Apologies to folk asking serious questions, this is simply a test and I would love to see what replies (if any) come back!
2007-03-23 05:10:47 · 33 answers · asked by LadyJanus 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Your individual life will have the meaning you choose for it.
Life in general is one of many characteristics of things in this universe and has no particular meaning besides that of any descriptor.
2007-03-23 05:25:05 · answer #1 · answered by Husker41 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is 'meaning' the same as 'purpose' - at least to the extent of illuminating each other? And if not, what is the 'meaning' of anything?
Does 'life' include all biological processes, or exclude viruses, or single cells, coelenterates, platyhelminths ... etc., up to humans only?
The 'purpose' that all life has in common is to reproduce, but this is no more profound than that the purpose of a saturated solution is to crystallise. It's a blind operation driven by physics and biochemistry.
If there is any more profound meaning or purpose to life, it has yet to manifest itself. Deciding it will depend greatly on the time window to be considered. If you consider the entire duration of the universe to date, life could be described thus: "At the end of the Nuclear Force Era, the universe was dominated by electromagnetic interaction, including chemical reactions on the surface of warm matter."
One possible event that could come to be described as the most important act in the four-billion years of life on Earth might be this: at some stage in the course of this very century we may create a machine with more intelligence than us. We will then have created our successor - a creature that will be far more capable than we of exploring and colonising the universe. A creature that could directly improve and enhance itself until it became as near to a god as is physically possible.
If we did that - and it may be inevitable - our lives would indeed be shown to have a purpose and a meaning.
CD
2007-03-23 05:53:42 · answer #2 · answered by Super Atheist 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A baby in the womb of his mother may ask a similar question. What am I doing in this dark and confined environment, in this liquid world in which I am growing?
Besides I don't even know why I am developing eyes, ears, legs and arms if I am not able to use them.
The answer is that they will be useful in the world in which he will be born, the physical world in which we live now.
What happens if he decided and could "not develop" his arms and legs when he was growing in the womb? He would be at a disadvantage here, of course.
The purpose of physical existence is to develop moral virtues, and to put them to the service of others, to the service of mankind. This done at the individual level will lead to the progress, well being peace and security of the whole human race.
For us it will be like developing the organs that will allow us to progress in the future worlds, which are spiritual and not material.
Here are some suggestions for acquiring those virtues.
"Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility."
2007-03-23 05:21:02 · answer #3 · answered by Sidd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
42
2007-03-23 05:18:49 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Life is a condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally. A diverse array of living organisms can be found in the biosphere on Earth. Properties common to these organisms – plants, animals, fungi, protists, archaea and bacteria – are a carbon and water-based cellular form with complex organization and genetic information. They undergo metabolism, possess a capacity to grow, respond to stimuli, reproduce and, through natural selection, adapt to their environment in successive generations.
An entity with the above properties is considered to be an organism. However, not every definition of life considers all of these properties to be essential. For example, the capacity for descent with modification is often taken as the only essential property of life. This definition notably includes viruses, which do not qualify under narrower definitions as they are acellular and do not metabolise. Broader definitions of life may also include theoretical non-carbon-based life and other alternative biology.
2007-03-23 05:14:47 · answer #5 · answered by masija420 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
To face the challanges without being discouraged. To be ready to face any eventuality that is unexpected. To be optimistic in the face of adversities. To change the lives of those who are in distress. Human birth is highest forms of all lives. So to live meaningful life by helping others and do good deeds so that there is no rebirth.
2007-03-23 21:26:30 · answer #6 · answered by katkam v 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I like 42, but today I'm feeling a desire to go a bit deeper.
The meaning of life is to remember who you are. Living life is about "being" who you chose to be at any given instance. You have the ability to create any experience you desire.
To live life, decide who you are -who you want to be - and then do everything in your power to be that.
Listen to your soul, not your mind for the right direction.
2007-03-23 05:58:49 · answer #7 · answered by wid021 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
42
2007-03-23 05:14:14 · answer #8 · answered by The Machine 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
1. Child birth
2. Schooling
3. Collage
4. Profession
5. Marriage
6. Child birth
This is not a meaning of life
We have to eat food for live and not to live to eat.
We have to do some thing other than nothing
We try to love all and try to invent small things and share happy or unhappy moments with others. etc....
2007-03-23 22:40:41 · answer #9 · answered by kumar r 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Learn Implement Fail & Evolve
2007-03-26 07:42:00 · answer #10 · answered by Sharad 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋