Andy Weir’s short story, The Egg, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.
If you haven’t heard of it until now, don’t feel too bad. I was late to the game too.
Here’s how you can catch up.
Read it: You can read the original short story for free in 30+ languages on Andy Weir’s site here: The Egg (full short story).
Watch it: Kurzgesagt (German for “In a nutshell”) is a Munich-based design studio known for its YouTube animation videos. They created this video of the story to celebrate the 10th anniversary (note: it’s slightly adapted from the original text to make it better for video):
Wondering about Andy Weir’s inspiration to write The Egg? Here it is in his own words(1):
- “It originally came up because I was having an argument with my aunt. I thought her point of view was ridiculous. Then, later I figured if I had lived her life, her opinion would make perfect sense to me. That got me thinking about a system where people live each others’ lives.”
How about his hope for the reader?
- “I wanted the reader to change their mindset (if only for a short time) and start imagining themselves really being the people they meet.”
Ultimately, he came up with The Egg:
- “I wanted to come up with some way to look at the world such that life was fair. A way where everyone came out even in the end. This is what I came up with.”
10 Mind-Expanding Thoughts on “The Egg” by Andy Weir for its 10th Anniversary (Short Story Summary)
Andy Weir has said that The Egg doesn’t reflect his own personal beliefs or his thoughts on the nature of reality. It’s just a story.
However, that doesn’t mean we can’t look for some ways that the story can positively impact our day-to-day lives. The beauty of storytelling is that stories are subject to personal interpretation and meaning.
So, here are my top takeaways from The Egg:
1. We can “have a conversation” with God (Source, Being, Consciousness, or whatever name you prefer)
The Egg is interesting on a number of levels:
- It’s narrated from the perspective of God
- God is having a simple, seemingly down-to-earth conversation with a human
You can envision God any way you want. If you could have a conversation with Consciousness, what would you say? If you could be with Being, what do you imagine it would be like? These can be enlightening thought experiments that we don’t often consider in our day-to-day lives.
And, unlike the story, you don’t have to wait for a traumatic experience to do this.
2. Death is natural
“Don’t feel bad about it. Everyone dies.”
True. And, as Steve Jobs said, “Death is very likely the single best invention of life.”
Death can be a tough concept for people to wrap their heads around. To help, I compiled some of my all-time favorite mortality quotes. Here are some highlights:
- “If you want to be reborn, let yourself die. If you want to be given everything, give everything up.” — Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching (Stephen Mitchell Version)
- “Death is a stripping away of all that is not you. The secret of life is to ‘die before you die’ and find that there is no death.” — Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth
- “How late it is to begin really to live just when life must end! How stupid to forget our mortality, and put off sensible plans to our fiftieth and sixtieth years, aiming to begin life from a point at which few have arrived!” — Seneca, On the Shortness of Life
- “Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now, take what’s left and live it properly.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
3. We don’t know what happens when we die
“‘Is this the afterlife?’
‘More or less,’ I said.”
Reincarnation? The afterlife? More or less. Nobody knows.
What do you think happens after we die? Have you consciously thought about it? Paradoxically, it can be a productive thought experiment that can give your life more meaning while you’re alive.
4. Relationships are most important in life
“You just died and your main concern is for your family. That’s good stuff right there.”
There’s now long-running data to support relationships being most important. The Harvard Study of Adult Development has tracked the lives of over 700 people for over 75 years. The current director of the study, psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, says:
- “The lessons aren’t about wealth or fame or working harder and harder. The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”
More on relationships here: Happiness 101: The Beginner’s Guide for How to be Happy (Money, Simplicity, Relationships, Culture)
5. Choose your own (religious or spiritual) adventure
“All religions are right in their own way.”
This reminds me of a few quotes:
- “He who knows only one religion knows none.” — Max Müller
- “This is how you know something about God. You become one with Him. Ultimately, the only way to know about God is by letting your being merge into The Being, and then seeing what happens to you. This is universal consciousness, and the qualities of the beings who have attained this deep state are similar in every religion.” — Michael Singer, The Untethered Soul
- “Most ancient religions and spiritual traditions share the common insight – that our ‘normal’ state of mind is marred by a fundamental defect. However, out of this insight into the nature of the human condition – we may call it the bad news – arises a second insight: the good news of the possibility of a radical transformation of human consciousness. In Hindu teachings (and sometimes in Buddhism also), this transformation is called enlightenment. In the teachings of Jesus, it is salvation, and in Buddhism, it is the end of suffering. Liberation and awakening are other terms used to describe this transformation.” — Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth
There’s also a practical byproduct of religion and spirituality: you can live longer. Research conducted on people in the Blue Zones (a handful of areas on Earth where humans live to 100+ like the Ikarians in Greece) showed that actively engaging in spirituality or religion added years to your lifespan.
6. The meaning of life is up to you
“The meaning of life, the reason I made this whole universe, is for you to mature.’
‘You mean mankind? You want us to mature?’
‘No, just you. I made this whole universe for you. With each new life you grow and mature and become a larger and greater intellect.’
‘Just me? What about everyone else?’
‘There is no one else,’ I said. ‘In this universe, there’s just you and me.’
You stared blankly at me. ‘But all the people on earth…’
‘All you. Different incarnations of you.'”
I’ve often wondered if the meaning of life is simply for the development of character. Or, maybe this life is a test for the next life—just a training ground for what’s to come. Again, no one knows.
One of my favorite perspectives on the meaning of life comes from Naval Ravikant:
- “There is no answer. The real answer is ‘because.’ You get to make up your own answer is the beauty. If there was a single answer, we would not be free. We would be trapped…we would all have to live to that answer…luckily there is no answer.”
7. Consciousness & Universal Intelligence
“You’ve been in a human for the last 48 years, so you haven’t stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness.”
Aside from finding and creating my purpose, spiritual growth has been the most life-transforming part of my journey over the last four years.
I’m still a beginner when it comes to consciousness and universal intelligence, but here are some posts to get you started:
- What is Spaceship Earth? & Why It’s Time Humanity Gets “On Board”
- 20 Conscious Themes from “The Untethered Soul” by Michael Singer (Book Summary)
- A Deep Look at “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle (Book Summary #1)
- The Ultimate Question: “Who am I? The Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi” (Book Summary)
8. The human mind is a fraction of what you are
“Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful, and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are. It’s like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it’s hot or cold. You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel, and when you bring it back out, you’ve gained all the experiences it had.”
It’s estimated that 108,000,000,000 humans have ever lived on Earth. Yet, human intelligence is only a tiny fraction of universal intelligence. There’s still so much we don’t know or understand.
Even what we do know (math, science, physics, etc) are, in my mind, best described as the languages of God / Source / Being / you name it. Humanity decoded how they work; we didn’t code how they work. We discovered; we didn’t design.
Think about it. Humans didn’t design humans. We didn’t design the body. Or the brain. Or nature. And, we’ve only decoded a fraction of how it all works. There’s a much greater universal intelligence at play.
9. The Golden Rule
“‘Every time you victimized someone,’ I said, ‘you were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness you’ve done, you’ve done to yourself. Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human was, or will be, experienced by you.'”
Of all the takeaways and life lessons jam-packed into this short story, this seems to be the one that sticks with people the most.
The thought that everyone is connected—that your actions toward other people could be actions toward yourself—is mind-boggling for many. How about for you?
It seems like author Andy Weir was successful in his intended reader response. Recall from the beginning of this post:
- “I wanted the reader to change their mindset (if only for a short time) and start imagining themselves really being the people they meet.”
Want to take it up a level from the Golden Rule? Try the Platinum Rule: “Treat others the way they would like to be treated.”
10. The universe is an egg
“‘Once you’ve lived every human life throughout all time, you will have grown enough to be born.’
‘So the whole universe,’ you said, ‘it’s just…’
‘An egg.’ I answered. ‘Now it’s time for you to move on to your next life.'”
Maybe it is!
What did you think of Andy Weir’s short story The Egg? Please let me know in the comments.
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Footnotes:
1. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/zt1n6/i_am_andy_weir_and_i_wrote_the_egg_ama/
Hi lad, Iam really liking the writings on your website. They are created properly, easy to consume and understand, in spite of English being my second language. Greetings.
Greatly appreciate the support and kind words, Charles.
Really like your comments about The Egg. I have not give much thoughts about afterlife. This article is really inspiring.
Thanks for the kind words, Missy. When I started to write this post, I thought I’d have just a few points (not 10). Who knew a short story could go so deep?
As time is not linear or exist at all, the egg is never the beginning of a never started event that will never finish. We are living all the lives time has presented at one single moment. Even though the appearance is linear. There is just one single and eternal now for a single being we all are.
Great addition, ton!
This has the smell of Heinlein to it. “We all live the same amount of time, because we all live NOW.” Also, the premise for the egg sounds much like Stranger in a Strange Land. “I am God. Thou art God. You grok?”
Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not, who knows. Either way, I enjoy the concept.
Nice connections, Valentine!
I am amazed by this idea and I almost hate it is only a short story. This ideology could really have you stop and think about everything we are doing as humans. If I do something bad to someone I’m doing it to myself, well maybe I wouldn’t do it. And the idea that all religions are correct would give others space to accept all. This just sparked a rabbit hole I am excited to go down, since I am currently 27 and realized Christianity just doesn’t sit with me, but neither does not believing in something more divine. Thank you for the breakdown and additional resources.
Exactly, Jordan! Enjoy the rabbit hole. I’ve been going down that rabbit hole for the last 5 years. 🙂
Hey Kyle,
I am a fairly new subscriber to you blog and it has sort of grown on me.
Every time I get your newsletter, I find a thing or two interesting and keep to read later.
Keep up the great work!
You are changing people’s lives – one person at a time.
Stay blessed.
I appreciate the kind words and support, Nuruddin!
Your website is just awesome (my humble point of view). As Nuruddin said, “You are changing people’s lives – one person at a time”.
Keep up the good work and yes, “stay blessed”.
Greatly appreciate it, Rick!
Andy Weir lied about his inspiration. I am the original author of The Egg. I wrote it in 2007 and had posted it in the MySpace religion and philosophy forum. Andy commented on one of my posts and we had a conversation about it. We were nobodies. He was a computer programmer with a mild interest in writing.
The conversation ended and I never heard from him again. I didn’t find out about the Egg until recently.
I do have emails from 2007 that verify that I wrote the Egg.
Thanks for sharing, Jeromie. I haven’t looked into the history, but I’ll take your word for it. I’m assuming you’ve reached out to Andy? It seems there’s a blurry line between inspiration and plagiarism. Today there also seems like there’s more tolerance for “stealing like an artist,” “everything is a remix,” and “combinatorial creativity.” At the end of the day, we’re all mimetic and memetic—standing on the shoulders of giants who came before us. I wish you the best and hope you’re able to find a resolution.
But if the story is true, aren’t we all the author?
I’m curious to know what your inspiration was for writing the story.
Good point, Jacob: “But if the story is true, aren’t we all the author?” On one level, yes.
The essay that inspired The Egg can be read at https://Charmonium.com/infinite-reincarnation
This is the essay that I had posted on the MySpace religion and philosophy forum. In the essay you can see the thought process that led to the conclusion of infinite reincarnation. It’s heavily based on my belief in pantheism.
Andy Weir commented on the MySpace post and asked me questions about my views and the essay. The Egg came about naturally, Andy asked questions, I replied. He took my replies and parts of the essay and used that as the dialog.
Perhaps it’s just me (p.i) but, in digesting the larger meaning of The Egg, I found myself increasingly critical of others, thinking, “I should know better than to behave that way.”
In all seriousness, while – as Mr. Weir put it – in the short time my mindset was changed, I almost got into a physical altercation with a man who parked in a handicapped parking spot, thinking to myself that I know better than to do that and so should he (me).
I guess that speaks to me being a harsher critic of myself than I am of others.
I don’t know that it would be healthy to lose that ‘benefit of the doubt’ that I allow others in their failings.
For me, to believe that I am everyone would strip away much of the mercy I have toward wrongdoers, which I tend to believe is a good thing.
We’re the story true, I would feel much more compelled to correct “myself” than I now feel to correct “others”.
Who’s to say which is the better course? Apparently, me.
Interesting perspectives and thought experiments, thanks for sharing! You may also like the idea of the lottery of birth.
For me The Egg theory is a great opportunity to love myself as I extend love (and forgiveness) to all that I meet. And I have never felt a greater sense of peace than when I started practicing this mindset. I call it practicing because I am not perfect at it yet. The Egg gave me a new purpose in life. Which is to love and forgive myself through others. Sometimes I secretly wish peace to myself through others also.
“Of all the takeaways and life lessons jam-packed into this short story, this seems to be the one that sticks with people the most.”
Yes it was, it actually made me cry. The though of all the people that had hurt me, and I had hurt. Although it is just a story, the thought we are all the same person, learning from all experiences, good and bad, to become a whole person, is a lovely, comforting thing.
Sure is, Scott!
I’ve watched the video many times, I’ve showed it to many people. It’s always a fun conversation starter. It reminds me of the ending of Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, and Rene Muller’s illustration of “the multidimensional self”. I would not be upset if it is the nature of our universe, but having to live every single human life in all history seems like it would be exhausting. I hope and pray that it’s not true to be honest, because I think one lifetime is plenty.
Agreed, Jacob! For those interested, here’s a book summary of Siddhartha by Herman Hesse.
I, Mark Bell, have experienced beyond this world and the physical we experience. Before experiencing, The Egg, I experienced the reality of The Egg. For me, The Egg verified a perspective of my experience, of God and me. Whether or not we are all one being, one soul, is not the point. Upon my personal experiences, we are one, be it one soul or being connected by and of one soul. I ask no one to believe this story but to ponder it, to see and be beyond who they think they are. Sometimes, more than we know, even the lost touch the Beingness of themselves and God. This story is a story, yet, it is more. Truly, I tell you from me, Mark’s soul, there is more than you see, more than what you be. You, me, We, are magnificent. We are each other, and we are God.
Yes, I know you have heard this story, this bullshit before, but it is. You are true. One day, I hope you experience what I have, and I hope you embrace it, you, and God.
I love you. You are the most precious and beautiful soul ever imagined by God. Now, it is up to you to believe and live your magnificence. I hope you do. ~ Mark
Thanks for sharing your personal experience, Mark! And, happy to hear it validates the story. I’m on the same page with you.
Hello Kyle.
I can just say that i really enjoyed reading the short story about “The Egg” It resonates well with my own philosophical ideas of life and death. I’ve always been interested in the Big Questions of life. My conclusion is the same a s the egg.
Nothing is absolute. Reality is not based on whats been told, but on what keeps on happening.
Treat your good fellow human being as if he was yourself. For you never know.
You be the seeker of your own truth. All is true yet false.
These are my thoughts. Hope you like them. (:
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Frei!
At first I thought Andy was doing what Neil Gaiman did in Sandman when Death his sister collects the souls..”It seemed so short” said the eight year old ” You got what anyone gets…a lifetime.” Death responded. But while traces are there this was different. The Schopenhauer term self enlightened altruism comes to mind. Since I realized I was on a path ( and we all are 😉 )and being one who enjoys all of Mitchell’s works as we ll as Lew and Campbell among others I have tried to employ empathy over sympathy. Sympathy says ” What would it feel like to walk in your shoes?” while empathy asks ” What does it feel like FOR YOU to walk in your shoes?”. This has made all the difference in my life. It allows me to judge people as good or bad for me in this time and place, this now, while not disparaging their fundamental humanity.
Nice, Mark! Reminds me a bit of something I came up with (the ultimate rule):
The Golden Rule: Treat others how *you* want to be treated.
The Platinum Rule: Treat others how *they* want to be treated.
The Ultimate Rule: There are no others.
Hello,
Thank you for sharing this story. I didn’t quite understand, and I read it again after a few minutes it started to resonate. A dear friend asked me, how many tomatoes are in a tomato seed? I feel this story speaks to me in a similar way. Best to you,
You too, Elizabeth!
I simply liked the story. 😊 I also liked your 10 key analysis points and supporting quotes. I’m aware of my being small within my perception of the world and universe. And I really can accept that my own and our own collected consciousness are a mere drop in our egg of existence. “The Power of 10” is a remarkable video and visual journey that helps me stay present. I try not to wonder about what comes next but when I do, I think it will be beautiful. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing, Joanna! I’m also a fan of the “Power of 10” videos.