2006-09-07 15:22:32 · 14 answers · asked by kcjones1964 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
"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.
2006-09-09 03:02:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
AGAIN someone else with the same old tired out question? Sheesh, ain't cha got anything better to ask? Can't you be a little more creative? This is the most asked question and if YOU still don't have the answer... you don't need to know the mean of life... you NEED to GET a life!
2006-09-08 00:27:12 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The meaning of life? To live life to the fullest, to seek knowledge and understanding, to leave behind a better world. To love and be loved, enjoy the natural beauty of the world. To give back something to our environment and society at large because we (those of us in America) have been granted one of the greatest gifts to mankind, freedom, liberty and educational opportunities.
2006-09-07 22:47:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, i have always thought that the meaning of like is everything but then again it's nouthing. if that makes any scence to anyone. but it does me. Life is what you make of it.
"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps". PROVERBS 16:9
2006-09-07 22:31:48 · answer #4 · answered by music girl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The meaning of life is something we are all in search of. Each one of us was sent here to learn something important...even if we haven't figured out what that is yet.....
2006-09-07 22:26:20 · answer #5 · answered by Golden Hair 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Live it and find out.
Life is about service, not self.
2006-09-07 22:25:15 · answer #6 · answered by rcpaden 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fourty two
2006-09-07 22:24:58 · answer #7 · answered by knujefp 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your born, you live life, you grow up, you reproduce, you get old, YOU DIE!
2006-09-07 22:28:26 · answer #8 · answered by Anna 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its a purpose, means you have to figure it out
2006-09-07 22:26:29 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To live meaningfully.
2006-09-07 22:25:05 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋