Why does life seem utterly meaningless and pointless when you draw back and look at it?

Question

From outer space as it were, lots of tiny humans running around, living and then dying, what's the point?

Yes I'm depressed!

Answer 1

Look at the bigger picture. There are things going on which you cannot see with your eyes or sense with your senses. Spiritual things and battles are going on all around you and you are not aware they are happening.
(Eph 6:12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
If you enter into the spirit realm then these thing become true and the laws of physics of this world (reality) no longer apply to that reality of the spirit world. This is the realm in which the spirit of God moves. It can mix in this reality but as an individual on his or her own it cannot mix in the spirit reality. Only through the Holy Spirit can one even begin to know something of the spirit reality. This is the physical and the spirit is the spirit. Possible pure energy and pure thought. I personally have not yet learned enough as of yet. Nevertheless, when the Lord returns all answers will be given. Life on the other hand has allot of meaning. Its just not rapped up in human kind. Our existance is due to higher existance. We are to be his children. His offspring of godly power. And because of this we, his children, are at war in many relems.

Answer 2

Because that is one of the possible conclusions that a thinking being may come to,
without being mad, stupid or ignorant.

H G Wells saw it
J-P Sartre and Camus wrestled with it.
Bernard Shaw suspected it.
You can find it in Shakespeare.
Douglas Adams used the idea more than once in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and pointed out that many beings prefer to move into smaller universes of their own devising, .rather than face the whole mind-blowing thing.

That's not to say they are necessarily right. Most people accept the cultural world view that they were raised with, which tends to include a set of values, purposes and objectives. Some have questioned and come to a belief in universal or personal meaning. Everything from a strict but loving deity to "I'm going to have as much fun as I can till I drop."
The fortunate ones may be those who have never even really seen the problem. As long as the universe does not break into what proves to be a comfortable illusion. Now that is traumatic.

"The energies of our system will decay, the glory of the sun will be dimmed, and the earth, tideless and inert, will no longer tolerate the race of man which has for a moment disturbed its solitude. Man will go down into the pit, and all his thoughts will perish." A J Balfour.

Now pick your viewpoint, your truth, or your myth, and live with it. Believe in a meaningful future, face the meaninglessness, or dance against the dark:

"Dance, Mehitabel, dance"

(one of the most beautiful and terrible images I know)

Answer 3

No, i think you are wrong, from outer space it isnt a load of people living and dying. Actually from outer space the planet Earth is a like a grain of sand in an ocean, and there are 6.5 billion of us on that grain of sand hurteling oblivious of the fact that they, we, are totally insignificant in the greater scheme of things. We live, most of us dont leave a mark on the grain of sand and die. Those of us that do make it into history make it into a history that would affect nothing in the greater scheme of things.

Thats too damn depressing. Dude, i frequently think like that, but that doesnt help.

Think in another way. Picture a huge machine, with billions of components, like hundreds of nuts, bolts, gears and so on. Now, one would say that a small screw with a diameter of 1mm is totally insignificant in the greater scheme of things, right? wrong. If that screw slid out due to some sort of problem, then the other screws may not be able to hold the component in place, and then if that falls off, it may be catastrophe for the machine.

Think of yourself in the same way. All the people you know would not be the same without, and everyone they know, and so on. You may have affected them positivly (hopefully) or negatively. Anyway, this domino effect goes so far. For example, lets say you are environmentally friendly, and influence others to be the same, and they influence more people, and so on, you may have contributed to saving the world. Had the world not been saved, then it may have, I havent a clue how, had disasterous effects on the solar system and eventually the universe.

Answer 4

The point is to live the best life that you can. We may look small & insignificant from far away, but close up, we are each important. Make the most of your life. You have to give it meaning. Meaning doesn't just happen. Do what you love. Go after your dreams. Experience pleasure & joy. Look for the beauty that's around you. It is still a beautiful world if you take the time to see it.

Live life to the fullest. Might as well make the best of it. You're here anyway!

Peace out!
:)

Answer 5

Because you're right, overall it has no grand meaning or purpose, it just *is*.

But generally this is thought into which one engages when depressed. While there is no purpose for life or even existance itself (something which we will never discover), when you zoom back in again, life is far from pointless.

Technically they may just be a result of electrical signals in the brain and chemical reactions between a series of sterile, cold elements, but human emotions such as love, hope or simply enjoying things, or even the creation of these things for others, suddenly bring a purpose and a meaning where one was lacking before. However, when these things are not present in one's life for any period of time, any engagement into this debate is understandable.

Answer 6

While it may be true that we are but a minuscule part of a greater universe there is still possibility and hope. We just have to realize that, while we can not change the World, we are the instrument through which change can come in our PART of the World.
Those you help, those you touch and inspire.
Don't give up hope, don't give up life. Look deep within yourself and find those things that offer you fulfillment, purpose and therefore meaning.
Good luck.

Answer 7

It only “seems” to be pointless if thought continually holds on to lies and believes them to be the truth. In this manner, one is always looking at a dark dead end, which is discouraging at best. As you gather all of the facts of this life and world from a material interpretation of creation, then you are the deceived and the deceiver. It is when you look away from looking at this material reality as being true and final, that you begin to see great purpose in life here and now, and then change starts to come.

Answer 8

Not me personally but I have a female friend who once told me that the beauty of a yellow rose made her cry. What you’ve described above is an example of mindfulness – being conscious of living in the present moment while observing and admiring the beauty of the world around you. In order to achieve this, you need to disconnect your mind from your routine or from the worries of everyday life and focus on observing things around you like the blue sky and the beauty of a butterfly, things apparently meaningless but if one pays profound attention to them, they can cause powerful positive emotions like happiness - emotions that could even make one cry. Mindfulness is often encouraged in psychotherapy when conditions such as depression are tackled.

Answer 9

Life is meaningless and might be pointless...It just is, blossoming and never ending...Little humans , being within, putting meanings on it, countless of meanings...Observing life from outer space or from a imaginable distance observer separates him /herself from obviously now, small sphere where they 've been internal part of.Truth is overwhelming...There is no meaning to Life..and it is so. Does Beauty have a meaning.? Nope. It is just Beauty which triggers cascade of feelings....Back to observer . being on a distance observer missing main point. He/ she now representing Life itself.Is there would be a meaning oneself can put on oneself? Try it, you'll fail is there is no one to reflect it, to approve it or to dismiss it. Starting from that observations we may come to number of significant discoveries and possible solutions....Good luck. Conclusions is not so bad, as we may expect.

Answer 10

I am so sad for you. In my whole life and it is long, I've never felt it was pointless. Often mused about "the big question", but I have always believed what answers we do not get on this "plane" we will learn on the next.