> Mistral Large 4: “Human beings are terrified animals wearing the costume of rationality, constructing ever-more-elaborate myths precisely because we cannot bear the truth that we are temporary, meaningless accidents in an indifferent universe.”

I wonder if religion takes on a large part of responsibility for this. It tends to strongly reject the "temporary, meaningless accidents in an indifferent universe" part, and if you learn your whole life that we (and you in particular) are special and there is a hidden meaning to everything, then it is exceptionally hard to let go of that fundamental premise.