What is the meaning of life?

Question

What is it?

Answer 1

The meaning of life depends upon the person in search of its meaning.

Answer 2

Life has no meaning. Life emerged through a complex chain of evolutionary events, dictated by the physical-chemical environment on the early Earth. The reducing atmosphere (one with only traces of oxygen and therefore a lack of reactive oxygen species which would attack chemical bonds), provided favourable energetic surroundings for the formation of relatively complex polymers from organic monomers which were already present on the primitive Earth. The monomers have been demonstrated to be from two sources: either formed from terrestrial synthetic pathways or were derived extraterrestrially from solar system materials. Over time, simple molecules developed into larger, more complex biological molecules and eventually to cells. Following further diversification, some cells developed that became metabolically capable of photosynthesis. This caused a cascade of irreversible events, interconnected by biogeochemical cycles. The atmosphere of the Earth changed to that of an oxidizing one and subsequently developed an ozone layer. The introduction of oxygen no longer supported the development of new life forms from the primordial building blocks, but instead supported the biological development and diversification of the early microorganisms. The ozone layer served as a means of protection, filtering the harmful UV radiation. These dramatic changes transformed the early Earth into our present day biosphere.

But life keeps on going, people keep on living, and we try to make the best of it. Then, when we all die, be it a meteor or the death of the sun, it is still possible that the Big Bang will happen again. As the universe expands, the combined gravity from all the matter within it tends to slow that expansion, much as the earth's gravity tries to pull a rising rocket back to the ground. If the pull is strong enough, the expansion will stop and reverse itself; if not, the cosmos will go on getting bigger, literally forever. Which is it? One way to find out is to weigh the cosmos—to add up all the stars and all the galaxies, calculate their gravity and compare that with the expansion rate of the universe. If the cosmos is moving at escape velocity, no Big Crunch.

Or two more universes could collide in the eleventh dimension and maybe life will emerge in a different universe.

Answer 3

Speaking as someone who has wrestled with something akin to your question since I was about 10 years old, I think it is part of the human make-up to believe in something in order to provide context - and the more nebulous idea, "meaning" - to our lives. Without some kind of belief basis I think it's probably too difficult for a thinking, emotional being to endure the inevitable trials of life. That way lies insanity or self-destruction or both.

So while I don't believe in an all-powerful creator or interventionist deity, I do believe there is a purpose to life, but something too vast and complex for our little brains to grasp, even if something or somebody were able articulate it to us.

Life itself is astonishing, particularly when you consider the vastness of non-life out there, and the wondrous configuration of circumstances that allows it to flourish on this lonly wee planet. I think that's worth celebrating with the hope - if not belief - that life has value in itself. I believe our instincts tell us this, and while it's easy to dismiss those as mechanisms simply encoded into us to aid survival or procreation, it's just as easy to dismiss any intellectual rationale of the negative, mainly because such a viewpoint is a belief in itself, and that few of those who espouse it conduct their lives in a manner that articulates such a belief (unless they happen to be psychopathic). So I think life is valuable and from that I deduce there is purpose, however incomprehensible to me, and that ultimately that will be worthwhile for humanity or the planet or the cosmos (preferably all three).

I believe in evolution, though I do accept it is a belief, albeit one with pretty decent supporting evidence. I also believe that if we allow ourselves to evolve then there's a good possibility that at some undefined moment in the future our reality will suddenly shift and a big sign will come up saying:
"Well done! You are now on LEVEL 2..."

I think maybe that happened before, round about the time we mastered fire.

Answer 4

to ask questions the question which you should be asking is not "what is the meaning of life?" but why? However i beleive that the answer to your question lies beyond the descriptive words of human language and is in describable. For instance try describing the colour yellow to someone who has being blind from birth you can describe yellow items but not the colour. The same is true for god and therefore will be true for the meaning of life as a god will have an answer for that as the traditional god is omnibenevolent and omnipresent ect

Answer 5

Based on your life experience you create your meaning for life. If I tell you my meaning, probably you won't except it cuz you didn't had the same paths of my life.

So try to listen more, to see, smell, taste and as a result to create a meaning for your particular life.

Have a nice weekend!

Answer 6

Each person finds their individual "meaning" to life.

For some, it may involve marriage and family.
For another, it might be teaching an academic subject or tutoring a young artist or musician.
For another, it might be complete, total hedonism.
For another, it might be the life of a slacker; taking the path of least resistance wherever possible.

Answer 7

Is to search the meaning of existence.

When you start telling the meaning of life, it shows you understood the meaning of life. It is your perception.

Answer 8

Might I suggest you rent the movie "Monty Python's Meaning of Life"... it addresses your question in a sort of ridiculous manner, but in the end you come away with an idea of it's meaning... and quite a few laughs along the way !

Answer 9

Why do people feel the need to question life so much?..STOP... just enjoy..Enjoy being around the ones you love , doing things that make you happy and that satisfies you as a person.

Answer 10

Life has no meaning if you search for one. But it all depends on how you live. The meaning will blossom by itself without your searching.