Meaning of life?

Question

Not that im depressed or anything i love life but is there realy any purpose?

Answer 1

The question "what is the meaning of life?" means different things to different people. The vagueness of the query is inherent in the word "meaning", which opens the question to many interpretations, such as: "What is the origin of life?", "What is the nature of life (and of the universe in which we live)?", "What is the significance of life?", "What is valuable in life?", and "What is the purpose of, or in, (one's) life?". These questions have resulted in a wide range of competing answers and arguments, from scientific theories, to philosophical, theological, and spiritual explanations.

Popular beliefs

"What is the meaning of life?" is a question many people ask themselves at some point during their lives, most in the context "What is the purpose of life?" Here are some of the many potential answers to this perplexing question:

Survival and temporal success

* ...to accumulate wealth and increase social status
* ...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 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 gain and exercise power
* ...to leave a legacy, such as a work of art or a book
* ...to live
* ...to produce offspring through sexual reproduction or asexual reproduction
* ...to protect one's family
* ...to pursue a dream, vision, or destiny
* ...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 expand one's perception of the world
* ...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 understand creation

Ethical

* ...to achieve a supernatural connection within the natural context
* ...to achieve enlightenment and inner peace
* ...to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land
* ...to become like God, or God-like
* ...to be rewarded for your deeds
* ...to experience existence from an infinite number of perspectives in order to expand the consciousness of all there is (i.e. God)
* ...to express compassion
* ...to follow the "Golden Rule"
* ...to give and receive love
* ...to live in a way that you don't harm yourself and don't harm your environment
* ...to work for justice and freedom

Religious and spiritual

* ...to be a filter of creation between heaven and hell
* ...to die and become a martyr
* ...to live in peace with each other, and in harmony with our natural environment (see utopia)
* ...to produce useful structure in the universe over and above consumption (see net creativity)
* ...to protect humanity, or more generally the environment
* ...to reach Heaven in the afterlife
* ...to seek and acquire virtue, to live a virtuous life
* ...to serve others, or do good deeds
* ...to turn fear into joy at a constant rate achieving on literal and metaphorical levels: immortality, enlightenment and atonement
* ...to understand and follow the "Word of God"
* ...to worship, serve, or achieve union with God
* ...to disprove the existence of a or all all gods

Other

* ...to achieve self-actualisation
* ...to contribute to collective meaning ("we" or "us") without having individual meaning ("I" or "me")
* ...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 participate in the inevitable increase in entropy of the universe
* ...to make the conformists' lives miserable (see non-conformism)
* ...to participate in the chain of 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)
* ...to relate, connect, or achieve unity with others
* ...to resolve all problems that one faces, or to ignore them and attempt to fully continue life without them, or to detach oneself from all problems faced (see Buddhism)
* ...to seek and find beauty
* ...as there is no intrinsic meaning to life, to each individual, the "meaning of life" is whatever he/she decides it is. In that sense, every point above is potentially valid.
* ...an answer to the question "What is the meaning of life?" is that it is just simply being able to ask the question, "What is the meaning of life?" (see Sri Sri Ravi Shankar below)
* ...a combination of any of the above.

No purpose, and therefore...

* ...to simply live until one dies (there is no universal or celestial purpose)
* ...just a series of events
* ...just nature taking its course
* ...the wheel of time keeps on turning
* ...the cycle of life
* ...whatever you see you see, as in "projection makes perception"
* ...there is no purpose or meaning whatsoever (see nihilism)
* ...who cares?

Answer 2

The meaning of life is attribution. For something to mean something, you've got to attribute something to it. ^_~

The direct answer to your question is yes, and no. If you give life no purpose, then it has none that is directly of interest to you. If you give life a purpose for yourself, then it does.

I do not accept reproduce as a universal answer for every person. As natural genetics even produce offspring which cannot reproduce. Reproduction has no meaning until someone attributes meaning to it. Those who don't have the physical capability to produce may still contribute greatly to society or to themselves. The purpose of life can mean existing for whatever period of time one exists. There is a purpose OF reproduction, to reproduce. There is a reason for some to reproduce. But, reproduction is not THE purpose for all living things, more accurately, it is sometimes a consequence of an action (consequence meaning negative, positive, or neutral).

The concept that life's purpose is to reproduce can be a cultural, or religious concept. Just because many things do reproduce, does not mean it is the purpose. It can be A purpose, for some ^_~

and 42 is a quote from douglas adams. use a search engine if your're curious ^_~

Answer 3

the purpose is to find the purpose, keep on looking. when you find it you will be so happy. many people find the purpose and have had a positive effect on this world. First read up on these people and let them effect you. I read the Pilgrim's Progress book and it has had a big effect on me. I would say the meaning is to keep your eyes open and never stop looking. Life is giving you the answers to life just be open to it.

Answer 4

From what I can tell, the meaning of life is to hard a question to ask, as most people dig to deep into the thought to give a great answer. My answer isn't just, and can be proven with nothing but experience, and the answer I give is Effect. To me, it seems that we are put here on earth to effect one another. This can even be said for non intellegent beings, like animals, and even plants.

Here is how this reasoning makes sense to me. Think about a prson who comes along only once in your life but tells you of a pholosophy they live their life by. This, sounding very intriging to you causes you to start to live your life by the same philosophy. This is an effect that someone, only meeting you once, and even for a 20 min time span, has on you.

I say live your life to effect others. When meeting with someone new think of how, even for a spilt second you can effect their life. This is why I believe the reason for libing is to effect. I may be wrong, but it makes absolute sense to me.

Good luck finding out this answer as many people will have their own opinion for why we are here, all you can do is find the answer that makes the most sense to yourself.

Answer 5

42

Answer 6

42

Answer 7

I doubt that there is a purpose - I love life too - I think it is really interesting.
Like loads of others have said I think its up to individuals to make up meanings for themselves - Its not that I cant think up meanings I just cant believe in any of them - But life goes on regardless and is still fun and interesting.

Answer 8

My dear Jono. my main purpose is to improve my existence. Every day I wake up and say "a brand new day."
I live at the end of the world, i´m not english nor american, I live near from the Artic polar circle but most of the times I feel the same than you.

Answer 9

The question "what is the meaning of life?" means different things to different people. The vagueness of the query is inherent in the word "meaning", which opens the question to many interpretations, such as: "What is the origin of life?", "What is the nature of life (and of the universe in which we live)?", "What is the significance of life?", "What is valuable in life?", and "What is the purpose of, or in, (one's) life?". These questions have resulted in a wide range of competing answers and arguments, from scientific theories, to philosophical, theological, and spiritual explanations.

Answer 10

Meaning of life would be to fulfil your own personal dreams, while trying not to hurt others in the process. If a person dies and can say that they have had a good life then I guess they would have done all they have ever wanted, and are happy.

Answer 11

It's all subjective, really. What is important to you as a person? What do YOU want out of life that is not part of another person's dream? Study existentialism, the philosophy that says that an individual is responsible for determining his own destiny...we are free to make our own choices...we are our own Gods.