(Why) is there a meaning of life?

Question

If you ask anyone to think of a philosophical question they will almost always give you "what is the meaning of life." Through our struggle to find the answer, have we wondered if there is or why there is a meaning of life?

I accept that there may be a purpose of each individuals life, but are meaning and purpose the same thing.

Answer 1

The meaning of life can be defined by "feelings" This is the only thing humans relate life too, and can be defined as the limit of the human experience.

Fear, love, hate, anger, joy, happiness, etc., represent the expression of our inner core of consiousness, that is, thinking, being, etc.

Whenever we hit this outer limit i.e., "feelings", we experience life. Whatever the real meaning of these feelings are, they could be possibly be the boundary between the physical plane and the spiritual plane.

That is why people who say they get spiritual about something may just be experiencing an "emotional" high.

Answer 2

There can be no answer to the question, `What is the meaning of life'. Life means so many different things to many different people, life can already be meaningful to some and meaningless to others. Life is an existence and, depending on how you view it, an act of God or a result of a chemical reaction. If you are a religious believer then your religion should provide the answer, if you follow the science route, then life is basically an accident! There can be no single answer to this question due to the huge number of variables involved. Define `the meaning of life' in relation to a blade of grass, an insect, a dog or cat, a tree, a horse or define the individual meaning of life regarding race or culture. Too many variables so maybe it's best to stay with . . . 42!

Answer 3

The search for a meaning of life is the reason why we "believe" there must be a meaning. The purpose of there being a meaning, is to answer the question.

There does not need to be a meaning in a person's life. Each person has a choice as to whether their life has meaning, or purpose.

However, if a life exists it has meaning, however insignificant. Therefore, to say a life which exists has no meaning is to say that existence has no meaning. Existence has meaning, and the ultimate meaning of existence is eventual death.

So, in answer to the question, there is a meaning because you ask the question! I think, therefore I am. I ask the question why, because I exist. Therefore, my life has meaning (at least to me).

Answer 4

You're right there doesn't have to be a reason for life. We perhaps just like to think that there is to help us understand our personal purposes in life.

Purpose and meaning the same thing? I don't know but I don't think so. But answering such questions with purposes helps us justify meaning.

It would be hard for anyone to live knowing that life has no meaning, because if there is no meaning, does it have any value?

Answer 5

The meaning of life is like the other question, why is there something instead of nothing. I think that is the question that needs to be answered. Existence seems as unnecessary as intelligence. In our world you may find a screw, there was a reason why that screw was made, there was something it was intended to keep together. In our world everything has a purpose like the screw. If there was nothing to be held together the screw would not exist. So in finding the reason why there is something instead of nothing there we will find what the meaning of life is. The fact that we exist, in my opinion, is evidence that there must be a meaning of life.

Answer 6

I think yes... or what should we here do otherwise..? That is the whole point I think. The "meaning" is the adventure we will undertake as our lives develop, and the "purpose", is what we action we take to fufil the whole process. We all have a meaning in life. That is the way it is.It is just how we use it, that is important. How we send our own message out into the world.


Love

Answer 7

Is there a meaning of life? YES

Life has whatever "meaning" you assign to it. YOU CHOOSE YOUR PURPOSE FOR LIVING; or, you accept whatever purpose you allow someone else to give you.

Why is there a meaning of life? It's in the book of "unwritten rules".

The rule could've been written this way...

* Everyone who lives must serve some purpose, otherwise they will feel miserable.*

Answer 8

The truth is that life has no meaning.It is the span of time between birth and death.Your name will be found in the birth and death registers of the Muncipal Town.You have to give meaning to your life.Those who have given meaning to life have become great like Abraham Lincoln,Hellen Keller,Mahatma Gandhi etc.They have no death and live in the minds of people and continue to inspire men and women till the world ends.The real question is that can you give some meaning to your life?

Answer 9

The meaning of life is the antithesis of the meaning of death. We are alive. Or not.

What makes life so much fun/challenging/unbearable is the purpose or lack of it. No achievable targets means you'll give up. No targets at all means you won't get up. No appreciation for what you see as important, however crazy, means possible reduction in your opinion of yourself. Does any of this help?

Answer 10

The meaning and purpose of the human life is the same as that of the animal life. Our duty to the human species is to reproduce to carry on human life. We were put on this earth as animals. We were little in number and were dyinjg because of disease and we eventually evolved because we reproduced enough to evolve and to get past further obstacles like disease we must continue to reproduce to ensure we evolve to the point where we are un affected to diseases like cancer. Though we may not be here to see it you will know that you have done your duty to make this happen. You played your part to help your species survive.