Whatever is the deepest desire of every individual, that would be his action

What if. What if all human life were about to end. Ten years is a long time--if, as is now the case, there were no reason to think that any catastrophe would end human life on earth, I think that I would spend the next ten years finding a wife and starting a family; attending church, reading scripture, and praying; furthering my education with more schooling, research, and reading; exercising; and enjoying my friends and family. If suddenly I knew that these next ten years were my last--our last--I don't think that much of this would change. Although I would not bring a child into the world, I would still find a wife; a woman's love is worthwhile in itself as a tutor for my soul and a picture of the Christian story. I would continue in my Christian faith--in fact, I would likely grow in it more, forced to rely on God to find significance; I would become bolder in my evangelism and more intentional in my prayers. I would continue in my education--this too is worthwhile in itself, although I suppose that I would be free to learn unfettered, rather than having to concern myself with finding long-term employment. My love for friends and family would, I think, only intensify. Not much would change in my own life.
Or maybe it would. If the world were coming to an end, farmers might not farm, factory workers might not produce clothing, utility companies might go under, and construction workers might not build more houses. No food, no clothing, no cars or boats or airplains, no protection from weather. The whole world might plunge into economic depression, and my lifestyle, though I would like for it to continue as normal, would doubtless be affected. I would do my best to find nourishment, to protect my house and family, and to join with friends in preserving our way of life. I would like to enjoy the fine things in life with those that I love, but brewers might not brew and tobacco farmers might switch to potatoes. I would like to continue my education, but printers might not print and institutions might close down. Bibles could be burned for heat, and churches turned into military forts. I fear that a coming catastrophe might bring out the worst in people, might make them selfish and anarchist. Society might fall apart, and force us all to live as men lived thousands of years ago--as hunters and gatherers. We might devolve into hairless apes, might have to worry about raiders and thieves, might turn into raiders and thieves ourselves. Rapes, murders, burnings, and riots might become comonplace.
Maybe. Or maybe our world would band together. Maybe the universities would turn their efforts to finding some way to avert disaster, or to preserving some remnant of humanity. Maybe artists would be inspired, churches envigorated, and scientists determined. If men could stop competing with one another and start helping one another, then maybe we could look past our differences in the interest of humanity. Racism and religious prejudice might disappear, selfishness might dissolve, and men might live how we should having been living all along. Maybe we could all benefit from catastrophe.

I don't know what would happen, except this--the masks would fall off. No more pretension, no more faking it--men would be men, women would be women. Whatever is the deepest desire of every individual, that would be his action. We would discover what really is human nature.

-Will