Is it that so many need to have a purpose in order to substantiate him or herself? Why can't simply existing be enough?
2006-09-15 10:03:37 · 16 answers · asked by nonametomention 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
There is no purpose to life...the only temporary meaning i can see is to decrease pain and increase pleasure....all else is lost to oblivion. To think that a divine supernatural entity gave you a purpose defies all logic. Consider this:
The diameter of the Milky Way Galaxy is 100,000 light years, exceeds ordinary human comprehension...right? a time interval vastly greater than all of human history.
Another thousand times farther takes us to distant cluster of galaxies, but even then, that would be less than one ten-thousandths of a percent of the observable Universe. We are mere specks in an abyss of time and space.
With that backgroud, you're telling me that there's a supernatural being or sentient lifeform out there that gave us a purpose?....don't make me laugh (actually, this comment is directed at some of the aswerers, not you).
Did you know that there's a certain percentage of scientists who believe in God, even Einstein spoke of him often. But the greatest number of non-believing scientists are the astonomers.
2006-09-15 11:04:10 · answer #1 · answered by Its not me Its u 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Wow, what ever happened to simple questions. Here's what I think. This is only my opinion. There is no proven answer to your question. That comes from humankind's astonishment by ones self, the world and the universe. Everything seems so perfect, it's hard to accept that it all just happened. This gives us the feeling that we were put here for a purpose. It gives us to motivation to get up and go to work, and do our jobs well, or play sports well, or just do the things that make us happy. Because all the doctrine that explains the creation of the universe and all the things in it (i.e. The Big Band Theory, The Creation Theory, The Evolution Theory) are only theories. Homo sapiens have been around for 250,000 years, and we still don't know where we came from. All this leads to the search for knowledge, religion, the Age of Reason, and finally direction and motivation. And I don't know about you, but if I thought I had no purpose in life, I'd be sleeping right now, not answering a question. Even if my purpose is to keep myself happy, I guess that's better than nothing.
2006-09-15 10:20:06 · answer #2 · answered by johnj1017 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The average person is a hedonist dedicated to their own self interest! Given the opportunity to do good an be rewarded for it they will do good, but equally given the opportunity to do evil and get away with it pleasurably they are good to go!
At the same time giving life a purpose adds a sense of rational to life beyond the mere notion of being some slave to god. Given that generality even the Zen Master has a set purpoes in life which is " simply " the Matter at Hand!
2006-09-15 10:32:43 · answer #3 · answered by namazanyc 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is because of individuals believing in a purpose in life, that has led to humanity to socially evolve to where it is today, and continue to socially evolve, to make the world more and more closer to peace, unity, and prosperity. There are societies that think that simply existing is enough, and they are the most violent and poor societies on Earth, and have often got conquered by societies that believed in a purpose in life. The mentality that simply existing is enough is animalistic.
Many ruthless dictators have ruled over populations that had no purpose in life, and just wanted to exist, and were thus scared to fight their ruthless dictator, until the ruthless dictator led them into warring with a country or many countries, which led them to being conquered and giving them a purpose in life, such as the purpose of national liberation and/or democracy.
It is the ability of individuals to have a purpose in life, which has led to the prosperity of human societies. Societies with no purpose that just want to exist, are in conditions similar to drug addicts that become homeless.
2006-09-15 11:14:26 · answer #4 · answered by S0C1AL1ST 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, the first question is if there is a purpose. This is something that we do not know (in any provable way).
If there is a purpose, then knowing it would obviously be very helpful!
"Why am I here?" is one of the great existential questions of life, I would not try to marginalize it by implying that it is unimportant. If you find no interest in the question, then perhaps it is not for you.
Still, you have no answer here either, so, as with all unanswered questions, I find it best to keep an open mind.
2006-09-15 10:15:35 · answer #5 · answered by diamondspider 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I suspect that our easy existence has caused for the need to have a meaning in our lives....
A long time ago, man had no time to sit and ponder questions, wondering what the meaning and purpose of life is. Slowly, thru the arising civilization, we have found more and more time for pleasure expereinces, rather than having to worry from sun up until sun down as to what we are going to eat and where we shall sleep. AS civilization and society has risen, so has the "need" for purpose in life...
Our purpose used to be food, sex, shelter. Now that food and shleter are easily provided to most, and so is sex, we have no other purpose...so we search one out....
I, like yourself, enjoy experiencing life and simply existing, and this is certainly enough for me.
2006-09-15 10:14:00 · answer #6 · answered by YDoncha_Blowme 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because simply existing isn't enough for human beings, nor for that matter, most living beings. The problem lies in that some people think that just because one is a human being, one has de facto a meaningful life, and that meaning is something that comes from an external source, rather than what we make of it.
2006-09-15 14:52:31 · answer #7 · answered by James P 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the purpose of life is to live. For some people, that's not enough.
2006-09-15 10:11:24 · answer #8 · answered by trypanophobic34 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because people are not happy if they feel they are "normal". The purpose of life is to set goals and then acheive them over and over and over again. The goal might be nothing more than getting letters to the post office or something small.
Eh, who am I kidding, I'm only 22. I don't know!
2006-09-15 10:08:52 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you dont have a purpose to your life you will be forgotten when you die. Have you ever heard the saying "by living a life worth rembering you become immortal". A good song that explains your problem is rooftops, by lost prophets
2006-09-15 10:12:16 · answer #10 · answered by gee.tar1 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋