Why are we here? What is our purpose in life? People are born, then they die....why are people even alive? What does it all mean? What is the point of life? I'm just interested to hear people's opinions.
2007-06-20 05:25:02 · 14 answers · asked by diepolitiker 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Baby Kayla, very nize... i like!!
Of COURSE contemporary Americans should have a new education on "How to live"...Something like that is what all humans need in order to avoid an "Existential dilemma" like the one described in this question...
A few little somethings called "culture," "tradition," "history," and "society" have historically helped to teach humans how to live their lives. The values taught in contemporary American culture, which are almost entirely those disseminated from Mass Media Pop-culture perspectives, are SORELY lacking in a substantial or fulfilling framework of being. They represent a shell of existence, promising the outward appearance of beauty or love, but devoid of any other deeper significance for those who would be practicers of this way of life.
Hence the feeling of apathy towards human existence.
If it is possible for human life to be merely the dried husk of unrequited beauty, the dillemist will ask, then what is the purpose?
Well... i say to that.... IT IS POSSIBLE FOR YOUR HUMAN EXISTENCE TO BE THE FLESHY FRUIT OF YOUR OWN CREATION, PREGNANT WITH THE NECTAR OF INVENTION, OF IMMEDIACY, AND OF INTIMACY.
So then, the point is:
2007-06-20 05:58:27 · answer #1 · answered by The cat 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We are here on earth with possibilities to be one with god, which can be enlightenment or absolute freedom, unconditional love, all means same.
We were given physical bodies since... it has more energy than any spirit, and experiences through the physical body is very strong. We have much better chance to evolve the spirit tham staying in form of spirit.
Yet the material world is something taking 99.999% of our attention! So if there is no death, it's not likely we'll search for the truth. We often question "What is life? What is the meaning?" when we think about death seriously, right?
I always think earth is playground god has created for us, god's children, to play, learn and grow up. Like a child, be happy all the time, love yourself and others, then you will have a good life, die without regret...
2007-06-20 05:44:30 · answer #2 · answered by The Catalyst 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
A cosmic question.
From a scientific (biological) point of view, the purpose of life is procreation, or the perpetuation of the species. The definition of life is that which has the ability to replicate itself. Living things, including people, spend most of their time trying to survive long enough to reproduce, then they die.
From a philosophical point of view, it depends on whether you believe in God or not, as 'Just me' noted. If you are an atheist then there can be no purpose in life other than the biological one. If you believe in God then you must believe He had a plan in creating the universe and life, and the purpose of life is to fulfill that plan. What the plan is exactly depends on your creed.
In either case, the purpose is defined in a very general way, and neither science nor religion tells us what we are supposed to do with our individual lives. In the end we each have to decide on our own purpose in life.
2007-06-20 06:03:13 · answer #3 · answered by mr.perfesser 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Every intelligent person suffers from what Jean-Paul Sartre called "existential angst," an anguish that cannot be extinguished because it exists beyond our ability to reach its core. We DO have purposes in life; but we must make them for ourselves. The meaning comes from the act. What we do gives meaning to our lives, or lack of meaning for that matter. As for me, when I die, on my stone I want the following epitaph: "She made a difference." At least for me, that's the meaning of life.
2007-06-20 07:54:03 · answer #4 · answered by Elaine P...is for Poetry 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think that our purpose is already predetermined, and everyone has something different to contribute to the world. People are alive to make a difference to learn, and in my opinion then to repeat the process all over again. So no one can answer the question why anyone else is here, we can only answer why we, ourselves, are here.
2007-06-20 06:28:25 · answer #5 · answered by Amber 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We are not created for any grander purpose than the ants that are there or the flies that are hovering around us or the mosquitoes that are sucking our blood
We are no more purposeful or meaningful than any other thing on this planet.
It is fear that makes you believe that you are living and that you will be dead.What we do not want is the fear to come to an end. That is why we have invented all these new minds, new sciences,new talks, therapies, choiceless awareness and various other gimmicks.
The plain fact is that if you don't have a problem, you create one. If you don't have a problem you don't feel that you are living.
2007-06-20 06:40:52 · answer #6 · answered by The More I learn The More I'm Uneducated 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
from evolution's point of view, life was simply something formed over the years as the sendiments settled down, and intangible things such as emotions are simply coincidence of evolution.
as such, a purpose wasnt intended when life happened.
(edit: one of the answers below mine, by the guy named X, explains this concept)
"Unless you assume a God, the question of life 's purpose is meaningless."
Bertrand Russell, atheist - as quoted in Rick Warren's book, A Purpose Driven Life
from a christian's point of view, God has a purpose for us, since the day Man was created God specifically had instructions for them on what to do and what not to do.
as for which is true, it's for everyone to find out.
2007-06-20 05:38:47 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
We are here because of the miracle of nature and the universe. Every specie goes through the same cycle of life, being born, existing, procreating, trying to rise to the top of the heap and then dying.
There is no point! It is what it is!
2007-06-20 08:50:20 · answer #8 · answered by madisonian51 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I can answer this in many ways. 1. biblical. we are here to worship god. 2. darwin. we are here to make our offspring stronger than we are. 3. rockstar; get laid, get paid, get made. 4. scientology. because aliens put us here, now give me money! 5. supermodel, to be better looking than the person next to me. 6. philosopher. to learn what we can and pass on the good bits in writing. 7. emo. to die. 8. It's not that we're alive that i wonder about, but why we choose to stay that way.
2007-06-20 05:42:05 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The great use of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it. Do not be afraid of life. Believe that it is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
P.S. Nowadays, we should have two more types of education. One that teaches us how to make a living and another one to teach us how to live.
2007-06-20 05:34:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋