In the immensity of time & space, what can you do with your ever so brief life span? Does anything matter?

Question

When we consider the billions of years which came before us, and the billions of years to come after us, what do our brief life spans really mean, if anything? Isn't religion a means of trying to deny this reality? Isn't this why belief in the immortality of the soul is so prevalent? Isn't it an attempt to deny our insignificance?

Answer 1

Yup, we are insignificant, if you look at the big picture. I think a peice of dialog from a movie named "Collateral" sums it up pretty good:

"...there's no good reason, no bad reason to live or to die."
"Then what are you?"
"Indifferent. Get with it."

Answer 2

COGITO ERGO SUM
I think Therefore I am.
I can only know what I experience.
I do what I do because I choose to believe that an individual makes a difference. There appear to be a few billion people on this planet. I am the only one who's opinion makes a difference to me. My ego is so big that I think I am worth more than any possible benefit derived from being a crook. My love of my parents, wife, children and grand children are a significant contribution to the world I experience. The other people who's lives I touch, I treat the way I would like to be treated. Many reciprocate in kind. The only interaction I can have with the world is when I am here. My parents are gone and yet the impact of there lives continues to reverberate through me and the other people who's lives they touched. While it is possible that this world only exists for me to have a place to live and that it will cease to exist when I do, I choose to live as though it is real and that it will continue after I am gone. I choose to think that what I do will have some impact on the world that my grand children turn over to their grand children.

Answer 3

First, we aren't insignificant. Such comparisons could drive one goofy. My "ever so brief little life span" is filled with magic. It's a delightful journey. As for immortality of the soul, that's another issue, but I think it's more a belief for the comfort factor than that we are insignificant. You think?

Answer 4

If life is insignificant, then why don't you make decisions recklessly? Why do you consciously make decisions that prolong your life, if it doesn't matter whether you are dead or not? Why not drive through red lights? Why not kill the guy in front of you at McDonald's so you can get your Shamrock Shake sooner?
You do things to keep your life going, keeping life comfortable, even though you say that life is insignificant. You won't rush out to find death--committing suicide--because there is no purpose to it, even if life is insignificant, so you might as well live. But you will avoid scenarios that put your life in danger. You will stop at that red light. You will wait patiently for a treat.
If you ever do anything you want to do, then you are saying that one thing is significant in some way, even if that significance is just for your personal pleasure. Asking the question you do is your way of saying, "Despite the complete insignificance of my actions, I will keep performing actions for some reason." What those actions are are dependent on what those reasons are. If you are a "soul-is-immortal" person, your actions are based on keeping your soul clean. If you are a "soul-is-not-immortal [or non-existent]" person, then your reasons are [fill in the blank]. What do you put in that blank? Personally satisfying right now? If it makes you feel good, then do it...if our emotions are insignificant, might as well decide in favor of a 'feelgood,' and it might as well be right now because you might not be here tomorrow. So you should always do what makes you feel good--or better, if faced with two options--and has the best consequences, to ensure the possibility of future 'feelgoods.' Yes, I feel that our lives are, in the big picture, insignificant. The universe won't care if I suffer. Heck, my neighbors won't care if I suffer. But that doesn't mean I should welcome suffering into my life. So I do what feels good and has good consequences.
If that were to entail belief in an immortal soul, big deal. It isn't hurting anyone, unless I interfere in their life and disrupt their comfort level. If they are upset, I might offer suggestions on how to feel better. But if they are doing fine, let them be. Therein lies the problem with religion. Deny the insignificance. That's fine. It's okay to be wrong. But don't press something onto others. If they are comfortable and not interfering in your life, then let them be.
It's like walking through a field of wasp nests. Wander all you want and be content. Interfere and expect trouble.
How does this 'laissez-faire' policy tie into your question? Simple. Let the others deny their insignificance. You deny the insignificance every time you postpone gratification. If life was truly insignificant on all counts, then you wouldn't care what happened to you, so you'd pick what feels good now, regardless of consequences. But you pick what has decent consequences because your life matters to you, while recognizing that it won't matter in the big picture if you put ten grand on red or ten grand on black. Denying the insignificance is okay. Attack the religions on other points: such as the interference on others.
"But fuzzinutzz," you ask, "aren't YOU pressing your 'laissez-faire' policy onto them?" Indeed. Guilty. There is a philsophical solution to this paradox, and it is famous, but I can't remember it, so I'll create my own. The policy proposed saves the religions not from stress, because the stress of converting others is paid off by the saving of their soul (their view, not mine). The policy saves the religions from failing themselves. It takes great work to keep one's self in good standing. Converting takes time away from saving one's self and maintaining one's self status. This solution to my paradox is not as strong as the philosophical one that I forgot, but I think I'll go watch Death Wish now. It has happier consequences for me than researching stuff.

Answer 5

Not one question can solve all the mysteries, see what you want and forget on which others may be confuse, look arround for the one who has the definite answers to many questions, the only important thing is you only, if you understand yourself many will have the answers. If knowledge is not converted into practicality then it means nothing.

You have logically proved time & space, it may be the spreading of one second and thats all, so the time & space is just a detail of one second.

Ask yourself, you are the best anwerer.

Answer 6

I understand what you're saying.
But what is the most important thing? Living well while we are here. People may not know we ever existed 200 years from now, but that doesn't need to be our focus. We need to live each day as if it were our last, our last chance to show those we love how much we truly care.
Give life your all, and it comes back to you in excess of anything you can imagine.

Answer 7

We are spiritual beings on a brief earthly journey

Religion is man made. True spirituality is a connection between our soul & that of the Creator.

Our lives, short in comparison of enternty, do have value because we are part of creation. Considering our minisquity
compared to time and space. Our lives in its briefness is priceless and of great value just because we are part of something far greater than ourselves.

YOu see, in our minuteness, we are greatness.

Answer 8

Everything is part of the pattern of life and death, nothing is insignificant. The smallest pebbles will always cause ripples, no matter how many or how big. Actions become remembrance, remembrance becomes stories, and stories become legend. Live to be legendary!

Answer 9

There are 3 style of deahs after the quick span of life on earth. one million. organic dying after finished span of life on earth wherein optimal life power might have been spent on residing and little bit life power left interior the physique as soul will provide up functioning because of the fact the sexual needed fluid of the two intercourse come out with the aid of seual organs which will moist the fabric.The bio magnetic field (genitic chracters in very low intensity) of the lifeless would be absorbed by making use of the close relatives / chum of same frequency of recommendations and could be disolved in geo magnetic field / conventional magnetic field. 2. Un- organic dying dying like accident / homicide etc The sexual needed fuid will come out as interior the faster case. The bio magneti field with finished intencity as imprints of the the persons will come out as invissible smoke and stay interior the geo magnetic field / the classic magtetic field for long term. it is going to grant its charecter to the residing persons of simillar frequency. a while greater intensified magnetic field is absorbed by making use of residing persons will demonstrate as undesirable spirit of lifeless ones. 3. The found out soul will wash off / eliminate all impirints amassed duing the life time in this beginning and interior the faster births by making use of the genitic aspects all alongside flow to the Statis State ( Knon as God & in distinctive call in numerous religions) that's everywhere in the Universe and wherein & by making use of which the Universe is developed and being sustained. Soul is life power and the recommendations is the biomagnetism generated by making use of the quickly spinning of life power debris. those 0.33 style of persons won't below flow the beginning & dying cycles. they are going to be on the eternal blishful life.

Answer 10

insignificant to the whole, but so significant to the parts, like say the people who depend on you.

but yes, that may be one reason so many religions depend on the immortal soul concept.

Answer 11

Given what you say rings true...where do you go from here? Life has to be lived. No amount of arguing can change that. You are the world. What do you intend to make of your life is for every individual to answer.