Around fifteen years ago, when Mr. Mallock published a book with this title, a popular joke claimed that the answer "depends upon the liver." But tonight, my answer will not be a joke. To echo Shakespeare, I am not here to entertain you. These reflections are heavy and serious, carrying profound pain and truth. Let us set aside the world's superficial glamour for an hour and dive into the depths of our minds to confront the real questions we so often ignore.The Illusion of Constant OptimismFor many, the value of life is found in their innate, unshakeable optimism. Walt Whitman: A living example of this mindset, Whitman found divine joy in the simple acts of breathing and moving. He sang praises to the sun, saw no imperfections in the universe, and felt a deep spiritual connection with every living thing. Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Reflecting on his years in Annecy, Rousseau described a pure, uncaused happiness. His joy wasn't tied to external achievements; it was a constant, internal companion that followed him like a shadow as he walked, read, and rested.If everyone shared this natural disposition, philosophers wouldn't need to prove that life is worth living. However, we are not magicians who can make the whole world optimistic.The Depths of PessimismJust as some are naturally joyful, others are consumed by melancholy. Sometimes this shift happens without external cause, plunging an individual into despair.Poets like James Thomson captured this agonizing reality perfectly. In his poem The City of Dreadful Night, a preacher in a dark cathedral tells a gloomy congregation that life is short, meaningless, and filled with labor. However, he offers one dark comfort: you are absolutely free to end it whenever you choose. A voice from the crowd cries out in agreement, viewing existence as a cruel delusion—a single, wasted opportunity that has turned the wine of life into bitter poison.To those in this dark pit, suicide feels like a logical escape. It is our duty, out of honesty and bravery, not to ignore their profound pain.Rejecting the "Nature-God"How do we give someone a reason to live when they are overwhelmed by overthinking and despair? The first step is to stop worshipping Nature as a perfect, divine entity.When we search for a loving spirit behind the natural world, we often find indifference, cruelty, and chaos instead. This contradiction causes immense mental anguish. However, once we realize that the physical world is not a moral authority, we are freed. We no longer have to cower before it. We can view evil not as a mystical curse, but as a practical problem to be dealt with. As Thomas Carlyle noted, true freedom begins the moment you stand up, reject the universe's dread, and say a resounding "No" to fear.The Power of Struggle and HonorStrangely, hardships rarely destroy our will to live; they often ignite it. It is repletion and extreme comfort that breed boredom and pessimism. True cheerfulness is found in fighting evils.Consider the Waldenses, who faced horrific torture, plagues, and massacres by oppressive regimes in the 15th and 17th centuries. Despite unimaginable suffering—being burned alive, mutilated, buried in snow, and exiled—they fought valiantly to reclaim their homes. Compared to their immense courage, our daily woes seem trivial. Life becomes worth living when we actively fight for a cause, demanding that we honor the countless sacrifices made by generations before us just to sustain the world we live in today.The Leap of FaithUltimately, religion—defined here as the belief in an unseen spiritual world that gives meaning to our visible reality—provides the strongest anchor. Science, though brilliant, only understands a tiny fraction of the universe; it can tell us what is, but it has no authority to dictate what isn't.