Compare and Contrast: The Meaning of Life

All people compare and contrast to weigh the pros and cons of a situation and to see the similarities and differences between anything in their lives. In Robert Cohen's essay, "The Meaning of Life," Cohen questions the quality of life for two rhesus monkeys. Canto is 27 years old and Owen is 29 years old. Cohen compares the dietary habits of these two monkeys by showing that Canto has a restricted diet with 30 percent fewer calories than usual and letting Owen eat whatever he wants.

In Cohen’s essay there is more of a focus on the differences between the two monkeys because Owen looks much happier and healthier than Canto, meanwhile Canto is the monkey on a "restricted diet. Cohen explains why this is. The argument of the essay is that even though scientists say, "caloric restriction slows aging in a primate species," the primates who have the caloric restrictions are not happy which results in not having any desire to live. Experiments on monkeys, such as this one, are done so that scientists can compare the monkeys to humans since humans are genetically similar. 

I agree with Cohen’s argument because in order to be happy in life you must live the way you want to. If living a happy life includes eating a cheeseburgers instead of apples then so be it. If a person restricts themselves to only eating certain foods that they don't necessarily like the person will become unhappy. This will not only put a mental toll on a person’s health but also a physical toll. As shown in the essay, Owen, "is a happy camper with a wry smile, every inch the laid-back simian, plump, eyes twinkling, full mouth relaxed, skin glowing, exuding wisdom as if he's just read Kierkegaard and concluded that "Life must be lived forward, but can only be understood backward." Whereas Canto, "looks drawn, weary, ashen and miserable in his thinness, mouth slightly agape, features pinched, eyes blank, his expression screaming, "Please, no, not another plateful of seeds!" Owen clearly is filled with much more life than Canto. Cohen argues that doing what you want in life will give you a longer life span. Being depressed, like Cohen’s mother was when she passed away, will only shorten your life. I feel that this essay can be summed up into a very popular motto: Live life to the fullest. Everyone only has a short amount of time on this earth so why not live your life the way you want to!