Before epilepsy was understood to be a neurological condition, people believed it was caused by the moon, or by phlegm in the brain. They condemned seizures as evidence of witchcraft or demonic possession, and killed or castrated sufferers to prevent them from passing tainted blood to a new generation.
When people say this makes life meaningless, I’ve tried to explain to people that they still enjoy the suspense and surprise of a movie despite knowing it was filmed in the past. But I always told “that’s not the same”.