2006-08-04 21:16:57 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Other - Education
http://www.answers.com/topic/meaning-of-life
"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.
2006-08-05 22:59:20 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Honestly i don't know. To live is to die but thats not the meaning of life, some may say that its serving god or doing good deeds for other people...but i think that theres not one main meaning of life. Its like destiny...everyones is different. God puts everyone on this earth for a reason and they all have their own meanings of life. Its your mission to find yours. It may take awhile or you might find it fast......whos knows, but for now only god knows what the meaning of life is at least your meaning.
2006-08-05 04:43:04 · answer #2 · answered by lil Tw33k 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Life is the start of our existence and it is a journey which all of us have to travel. Life could be smooth sailing or rough but what is important is that if we fail, we should treat it as a motivation and learn from our mistakes.
2006-08-05 04:29:13 · answer #3 · answered by lady in red 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the meaning in life is really whatever you would like it to be...
family
friends
school
pets
God
when you love someting to the point of no end, that is the true meaning of life.
to love.
2006-08-05 04:22:21 · answer #4 · answered by If u were wondering, It's me 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The meaning of life is finding purpose in life so you don't kill yourself, therefore ending you're life.
2006-08-05 04:20:44 · answer #5 · answered by Someone u dont know 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To evolve to moral perfection, and gain knowledge of the workings of the universe.
2006-08-05 04:23:29 · answer #6 · answered by Joe Carioca 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We give meaning to our own lives. Our mind and heart are so powerful that can lead us to that meaning we strive for.
2006-08-05 04:23:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To understand what God does for you.
Life is God (is write in The New Testament-The Bible).
2006-08-05 04:27:52 · answer #8 · answered by mirna 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the meaning of life is death. we live to die and that is it. end of story.
2006-08-05 04:19:14 · answer #9 · answered by pevehead 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
42
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Seriously now, the purpose of life is to live it to its fullest. nothing more, nothing less.
2006-08-05 04:19:20 · answer #10 · answered by Lewis Y 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
life is whatever you choose. a little bit of this and a little bit of that. im sure you know your choices.
2006-08-05 04:22:16 · answer #11 · answered by BB 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋