What is the reason for life or living?

approval junkie

this is still in its draft so sorry about that...also this is more for the existence of life itself, and not for what people should do with their life such as be happy, help others. this tries to get to the why is their life at all.

I've been thinking that there is no real meaning of life at all, that in fact it is a result of recurring events and that itself being recurring also. there are two extremities each of which is death and in the middle you have life, as there seems to be opposites in everything. two ends of death well these are a bit vague so at the moment i'm thinking they are our perceptions of death, one being religious and the other being just you die and thats it. two deaths creates an unknown to which is the correct one. this uncertainty creates all the questions, you can get closer and closer to the meaning but it is constantly recurring all the questions and all the answers that people are seeking. so you only really know when you reach one of these points, but then that means to understand you have to die which is kinda annoying. this can account for all life being equal upon death. what is interesting is that because of this there will always be an uncertainty to the meaning.
the best that you can hope for is understanding that you will never understand. all answers arrive from this unknown in a way.
finally if you picture this as a 3d object with death at both ends then also it shows that there will always be life, very few will chose death and the majority will not give it any thought. so there's some consolation. also from this i'm thinking that life itself is infinate...

TAKE THIS WITH A PINCH OF SALT AS ITS STILL IN ITS INFANCY, I'm kinda swamped at the mo but ill give it more thought.
criticize as much as you want, should be fun

hupyago

I got the answers to the massive existential questions from channeled material
see these sites for more on this topic and life and spirituality generally:
http://www.paddymcmahon.com/index.htm
http://jiddu-krishnamurti.net/
http://www.abraham-hicks.com/
http://www.orindaben.com/db/dbbkpara/bookpara.php?Book=PPTA
good luck on your journey/s fellow travellers

StormWarrior

I personally think life would be a lot easier and more enjoyable if we knew what the point was. Also then there probably wouldn't be so many religious and other wars. If there is no point.... well it would be a bit pointless. What would you do if, today, you found out for sure that there was no God, no afterlife and no point? I personally would quit working, go on benefits (or steal loads of money) and spend the rest of my life on a drink/drugs/sex binge. Would anyone carry on living the way they are?

Joe1919

My own view is that we often go through a period at some stage of our lives when life has no meaning, similar to the navigators 'doldrums' or the spiritual idea of 'The dark night of the soul'. We do hopefully come out through the other side.
How? Because we hopefully manage to construct our own meaning to life. We can do this in many ways but my own view is that ultimately all of life's meaning relies on passion. It can be passion (or love) for a hobby, a particular type of work, for a person, even a pet, an ideology, a football team. To some extent, passion relies on letting go, on trust, on taking a giant leap of faith and hoping for the best.

The point of life is to live your life.

Dades

StormWarrior wrote: »

What would you do if, today, you found out for sure that there was no God, no afterlife and no point? I personally would quit working, go on benefits (or steal loads of money) and spend the rest of my life on a drink/drugs/sex binge. Would anyone carry on living the way they are?

Interesting.

So it's only for the sake of your afterlife that you don't do any of those thing now?

Maybe religion does work. *

* not actually believed

StormWarrior

If I knew for sure that I was just evolved pondslime, then I would do all kinds of things I wouldn't do now. I wouldn't work all day and slave away if I knew that in a few decades my consciousness wouldn't exist any more.

Dades

StormWarrior wrote: »

If I knew for sure that I was just evolved pondslime, then I would do all kinds of things I wouldn't do now. I wouldn't work all day and slave away if I knew that in a few decades my consciousness wouldn't exist any more.

But what is it about there being no afterlife that would make you change your lifestyle?

Is it that you currently fear that there may be an afterlife, and whether it will be good or bad depends on how you conduct in this life? Or do you think that if we are only exist for the duration of our earthly lives, you would actually enjoy yourself better becoming a worthless drain on society drinking Royal Dutch in the street?

I don't actually believe you'd do any of that anyway.

StormWarrior

Dades wrote: »

I don't actually believe you'd do any of that anyway.

Why, you don't know me. You should see me when I'm on holiday.

Dades

StormWarrior wrote: »

Why, you don't know me. You should see me when I'm on holiday.

Unlikely - I suspect we don't go to the same places.

I don't believe you because if you really had it in you to become a full-time hedonistic anarchist, the existence or not a deity would hardly be relevant to you.

Being a drunken student doesn't count, either.

StormWarrior

Dades wrote: »

I don't believe you because if you really had it in you to become a full-time hedonistic anarchist, the existence or not a deity would hardly be relevant to you.

Being a drunken student doesn't count, either.

I'm not a drunken student. Anyway, maybe it wouldn't be relevant to you, but it would to me. Unless I know for sure what comes after, I'm not going to behave too liberally.

It's not just a fear of a deity that stops me. It appears to me that this life is probably for something. It must be a means to achieve something, although I have no idea what. Therefore, I am not going to just do everything I want to do because it would wreak havok on me and my family and others and probably adversely affect the end result of whatever life is meant to achieve. If I knew for a fact that after we die, there is nothing, I wouldn't have that to worry about and would just please myself 100%. If I do that now and there is an afterlife which may be affected, who knows what future problems may be caused?

beans

Unless I know for sure what comes after, I'm not going to behave too liberally

So if the nature of what happens after our bodies die is un-knowable, then you'll be hedging your bets till the day you die?

Assuming the un-knowability of such things, I judge my actions on the basis of their effects on other people in this world, rather than the prejudices of a poorly-defined deity. While no closer to the 'truth' of the matter than your own approach, it does help me to gauge my progress. All that second-guessing would drive me crazy! :pac:

I personally would quit working, go on benefits (or steal loads of money) and spend the rest of my life on a drink/drugs/sex binge

Does the fact that those who behave like this might not believe in an afterlife make their behaviour any more acceptable? Leave the afterlife to the side for a second - use my scale to judge such a character... does he seem contemptible to you? Now assume an afterlife, with your chosen 'god' and all his assumed likes and dislikes - is our fictional parasite any less contemptible? Any more?

Just thoughts

aidan24326

StormWarrior wrote: »

If I knew for a fact that after we die, there is nothing, I wouldn't have that to worry about and would just please myself 100%. If I do that now and there is an afterlife which may be affected, who knows what future problems may be caused?

You have a strange attitude. If everyone thought like you do the world would descend into anarchy and an ordered society would not even be possible. Why not just live the life you have and if it turns out there's an afterlife (personally I don't think that's even possible) well then deal with that when the time comes.

mr.miagi

aidan24326 wrote: »

You have a strange attitude. If everyone thought like you do the world would descend into anarchy and an ordered society would not even be possible. Why not just live the life you have and if it turns out there's an afterlife (personally I don't think that's even possible) well then deal with that when the time comes.

yeah what he said LOL :pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

MonkeyBalls

StormWarrior wrote: »

I personally think life would be a lot easier and more enjoyable if we knew what the point was. Also then there probably wouldn't be so many religious and other wars. If there is no point.... well it would be a bit pointless. What would you do if, today, you found out for sure that there was no God, no afterlife and no point? I personally would quit working, go on benefits (or steal loads of money) and spend the rest of my life on a drink/drugs/sex binge. Would anyone carry on living the way they are?

I can tell you now:

There is no such thing as God. It's a delusion, and an obvious one at that, if you just THINK about it.

There is also no such thing as the afterlife. Your personality is the product of physiological activity - neural tissue - in the brain, and once the brain dies, so do you. This is scientifically a fact - cognitive neuroscientists have known about it for years.

BUT, to say that there's no point is just nonsense. Nothing gives life more meaning and importance than the realisation that sentience is transient and temporary.

Every moment you live is gone forever - and sooner or later you will die. So don't waste the time that you have.

The expression "life is short" has prevented so many fights and unneccesary bitterness.

stink_fist

The meaning of life? to live and to die, to start and to finish, to evolve or devolve. We are pure energy but what is the reason for energy? or what happens to energy?

Standman

The meaning of life is to worship the lord jesus and then go up to his house in the sky and have lots of fun and games, yipeeeeeee

druss666

The meaning of life is to live and then die and all the inbetween

a5y

CerebralCortex wrote: »

What is the reason for life or living? This question is bugging me but no matter how hard I try I can't seem to find the answer I keep ending up with 'why?' .:( There has to be a reason for us being here. Can anybody please enlighten me?

I hate to be one of those people who answers a question with a question so I'll apologise in advance. I'm sorry.

Have you considered that the meaning of life is not the same for everyone? That it may vary wildly from person to person?

Perhaps the meaning of life for you might just mean a job you enjoy doing so much you don't consider it work? Or a person you love so much you wish you'd never have to leave them ever?

I've no proof to back this whatsoever, but I can't believe that the meaning of life for Genghis Khan and Mike Godwin and Adolf Hitler (apologies to Mike Godwin) and Victoria Beckham and Mary Harney and me are the same.

But if there was one meaning of life, thats what it would be like.

kelly1

...To know, love and serve God and to attain eternal happiness with Him in Heaven.

For those of you who are searching for meaning, you can stop searching now. This IS the answer!! For those of you who say life has no meaning, it's time to delve a lot deeper.

So many of us are deeply concerned with the meaning of life. That's no product of a complex bunch of molecules. It's God calling us.

From the Catholic catechism:-

III. "THE WORLD WAS CREATED FOR THE GLORY OF GOD"

293 Scripture and Tradition never cease to teach and celebrate this fundamental truth: "The world was made for the glory of God."134 St. Bonaventure explains that God created all things "not to increase his glory, but to show it forth and to communicate it",135 for God has no other reason for creating than his love and goodness: "Creatures came into existence when the key of love opened his hand."136 The First Vatican Council explains:

This one, true God, of his own goodness and "almighty power", not for increasing his own beatitude, nor for attaining his perfection, but in order to manifest this perfection through the benefits which he bestows on creatures, with absolute freedom of counsel "and from the beginning of time, made out of nothing both orders of creatures, the spiritual and the corporeal. . ."137

294 The glory of God consists in the realization of this manifestation and communication of his goodness, for which the world was created. God made us "to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace",138 for "the glory of God is man fully alive; moreover man's life is the vision of God: if God's revelation through creation has already obtained life for all the beings that dwell on earth, how much more will the Word's manifestation of the Father obtain life for those who see God."139 The ultimate purpose of creation is that God "who is the creator of all things may at last become "all in all", thus simultaneously assuring his own glory and our beatitude."140

Taken from http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p4.htm

See also http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/faith/bc3-01.htm

"Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord" - St. Augustine.

chaosedd

Thinking as "there is no reason for living" = incomplete database of life experiences or incomplete logics of analysis and observations which restraining understanding general of meaning of life.
Most simple answer: "evolution" because this is whats is it all about. Look around you and u will notice thats everything changing-evolving.
We are her to extend own self, own sensitivity, own possibility's as we want play the reality more and more complex and powerful, we just don't know about it. Reality extended over the meaning of life or death over the matrices and energies over the good or bad. existence of all possibility's

eunified61

The Brain (Pinky and the Brain) knew the answer to this one "to take over the world" or at least our little piece of it.

sinnerboy

Live life because it is gifted to you . Maybe only once . Make the most of it .

deleriumtremens

there is no purpose, as a human would see it, to our lives. Were just temporary survival machines existing to house the genes that built us.
from a non human-centric view, our lives are as pointless as that of any of our biological cousins..a frog for example is just a machine built by frog genes and whose only reason for existing in nature is to act as vehicle in which to preserve copies of these genes fom the ravages of the outside world and to pass on more copies of those genes. in other words all organisms are tools of dna, not the other way round!!
whats more, there isnt a clear cut line between life and non-life..the cells that compose us function and are built through non-living biochemical means..just one unconscious chemical reaction after another.
So basically theres no meaning to life, but then again, does the universe owe us one!!? no is the answer by the way!

Shinji Ikari

CerebralCortex wrote: »

What is the reason for life or living? This question is bugging me but no matter how hard I try I can't seem to find the answer I keep ending up with 'why?' .:( There has to be a reason for us being here. Can anybody please enlighten me?

There is no reason for life we just have been fortunate to exist. As for the reason for living. To pass on our genetics and distract ourselves from the fact that we are destined to stop living.

nyarlothothep

Imo subjective meaning in life is valid, it doesn't need to "exist" and that we aren't merely reproductive machines given our capacity for self reflection and awareness of ourselves. Reducing what it means to be human simply to reproduction is missing the point imo.

DadaKopf

CerebralCortex wrote: »

What is the reason for life or living? This question is bugging me but no matter how hard I try I can't seem to find the answer I keep ending up with 'why?' .:( There has to be a reason for us being here. Can anybody please enlighten me?

Nothing.

kelly1

deleriumtremens wrote: »

there is no purpose, as a human would see it, to our lives. Were just temporary survival machines existing to house the genes that built us.
from a non human-centric view, our lives are as pointless as that of any of our biological cousins.

Shinji Ikari wrote: »

There is no reason for life we just have been fortunate to exist. As for the reason for living. To pass on our genetics and distract ourselves from the fact that we are destined to stop living.

DadaKopf wrote: »

Nothing.

Folks, I really find this kind of reductionistic/nihilistic outlook very sad indeed. According to my Christian faith, it's is God's plan for each of us to mature and grow spiritually through life on earth and finally become united with Him in eternal bliss. It is God's grace that gives us our dignity. Our dignity isn't inherent so I suppose that's why people don't see purpose in life if they don't believe in grace and the Author of grace. Our purpose in life is to become like our Creator. But hey, what do I know

nyarlothothep

actually I think the peruvians or some such civilization had a story where space gods created us in their image, but with lesser intellects and physical strength. Originally they created man with the same capabilities as them but they recognized him as a competitor and started over with us, the human race.

MightyCelestial

Presents!

Drodan

Survival.

Which is much harder these days as we are slowing destroying everything, but hey was always going to happen.