2006-08-01 07:57:08 · 41 answers · asked by Anonymous in Family & Relationships ➔ Other - Family & Relationships
"What is the meaning of life?" is a question many people ask themselves at some point during their lives. Some people believe that the meaning of life is one or more of the following:
Survival and temporal success
* ...to accumulate wealth and increase social status
* ...to compete or co-operate with others
* ...to destroy others who harm you, or to practice nonviolence and nonresistance
* ...to die having succeeded in your purpose
* ...to live
* ...to protect one's family
* ...to gain and exercise power
* ...to leave a legacy, such as a work of art or a book
* ...to produce offspring through sexual reproduction or asexual reproduction
* ...to seek freedom, either physically, mentally or financially
* ...to seek happiness and flourish, experience pleasure or celebrate
* ...to survive, including the pursuit of immortality through scientific means (see life extension)
Wisdom and knowledge
* ...to be without question, or to keep asking questions
* ...to explore, to expand beyond our frontiers
* ...to learn from one's own and others' mistakes
* ...to seek truth, knowledge, understanding, or wisdom
* ...to try to discover and understand the meaning of life
* ...to expand one's perception of the world
Ethical
* ...to express compassion
* ...to live in peace with each other, and in harmony with our natural environment (see utopia)
* ...to give and receive love
* ...to seek and acquire virtue, to live a virtuous life
* ...to serve others, or do good deeds
* ...to work for justice and democracy
Religious, spiritual and esoteric
* ...to turn fear into joy at a constant rate achieving on literal and metaphorical levels: immortality, enlightenment and atonement
* ...to achieve a supernatural connection within the natural context
* ...to achieve enlightenment and inner peace
* ...to become God, or God-like
* ...to experience existence from an infinite number of perspectives in order to expand the consciousness of all there is (i.e. God)
* ...to follow the "Golden Rule"
* ...to produce useful structure in the universe over and above consumption (see net creativity)
* ...to reach Heaven in the afterlife
* ...to understand and follow the "Word of God"
* ...to worship, serve, or achieve union with God
Other
* ...to advance natural human evolution, or to contribute to the gene pool of the human race
* ...to advance technological evolution, or to actively develop the future human
* ...to contribute to collective meaning ("we" or "us") without having individual meaning ("I" or "me")
* ...to die, or become a martyr
* ...to find a purpose, a "reason" for living that hopefully raises the quality of one's experience of life, or even life in general
* ...to live, and enjoy the passage of time
* ...to have fun
* ...to protect humanity, or more generally the environment
* ...to pursue a dream, vision, or destiny
* ...to relate, connect, or achieve unity with others
* ...to seek and find beauty
* ...to simply live until one dies (there is no universal or celestial purpose)
* ...to participate in the chain events which has led from the creation of the universe until its possible end (either freely chosen or determined, this is a subject widely debated amongst philosophers)
* ...still some do not even think there is any purpose whatsoever (see nihilism)
* ...(This is actually an extension of the point immediately above) There is no inherent meaning to life, existence, the universe, etc. They exist because they can. However, humans appear to inately give meaning, usually many, often conflicting, to what they are conscious of. So, to each individual, the "meaning of life" is whatever they decide it is. In that sense, every point above is potentially valid.
2006-08-01 14:26:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Life is the meaning.
2006-08-01 08:00:41 · answer #2 · answered by mitt w 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To find meaning in life.
2006-08-01 07:58:57 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The dictionary has a few definitions for life:
Main Entry: 1life
Pronunciation: 'lIf
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural lives /'lIvz/
Etymology: Middle English lif, from Old English lIf; akin to Old English libban to live -- more at LIVE
1 a : the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body b : a principle or force that is considered to underlie the distinctive quality of animate beings c : an organismic state characterized by capacity for metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction
2 a : the sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual b : one or more aspects of the process of living
3 : BIOGRAPHY 1
4 : spiritual existence transcending physical death
5 a : the period from birth to death b : a specific phase of earthly existence
6 : a way or manner of living
7 : LIVELIHOOD
8 : a vital or living being; specifically : PERSON
9 : an animating and shaping force or principle
10 : SPIRIT, ANIMATION
11 : the form or pattern of something existing in reality
12 : the period of duration, usefulness, or popularity of something
13 : the period of existence (as of a subatomic particle) -- compare HALF-LIFE
14 : a property (as resilience or elasticity) of an inanimate substance or object resembling the animate quality of a living being
15 : living beings (as of a particular kind or environment)
16 a : human activities b : animate activity and movement
17 : one providing interest and vigor
18 : an opportunity for continued viability
19 capitalized, Christian Science : GOD 1b
20 : something resembling animate life
2006-08-01 08:06:15 · answer #4 · answered by raiderofnight 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The meaning of life deals with the care and nurturing of your soul. Every action, every word, every thought, everything, contributes to that single product.
The proper care and nurturing of your soul involves three things, (1) seeking knowledge, truth, wisdom, (2) practicing love, caring for others, having a heart, and (3) relishing everything in this world that is beautiful. Surround yourself with beauty. Find beauty everywhere and in everyone. A flower may seem an impractical thing, but we take our children's hands and teach them to plant a flower.
This is all you need to know in the world, that is all there is know in the world. As you progress in your enlightenment then you will see that these three things become blended. Beauty comes truth, truth becomes beauty, and love becomes truth. They are all the same thing.
2006-08-01 07:59:38 · answer #5 · answered by Dr. D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would appear that your meaning was to ask this question... now prepare for the mother ship to pick you up.
Did you really think that you could or would get the answer HERE?
The question you should have asked is; how do I get a life?
2006-08-01 08:07:32 · answer #6 · answered by jajls 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
42
2006-08-01 07:59:02 · answer #7 · answered by Blunt Honesty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Knowing others is wisdom, Knowing yourself is Enlightenment.
So Enlightenment is the meaning of Life
2006-08-01 08:00:32 · answer #8 · answered by tusker 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The true meaning of life is to find the truth within ourselves.
2006-08-01 08:01:14 · answer #9 · answered by Bright 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The meaning of life is happpiness. If ur not happy,u have no meaning to life. And if u r sad,let the lord guide u.
2006-08-01 08:01:29 · answer #10 · answered by Niniliciouz 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answer my friend is blowing in the wind.
Just kidding.
I think it means whatever you make it mean.
Make it mean something good!
2006-08-01 08:07:57 · answer #11 · answered by niffer's mom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋