How do people live with not knowing the answers to the biggest questions?

Why do humans keep asking "why"?

One reason to keep asking why is that an answer can open another question: what caused that cause, and why does it matter? Not every why asks for the same thing. Try separating causes, personal meaning, and reasons to act.

Curiosity can support learning. In a 2014 experiment, people remembered answers to trivia questions better when they had been more curious about them. This does not explain every person’s search for ultimate answers.

Do we need to know how the universe began to live a good life?

You need not make kindness, friendship or worthwhile work wait for a complete account of cosmic origins. That is a philosophical position, not a laboratory result. Philosophers distinguish meaning in an individual life from questions about the purpose of humanity or the universe. These are related questions, but answering one is not the same as answering the other.

What is the difference between faith and trust?

The words overlap. Faith can mean trust; religious faith can also involve belief, commitment and a way of living. Philosophers disagree about its definition.

In ordinary relationships, trust involves relying on someone to be able and willing to do a particular thing, while accepting vulnerability. Trusting a friend to keep a confidence does not require certainty.

Neither label, by itself, establishes that a belief is true. Ask what you are trusting, why, and what evidence would lead you to reconsider.

What can you do while questions stay open?

Try writing down one question, separating evidence from interpretation, and deciding what would count as progress. Give inquiry some time, then choose something worthwhile to do today. Talk with someone who welcomes disagreement. You can leave a conclusion open without treating every proposed answer as equally supported.

For the wider philosophical map, explore what the meaning of life is, and who gets to decide.