cohen focuses on pointing out that Owen was a much happier monkey than Canto.

Throughout the essay there are more differences pointed out than similarities. In the middle of the essay, Roger Cohen says “Canto looks drawn, weary, ashen and miserable in his thinness” and “Well-fed Owen, by contrast, is a happy camper with a wry smile.” This leads into his argument that people are happier when they eat what they really want to eat.  He uses pathos by mentioning the death of his mother, to state that happiness is necessary in life since she died of depression. He makes his argument clear in the last lines which say “Laughter extends life. There’s little of it in the low-cal world and little doubt pudgy Owen will have the last laugh.”

I agree that happiness is necessary in life. I actually believe the point of life is to be happy. However, I don’t agree that living on a diet of low calories is or has to be considered a sad life. I truly believe we need to have healthy eating habits so we can avoid all the problems that come with not having them and I truly believe we can find a way to make eating healthy fun.  For example, the idea of eating healthy can be cemented already at a young age to children, instead of having pizza parties to celebrate achievements, fruit parties can be done.  Plus, our whole society has to promote fruits and vegetables as being delicious instead of showing French fries and cheeseburgers as mouth-watering foods in every TV commercial. If changes are made little by little we will all definitely be seeing "eating healthy" from a different perspective.