what is the purpose/true meaning of life?

Question

i don't get it. we're not really doing anything.
all we do is go to school. learn new things.
find a job.
get married, have kids.
retire, and die.
i know, we're supposed to "live our life to the fullest" but i still don't get the purpose?

i don't know why i put this in the health section :p

Answer 1

The philosophical question "What is the meaning of life?" means different things to different people. The vagueness of the query is inherent in the word "meaning", which opens the question to many interpretations, such as: "What is the origin of life?", "What is the nature of life (and of the universe in which we live)?", "What is the significance of life?", "What is valuable in life?", and "What is the purpose of, or in, (one's) life?". These questions have resulted in a wide range of competing answers and arguments, from scientific theories, to philosophical, theological, and spiritual explanations.

These questions are separate from the scientific issue of the boundary between things with life and inanimate objects.
Popular beliefs
"What is the meaning of life?" is a question many people ask themselves at some point during their lives, most in the context "What is the purpose of life?" Here are some of the many potential answers to this perplexing question. The responses are shown to overlap in many ways but may be grouped into the following categories:

Survival and temporal success
...to live every day like it is your last and to do your best at everything that comes before you
...to be always satisfied
...to live, go to school, work, and die
...to participate in natural human evolution, or to contribute to the gene pool of the human race
...to advance technological evolution, or to actively develop the future of intelligent life
...to compete or co-operate with others
...to destroy others who harm you, or to practice nonviolence and nonresistance
...to gain and exercise power
...to leave a legacy, such as a work of art or a book
...to eat
...to prepare for death
...to spend life in the pursuit of happiness, maybe not to obtain it, but to pursue it relentlessly.
...to produce offspring through sexual reproduction (alike to participating in evolution)
...to protect and preserve one's kin, clan, or tribe (akin to participating in evolution)
...to seek freedom, either physically, mentally or financially
...to observe the ultimate fate of humanity to the furthest possible extent
...to seek happiness and flourish, experience pleasure or celebrate
...to survive, including the pursuit of immortality through scientific means
...to attempt to have many sexual conquests (as in Arthur Schopenhauer's will to procreate)
...to find and take over all free space in this "game" called life
...to seek and find beauty
...to kill or be killed
...No point. Since having a point is a condition of living human consciousness. Animals do not need a point to live or exist. It is more of an affliction of consciousness that there are such things as points, a negative side to evolutionary development for lack of better words.

Wisdom and knowledge
...to master and know everything
...to be without questions, or to keep asking questions
...to expand one's perception of the world
...to explore, to expand beyond our frontiers
...to learn from one's own and others' mistakes
...to seek truth, knowledge, understanding, or wisdom
...to understand and be mindful of creation or the cosmos
...to lead the world towards a desired situation
...to satisfy the natural curiosity felt by humans about life

Ethical
...to express compassion
...to follow the "Golden Rule"
...to give and receive love
...to work for justice and freedom
...to live in peace with yourself and each other, and in harmony with our natural environment
...to protect humanity, or more generally the environment
...to serve others, or do good deeds

Religious and spiritual
...to find perfect love and a complete expression of one's humanness in a relationship with God
...to achieve a supernatural connection within the natural context
...to achieve enlightenment and inner peace
...to become like God, or divine
...to glorify God
...to experience personal justice (i.e. to be rewarded for goodness)
...to experience existence from an infinite number of perspectives in order to expand the consciousness of all there is (i.e. to seek objectivity)
...to be a filter of creation between heaven and hell
...to produce useful structure in the universe over and above consumption (see net creativity)
...to reach Heaven in the afterlife
...to seek and acquire virtue, to live a virtuous life
...to turn fear into joy at a constant rate achieving on literal and metaphorical levels: immortality, enlightenment, and atonement
...to understand and follow the "Word of God"
...to discover who you are
...to resolve all problems that one faces, or to ignore them and attempt to fully continue life without them, or to detach oneself from all problems faced

Philosophical
...to give life meaning
...to participate in the chain of events which has led from the creation of the universe until its possible end (either freely chosen or determined, this is a subject widely debated amongst philosophers)
...to know the meaning of life
...to achieve self-actualisation
...all possible meanings have some validity
...life in itself has no meaning, for its purpose is an opportunity to create that meaning, therefore:
...to die
...to simply live until one dies (there is no universal or celestial purpose)
...nature taking its course (the wheel of time keeps on turning)
...whatever you see you see, as in "projection makes perception"
...there is no purpose or meaning whatsoever
...life may actually not exist, or may be illusory )
...to contemplate "the meaning of the end of life"

Other
...to contribute to collective meaning ("we" or "us") without having individual meaning ("I" or "me")
...to find a purpose, a "reason" for living that hopefully raises the quality of one's experience of life, or even life in general
...to participate in the inevitable increase in entropy of the universe
...to make conformists' lives miserable
...to make life as difficult as possible for others (i.e. to compete)

Answer 2

Here's a very simple explanation. First of all, the answers are always simple. When you ask any question you need to simplify it.

Does this mean the purpose of your legs, or your arms or your heart or your brain. Each part of your body has a different purpose. It's what you, as the owner of the body, do with the various parts that matters. You can use your body parts to the fullest, and this includes your brain too.

There's no limit to what you can do and what your purpose can be. Do not draw limits and ends. The human being uses only less than 10% of it's brain. The underlying factor in this scenario is that you were created by whoever you believe is your creator and look at the unlimited creations by the same entity. If you were created by that awesome entity, you definitely have the potential to do something that no other person has done before.

That's the beauty. It's for you to understand that you have the potential. Your purpose and my purpose in life may not be the same. We all have a different purpose while we have that energy called life burning in us.

Answer 3

Back in the 1400s or 1500s or whatever, there was a latin phrase used during the Renaissance called 'Carpe Diem' (kar-pey dee-em) which meant quite literally 'Sieze the Day.' I live by this motto, i try hard to take every chance I can to enjoy whatever life throws at me, to take a chance with whatever good or bad is going on by the end of the day. When I go to bed at night, I don't want to have any regrets about what I could have or should have done differently, whether it was to hold the door open for a senior citizen or something else. True, we'll never know the meaning of life because there is no true purpose: you make define your own purpose for it, whether it is to be faithful each day to someone you love or to live life on the edge in an Amazon adventure ever summer.

Answer 4

False. The purpose of life however lies outside of the realm of universal knowledge. There is not a one sized all purpose for life--it's individualized, and each person must take the time to look inside themselves and figure out what that is.

Answer 5

This is a health issue - mental health.

The rational, reasoned answer is that there is no purpose, no meaning and no point to life UNLESS there is a God. For the word "purpose" requires an intelligence.

“Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.” –Bertrand Russell (noted 20th century mathematician, philosopher and Nobel Prize winner)

Unless God exists, all anyone can tell you is how to chase after things that will make you feel better. "live life to the fullest", "make the world a better place", "learn new things", "keep happy", etc. are all things that give us happy thoughts but they are just happy thoughts and just good feelings with no reality behind them.

Those who reject the idea of God are always busy because busyness distracts them from thinking about the pointlessness of life.

But if we admit that God may exist, that changes everything. Our chief purpose, a real purpose put into our heads by our Creator, is to seek Him.

There are only two choices in life, seek God or forever chase after meaningless good feelings. For me, I will seek God even not knowing for sure that God even exists.

Answer 6

Unfortunately, we don't know the true answer to this until we reach the big guy past the pearly gates, the Buddha, or whatever higher power you hold to be a God.

My purpose in life is to enjoy myself, learn, enrich myself and others.

Most young people have this same question. You're not alone, but if you feel that way or are depressed, consider seeing a counselor at your school, health department, or a private practice mental health counselor.

Answer 7

Brill' question!!!
'The meaning of life' for me is 'Gods ultimate goal'.
This is to understand and learn from each other and to one day live as one in eternal harmony with ourselves and others around us.
You see we live in a world full of anger, hatred, greed, selfishness, poverty, racism, power, money, evil, nuff said.
All these things can one day be resolved if we learn to care for one another, love one another, share what God gave us equally, and treat each other how we would want to be treated ourselves.
Obviously this is something which realisticly will never happen to everyone.
Only few will try to do this the best that they can while they are here, meaning that they have played there part on Earth and did there bit in order to try and make it a better place. Once God see's that you have understood his masterplan, he will allow you forward into something a whole lot different, another faze in existance. Something we may ourselves possibly play a bigger role in.
I believe this is the only way forward for mankind and then there is something much greater in the next life. If you are ignorant towards the importance of your life that God gave to you, he will make you do it all over again until you underdstand the way forward. The selfish and the ignorant may be trapped here forever. I think the big twist to it all is the fact that these are the ones that need to be helped and supported the most. Love to love. Hate to hate. Having enemies will only make you sad, and everybody wants to be happy don't they. Sometimes it is harder to make that special effort, but it pays off like anything. For those who choose to ignore and make no effort what so ever in trying to make the world a better place and are only here to ruin it will be the ones who are sorry in the end as they are only hurting themselves. What would you want to do, go forward or round and round in circles with nowhere else to go and no purpose?
This is only the beginning.
It's up to you to decide what is right and what is wrong and whether or not you want to help others along the way. Good luck and i'll see you in the next life my friend.
God bless you.

Answer 8

I am wondering how old you are?? As you mature, you come to realize a lot of things that just escape you when you are young. Life is to enjoy all the blessings God has given us and to try to reach out and offer as much help to those less fortunate. In giving of ourselves to others, true happiness comes back to us!!

Answer 9

Watch the Monty Python movie of the same name

"The Meaning of Life"

Answer 10

God created us for His glory. One has the most meaningful life when they are united to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

The sin of our first parents (Adam and Eve) brought about the fallen state of mankind. Humans are sinful because of their iniquity, sins bring curses and both iniquity and curses pass down the generations if they are not cleansed by the blood of Christ. Children are born with defects and suffer unfortunate circumstances because of curses due to their ancestors’ unrepented sins. Hereditary illness is an example of a curse. In the future, God will make a new Heaven and earth, and there will be no more suffering, sickness, sin, evil, old age or death. God’s people (those who accept His Son Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord) will joyfully and peacefully live in this new and perfect earth, with the Lord Jesus Christ as their King forever. See chapter 21 of the Book of Revelation.

Almighty God was, is and will always be triune (one God in three persons, not three gods). God is comprised of the Father, the Son (Lord Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Triune Godhead has a different role. There is only one God (Isaiah 43:10-11; 44:6,8; 45:21-22; 46:9; John 17:3; 1 John 5:20-21). The Father is God (1 Peter 1:2; Philippians 2:11), the Lord Jesus Christ is God (Matthew 1:23; John 1:1; 20:28; Hebrews 1:8; Hebrews 13:8; Revelation 1:7-8; 2 Peter 1:1; Titus 2:13) and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; Acts 28:25-27; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 3:17).

Without God, man’s spirit is unilluminated. This illumination happens at the time one’s spirit is united to the Holy Spirit (which happens only after one has accepted Christ as their Saviour). The Light went out of the spirit after the fall of man. Man had lost communion with God. Christ, the second person of the Triune Godhead made the sacrifice for our sins so the Light could be lit in the spirits of all. There is no redemption or unity to God apart from receiving Christ as one’s Saviour and Lord. The infilling of the Holy Spirit was possible only after Christ’s sacrifice. Before the death of Christ, the Holy Spirit only fell on persons who worshiped and served the true God (Judges 15:14; Ezekiel 11:5). Hebrews 9:6-8 (KJV) tells us that unity to God “the way into the Holiest of all” was also possible only after Christ’s sacrifice which brought an end to the Old Covenant. Christ made the sacrifice for our sins as the spotless lamb (1 Peter 1:9) and took the place of the Jewish high priest and became our eternal High Priest (Hebrews 6:20). The Book of Hebrews explains how the Old Covenant was replaced by the New Covenant.

The blood of Christ was shed so our sins could be paid for and we could have direct unity to God. The Holy Spirit leads us to remain focused on God so we can grow spiritually. God the Father lives within believers (John 14:23), God the Holy Spirit lives within believers (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and God the Son also lives within believers (2 Corinthians 13:5, Galatians 2:20). Because Christ lives in us, we are a new being, having our old self with its evil practices stripped off, and we are being renewed and remoulded after the image of God, in order to bring us to a full knowledge of Himself (Colossians 3:9-10). Because He lives in us, we have His peace (John 16:33), we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), we have His strength to do all things (Philippians 4:13) and we are a chosen race, the King’s priests, the holy nation and God’s own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God (Peter 2:9). As Christians, the Lord Jesus Christ is always interceding for us (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25), He is preparing a place for us in heaven (John 14:1–3) and He baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11).

The truth about Jesus Christ can be found only in the word of God which is the Holy Bible. Three days after the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, He resurrected from the dead (Luke 24:1-8; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:4) and 40 days later, He ascended into Heaven (Acts 1:3; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11).

1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Jesus Christ is Lord over all:

Philippians 2:9-11
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

False doctrines claim that there are several paths to God. The word of God tells us that THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GOD AND THIS IS THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AS ONE’S LORD AND SAVIOUR.

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him

Shortly after physical death, humans pass into either Heaven or Hell. Before Christ’s sacrifice, access into Heaven was not possible for human souls. The souls of those who loved and served the true God were kept in the paradise part of a spiritual place within the earth called Sheol, and the other part of Sheol was a prison of torment where the souls of those who rejected God ended up (Luke 16:19-31). There was a spiritual gulf fixed between these two parts so no soul from one side could cross over to the next (Luke 16:26). Access into Heaven was made possible for humans by Christ’s sacrifice and right after He died on the cross He went into the paradise part of Sheol, told the good souls (who were there for thousands of years) what He did and took them up to Heaven (Matthew 12:40; Ephesians 4:8–10; 1 Peter 3:18–20). The paradise part of Sheol no longer exists but the prison part of Sheol still does. This part of torment is called Hades or Hell. Those who reject God by not receiving Christ or any one of the Triune Godhead (Jeremiah 15:6; Matthew 12:311; Chronicles 28:9; 1 John 2:23) end up there and then go into the Lake of Fire after the Millennium (Revelation 20:15). Earthly fire, Godly fire (the type Jesus baptizes with) and the tormenting fire of the Lake of Fire are three different types of fire. There is also demonic fire which demons can produce.

Reincarnation is a false teaching (Hebrews 9:27). The Lord Jesus said that the human being’s afterlife state whether torment or paradise, will be eternal (Matthew 25:46). In the original text, the Greek word for eternal, aiōnion is used. He didn’t say that we would be born again and again until we got it right and received liberation. He would not have made that huge sacrifice for us if we could have had unity to God another way, and if there was another way, He would have taught that. The Lord said he could have employed legions of angels to prevent His crucifixion (Matthew 26:53), but because of His great and perfect love for humanity, He chose to endure a very painful death so we could be redeemed and united to God.

Salvation, redemption, reception of the Holy Spirit and adoption as God’s own children happen the instant a human being has faith in Christ as their Saviour and Lord and not at some future time in the believer’s life.

People who have not accepted Christ can become better individuals, but only to a certain extent. The Holy Spirit calls out to everyone but only those who have let the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Triune Godhead) into them by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour are the ones who are transformed and experience abundant and constant spiritual growth.

Iniquities (tendencies that cause one to sin) pass down the generation line (Numbers 14:18). After one accepts Lord Jesus as their Saviour, God forgives their sins as they truly repent and removes their iniquities (evil tendencies) in the transformation process which makes one more and more like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:12-14). After genuinely accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, ALL sinners (alcoholics, liars, drug addicts, fornicators etc.) will be saved and transformed. Each believer is cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and receives the infilling of the Holy Spirit who renews them.

REDEMPTION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

Because mankind is incapable of meeting God’s standard of perfection necessary to abide in God’s presence (Romans 3:19-20,23), God sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the total debt for the believer’s sins and mercifully credits to his account Christ’s righteousness (Romans 3:21-28,5:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). Jesus’ gracious act of atonement was complete and covers all sin (Colossians 2:13-14; 1 John 1:9). Salvation is not based on good deeds but according to the mercy of God (Titus 3:4-5). Believers are justified by faith; it is a gift by God’s grace (Romans 4:3-8; Ephesians 2:8-9). A true, living faith will result in a desire to live a holy, loving life of good works (Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 5:6; James 2:14-26), but failure to be absolutely successful at righteous living does not negate the believer’s justified status.

If you sincerely say this prayer, your sins will be washed away, you will be redeemed to God, be saved from eternal torment and inherit the Kingdom of God:

"Dear Jesus, I am a sinner. I repent of my sins. Please forgive me and save me by your shed blood. Come into my heart. I want to receive you as my own personal Lord and Savior. Amen"

https://victoryinjesuschrist.wordpress.com/