Upon reading Descartes’ Discourse on Method I come to realize how the enlightenment period affected people and their minds. Descartes touched upon the deeper meaning of the saying “Cogito Ergo Sum” also known as “I am thinking, therefore I exist” (Descartes 15). The quote is quite straight forward in which one cannot be without constant thought and that the action of pondering and doubting occurrences in daily life is what gives someone a reason to live. This passage embodies the enlightenment era because it takes a unique approach to the idea of God and begins to doubt and question what others would normally just accept. Descartes ponders on his existence and mainly the qualities he has been given and how they came about. He discusses that a logical reason for him having the qualities he has to think and doubt must come from a higher power as he himself cannot be all-knowing or self-sufficient. He comes to the conclusion that God must exist to have given him all these traits but then he ponders geometry and begins to have doubts about his perception of God due to the lack of sensory proof. This act of rethinking and changing one’s mind only emphasizes the truth behind the famous saying “I think, therefore I am” because people are constantly changing their opinion on matters based off of what they encounter in their daily lives, every detail of life factors into one’s perception and ultimately shapes them into who they are. Enlightenment had a lot to do with self exploration and letting the mind reject the norms and start exploring all the possible reasons behind everything.