Lets get Serious. What makes life worth living?

Question

A child is born. Eyes open and are focused on the odd reality that faces him. Parents who are anywhere from ages 12 to 50 (on average) peer down into his eyes and guide him the best they can through the freedom of thought and ability. What next. How do we enjoy it. Religious views are welcome. Tell me, What makes life worth living?

Answer 1

Well, I have been un loved and unwanted by most everyone all my life so I can tell you it is not someone's opinion of you that youl ive for. I have always believed life is about the joys and happiness of having children running around while you watch them grow and become independent people in the world along with having the love and compassion of a women. Unfourtanately, reality would tell me different. People are washed in to thinking what is of value in life and what is not. They conform to be like each other for exceptance and find comaradere and fellowship with one another and believe themselves to be right becuase of there exceptance but it could easily be a fasade! Some people will self distruct just to find exeptance with others!
To me it seems if you can find a way to live your life in total happiness or bliss then you are living right but yet I see people who really have everything being spiteful and hateful toward others and very unhappy with themselves. Clearly they have no understanding of how to live life!
Many things contribute to making life worth living. Even answering Yahoo Answers can make it worth while. We all need some sort of a sense of accomplishment or something to keep us going in the world. Since I have nothing but the kindness and consideration I offered to all those have ever met in this world then that is what has made my life worth living. I so badly wanted to have a family and raise some kids but no girl would have me that I saw compatible. Sure there were many large over weight older women who wanted to hook up with me but I could not find happiness with someone who did not share the same values of fitness and dignity to have a meaningful, loving releationship creating a happy atmoshere for children to be brought up in. So I still wait and hope for this day to come. Unfourtanately, to many women rely on there intuitiveness at first sight before they will even allow guy a chance not realizing there could actually be an intelligent man inside with plenty of asperation to come if he only had a women by his side. Besides, just having a women in his presence does incredible things to motivate a man to succeed at things. Unfourtantely for me, I get lots of looks but nothing ever meterializes and rejection happens before anything ever started.
So, in short, you need events in your life to make it worth living. Weather it be fighting the war effort in Iraq to better all of mankind or being an example to the society you live in during your day to day lifestyle. It is about leaving an impression on mankind! Hopefully a positive impression so as to not lead to the disrtruction and demise of all mankind. I would rather be a part of the solutions than a part of the problems! Take care!

Answer 2

Okay, I'll give this a try. You do not want God to handle this. That is good, God did not cause this, so why should he just "fix" it for you. He can, however, give you the tools to "fix" this yourself. Would you like to know why you feel that your life is not worth living? Ask yourself...what am I living for? If someone gives you a gift, do you thank them for it? God gave you life. So, how can you thank him for that? Or, perhaps in your case, how can you even begin to be thankful for the life you have? Sound overly philosophical? Well, it's really quite simple. Bible principals can give you a guide to true happiness and meaning in your life. Here are just a few examples if you don't believe me: (Acts 20:35) . . .‘There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.’ If you want someone to care about you, why not go out and do something helpful for someone in need? Perhaps an older person, a sick person for example. It will make a difference in their life, but it will have even greater impact on yours. (Galatians 5:22, 23) . . .On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. This world, and often our lives, are filled with everything but the traits listed here. If you work at developing these qualities in your life, in spite of everything you are dealing with, people will see you as inspirational. They will look up to you. And you will have true meaning in your life. (Philippians 4:6, 7) . . .Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let YOUR petitions be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard YOUR hearts and YOUR mental powers by means of Christ Jesus. Okay, so I said I would not tell you that God will "fix" this for you. He will however, listen to your plight. He is interested in you. And he can help you cope with this. The real question is, are you interested in him? And are you willing to give the one that created you the chance to prove that he is real?

Answer 3

Life is not easy, there are ups and downs, challenges and triumphs. We all get in slumps and say "what am I here for" My answer to myself is--love of my children, the ability to learn something new everyday, the knowledge and advice I can pass on to others, the simple things like a walk on the beach or in the woods enjoying what god or mother nature has given us. This makes the hard times easier to deal with, although it is a tumultuous world, it is a beautiful world and I am going to make the most of the beauty that is in it, that is what makes it worth living for.

Answer 4

Lot's of things make life worth living. We all have our own idea of the defininition of LIFE and LIVING; I'd say pleasure is one of the main reasons people continue to want to live.

Progress may be another reason, people usually have goals and dreams- living and reaching these desires- the journey towards becoming complete. From a philosophical standpoint; that is what your question is posed as- this is what some of the worlds "great" thinkers have said...

“Only a life lived for others is worth living” ~ Albert Einstein

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

“Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.” ~ Orison Swett Marden

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” ~ Albert Einstein

“The value of life is not in the length of days, but in the use we make of them; a man may live long yet very little.” ~ Michel de Montaigne

“There are four questions of value in life... What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love.”
Don Juan deMarco (1995) ~ Johnny Depp

“If money is all that a man makes, then he will be poor. Poor in happiness and poor in all that makes life worth living.” ~ Robert N. C. Nix

“These then are my last words to you. Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.” ~ William James (American Philosopher and Psychologist, leader of the philosophical movement of Pragmatism, 1842-1910)

Answer 5

Sort of depends how you define 'worth.'
Are you going all Sartre here, and need proof or confirmation as to why you shouldn't just kill yourself, because everything is 'absurd'?
Or bad times got you down? Is that what's bothering you, Bunkie?
Ever think about the wretched, miserable poor lives lived by so many people and wonder why they want to continue to live?
They can do nothing about their situation, in Africa, Asia, inner city or wherever. Their suicide rate may be higher than elsewhere, where religious law doesn't interfere, but even then, there is more instinct to continue living than ending it.
If you can appreciate the miracle and gift of life, and that it wasn't given with a guarantee for constant bliss, you can find meaning by looking with your heart and not your eyes.

Answer 6

If you value the worth of your own life, that of others, and know what rewards life brings, even in the bad times, you don't need to ask that question, because you have opened your eyes to not only LOOK but SEE LIFE.

Answer 7

I used to think that life had to always be complicated, i always have problems, questions and decisions, and when they are resolved, my life progresses. But lately i've accidently reverted myself to a time when i was a child, when i used to enjoy MOMENTS instead of OUTCOMES. Like just sitting in the sun on the beach, or readign a good book, or saturday mornign cartoons. Those brief moments of happiness have become important to me, even though they seem silly or insignificant.

Answer 8

The pleasure of some drops of happiness and good memories in a pool of discontent and tragedy. Or so I heard, anyway what I mean is that life is full of ups and downs, the good times and the bad times, the will to keep fighting, we live for those good times.

Answer 9

Although there are people who are perfectly content to live their lives single, most of the rest of us enjoy interacting with a partner/spouse; enjoying life and everything it has to offer.

Also, for both singles and couples alike, the concept of charity is significant; doing things for other people instead of just satisfying our own needs and desires.

Answer 10

Getting dead would require a reason to motivate the trouble it'd take you. Life is lived by default: because we're "meant to;" the universe just "is" such that we, a part of it, do live. Reasons why it's better than getting dead include: fear of the unknown, instinct, social pleasure, sensuous pleasure, religious experience