The Meaning of Life

Discussion in 'General Philosophy' started by Leviticus, Mar 10, 2004.

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  1. Leviticus Banned Banned

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    This thread is very simple, I just want to know what you people think the meaning of life is.... thats all. Bye
     
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  3. whitewolf asleep under the juniper bush Registered Senior Member

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    Live and let live.

    :m:
     
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  5. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Life is what you make of it. Everyone chooses what they want out of life and tries to do just that, without hurting others along the way.
     
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  7. chunkylover58 Make it a ... CHEEEESEburger Registered Senior Member

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    Life is too important to take seriously.
     
  8. alain du hast mich Registered Senior Member

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    the meaning of life is a very stupid question to ask
    it is quite simply
    "The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism. " www.dictionary.com

    everyone has simply answered with their opinions of ways to have the best life, or the way to give everyone the best life they can

    life is like a hot bath, feels good whilst your in it, but the longer you stay in the more wrinkled you get

    in all seriousness, even the answer to how to have the best life possible changes depedning on what stage of life your in
    childhood "life is too important to take seriously
    adolescence "you only live once" (thought should also be given to education
    parenthood " "our children are our future"
    old age back to, funnily enough "you only live once" again
     
  9. LadyofShalott Registered Member

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    I`m reading a book of philosofist Peter Singer, who claims that the meaning of life is to live it ethically.
    To live ethically, the way I interpret it, is to avoid harm as much as possible on all others, not only human. To do that you must give up some of your comfortable lifestyle, but it doesnt mean that you will feel loss, actually you will gain from it.
    Our Western culture gives people the idea that if you care for others before yourself, and doesnt take every opportunity to i.e. gain wealth, then you must be an idiot. But does caring for yourself firstly give any meaning? Will you be able at your deathbed to say that it was all worth it?
    Notice every time you do something for others without any motives, it gives you pleasure. If youre willing to give up some of the comfortable lifestyle to avoid inflicting harm, or to do something for others, this will give the feeling of meaning.
    I dont know if I get my point through, but if you have the time, check out Peter Singer.
    He`s one of the most inspiring writers when it comes to questions like these.
     
  10. Votorx Still egotistic... Valued Senior Member

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    The meaning of life...I think i posted my answer to the meaning of life in some other thread but I'll repeat myself anyway.

    In all seriousness, humans have the tendency to hold themselves higher than all other animals, and rightfully so since we are obviously smarter than any other discovered being on earth. Yet we seem to forget that no matter how much we evolve, no matter how smart we get, we are still animals. We are always going to be animals no matter what happens to us or what we do. So, to fully answer your question you need to look and study what regular everday wild animals do, and see what they strive for. It won't take you to long to realize that their natural instinct is to survive, or to help some other thing survive (ex. Black Widows). To put it all simply, the meaning of life (although this is very cliche by now) is to survive.
     
  11. Lemming3k Insanity Gone Mad Registered Senior Member

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    The meaning of life is to survive, pass on your genetics, and be happy

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  12. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    The meaning of life lies in the future. Evolution is being pulled to fruition by the transcendental object in future hyperspace, when meaning will be made visible.
     
  13. Leviticus Banned Banned

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    Firstly,
    i) spidergoat- if the meaning of life is/lies in the future, it is not the meaning of life, nor the purpose of life (which id like your views on also) since it will never be reached.

    ii)Vortorx- You seem to be regarding that mental prowess is higher than physical prowess. This is slightly wrong since it is equally notable to be physically dominant (e.g. a lion). And the meaning of life is not to survive. i thought it could be that. but if you think about it that comes under the heading 'purpose of life' methinks

    iii)LadyofShalott- basically these answers are slightly insular to humans. a leopard couldnt do any of these things really, so 'human' is what you are tlaking about, not 'life' Also, if you are on your deathbed, nothing was worth it. there is nothing after 'death' and anyone who thinks otherwise is free to do so but i believe them to be wrong.

    iv) alain- please dont say 'in all seriousness' it annoys me.
    anyway, it isnt a stupid question, in fact its the most important question., along with many other greats like ; why are we here, and , why do people believe in god? etc. and also the meaing of life will not be found in some comic and (for me) stereotyped phrases.

    v) chunkylover58- very good, but no answer.

    vi)cosmictraveller- the meaining of life is not 'what you make of it' otherwise it is different for everyone, thus it is not a 'meaing of life', it is a meaning for the 'individual''.

    vii) whitewolf- concise but i feel that sounds thats one of those stuid phrases that people use to make it sound less bloody awful e.g. things can only get better or that all time classic your talking ************************************


    anyone else, cause at the moment life seems to be lost. if you want a longer refutation then just ask............
     
  14. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    I'm suggesting that life is heading towards some kind of evolutionary climax, and that this is the purpose of life. The meaning of your momentary personal life is relatively small, but, small effects do cascade into larger ones. The nature of this climax is impossible to predict. Perhaps it has something to do with technology. The reason for this prediction is the acceleration we can observe in almost all fields of human endeavor.
     
  15. crazymikey Open-minded Scientist Registered Senior Member

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    Someone said, it is is a stupid question to ask? I think that is a stupid thing to say

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    The meaning of life differs for all, but only subjectively. Just like the meaning of anything can differ for all, but only subjectively. This does not mean the question has been answered, because objectively, life seems to have no meaning at all.

    For instance, take my example. I really don't know what I'm suppose to do, ive tried having fun, i've been sad, ive tried different activies, I've tried different relationships, i've tried different interests. No matter what I do, I can never fill this void in me. I feel like i'm the living dead. I just seem to exist, and I do things, without really knowing why, and knowing that one day, maybe today, tomorrow, or in the future, I am going to die, cease to exist, and everything I have done will evaporate at that point, and I just think, what is the point of it all, why do anything? Just because you have to? That does not sit well with me at all. Sometimes I laugh out loud about this, sometimes it makes me cry, and sometimes I just stare into space. It's one big joke, that's funny in a sick way. I don't actually think we exist, and consciousness is a glitch in space/time. It's one grande illusion, that ignorant people accept as reality.
     
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2004
  16. CHRISCUNNINGHAM The Ethereal Paradigm Registered Senior Member

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    Meaning...none.

    Purpose...none.

    If anything, only to understand that there is only none.
     
  17. Ozymandias Unregistered User Registered Senior Member

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    To discover that life isn't driven by a meaning.
     
  18. Joeman Eviiiiiiiil Clown Registered Senior Member

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    42

    (sorry someone has to do it)
     
  19. apendrapew Oral defecator Registered Senior Member

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    What is 8 x 7? I think it was..
     
  20. sly1 Heartless Registered Senior Member

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    I have heard all sorts of "answers" "opinions" that many can accept. From life is meaningful to life is meaningless. I have heard the opinions from the spiritual and religous. I have heard the positive and the negative. I have heard the logical and illogical sane and insane. My opinion is the same and pointless as life seems to be. If ever we do find a point or meaning to life what will we do with it? The same things we are doing now. Questioning it. 1 size does not and will not fit all. If you think deeply about existance or life...you may come to find it is all illogical. The only thing that makes sense and can be applied is for everone to figure their own meaning and apply it to their lives. Mine is to find out why the hell I am here. the sick thing is... I know I will not know why I am here....maybe only in death will I know......That within itself makes my life to me.....pointless.

    "It would be so sweet to believe the lies
    To know no truth, nor seek it out. To be as ignorant as a child with everything seeming innocent in its eyes."
     
  21. rainbow__princess_4 The Ashtray Girl Registered Senior Member

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    Umm... you ppl are kinda stupid... what not just look it up? I will for you:

    1.Everything from the point when one is born until one dies
    2.The condition which distinguishes plants and animals to inorganic plants and dead organisms
    3.The term of animate existance of an object, person or thing

    See?! There's three! You idiots...
     
  22. sly1 Heartless Registered Senior Member

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    "rainbow__princess_4"

    Any two bit twit can look up some words in a dictonary and call it meaning.
    You should not think your smarter than us for being able to do so.
    By the way Im glad you figured it all out...... your so smart.....even though you missed the IDEA behind the question with your SMARTa$$ answer its ok you can still read the dictonary...... congradulations........

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  23. alain du hast mich Registered Senior Member

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    alain- please dont say 'in all seriousness' it annoys me.
    well, in the line above it, i wasnt being serious, so i was just trying to let u know i wasnt just joking, but soz

    Also, it is a silly question, rainbow princess is the only one of u that got it right. That is literally the meaning, you are asking the wrong question
    you are asking 'what is the purpose of life?'
     
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