What is the meaning of life?

Answer 1

The philosophical question "What is the pirpose or 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

I think you're asking the wrong question.... to look for a meaning implies that there was intent. Evolution just happened after a fantastic string of events spanning over millions of years. You might be more philosophically satisfied if you find the answer to "what do I want out of life?"
It's an intricate question with unlimited variables that will take you a lifetime to answer but will bring you years of happy pondering.
I love life, many people think that life without a God is empty but I find mother nature more than enough to raise my spirits. I can sit on a beach and stare out to sea and my thoughts drift to "Why.....?" I sit back and stare into the starry night sky and ask "how" and I always end up with a feeling of wonder and amazement.
:o)

Answer 3

Most People have asked this question at some point in their life, Today's realities however are War, crime,hunger, sickness, aging, to name a few, make many feel that there is nothing that we have to look forweard to, and that to believe that these conditions will ever not be with us, is just a fantasy , or dream. Yet, there is a reason for hope. The Bible fortells that God will create a"new heavens and a new earth" and that the former things will not be called to mind, neither will will they come up into the heart.(Isaiah65:17).
These "new heavens" and"new earth" according to the Scriptures, are not a new material heavens or a new literral earth. Tjhe physical earth and heavens were made perfect, and the Scriptures show they will remain forever.(Psalm89:36,37 ; 104:5) The new earth will be a righteous society of people living on earth, and the new heavens will be a perfect heavenly kingdom, or government, that will rule over this earthly sciety of people. But is it realistic to believe that a "new earth"or a glorious new world is possible?
Well consider that the fact that such ideal conditions were part of God's original purepose for this earth. He placed the first human couple in the earthly Paradise of of Eden and gave them a marvelous assignment:"Be fruitful and become many anmd fill the earth and subdue it." (Genesis1:28) Yes God's purpose was for them to have children and eventually spread their Paradise over all the earth. Although they later chose to disobey God thus proving to be unfit to live forever, God's original purpose did not change. And it must be fulfilled in a new world!(Isaiah55:11).
In fact, it is the Messiah, promised in the Scriptures, who will serve as divinely appointed king and rule over this new world.(Psal,2:2 ; 6:9 ; Daniel 7:13,14).
The Messiah will rid the earth od \f all wickedness, and then the psalm will be fulfilled:"The righteous themselves will posess the earth, and theyu will reside forever upon it." (Psalm37:29).
The Messiah's rule will bring earthly benefits beyond compare, acomplishing everything good that God originaly purposed for his people to enjoy on earth. Hatreds and prejudices will cease to exist, and eventualy everyone on earth will be a true friend of everyone else. In the Scriptures, God promises that he will 'make wars to cease to the extremity of the earth.' "Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore."(Psalm46:9 ; Isaiah2:4).
The whole earth will eventually be brought to a gardenlike paradise state. The Scriptures say:"The wilderness and the waterless region will exult. and the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron...For in the wilderness waters will have burst out, and torrents in the desert plain.And the heat- parched ground will have become as a reedy pool, and the thirsty ground as springs of water.(Isaiah35:1,6,7).
There will be every reason to be happy in the Paradise earth. Never again will people feel hunger because of lack of food. "The earth itself will certainly give its produce," the Scriptures say.(Psalm67:6 ; 72:16) All will enjoy the fruits of their own labour, as our Creator promises:"They will not plant and someone else do the eating."(Isaiah65:21,22).
In God's new world, no longer will people be crammed into huge apartment buildings or run down slums, for God has purposed:"They will certainly build houses and have occupancy....They wqill not build and someone else have occupancy."The Scriptures also promise:"They will not toil for nothing."(Isaiah65:21-23).
In time, God's Kingdom wil even restore the peaceful relations that existed in the garden of Eden between animals and humans. Ther Scriptures say:"The wolf will actually reside for a while with the male lamb, and with the kid the leopard itself will lie down, and the calf and the maned young lion and the well fed animal all together; and a mere little boy will be leader over them."(Isaiah11:6-9 ;Hosea 2:18).
Just imagine, in the Paradise earth all sickness es and physical infirmities will also be healed! God's Word assures us: "No resident will say: 'I am sick.'(Isaiah33:24)
God's Word also promises:"He [God] will actually swallow up death forever."(Isaiah25:8)
This is certainly a wonderful hope, and it is not too good to be true because God always fulfills his promises.(Isaiah46:9,10) Of course there are requirements to be met if we are to live forever in this coming Paradise on earth. What are they?
These requirements can be found in part in the Tenakh called by many the"Old Testament" and are emphasized in the Christian Greek Scriptures known by most people as the "New Testament,"both were written under the same inspiration. The two writings together form the Bible or Holy Scriptures. They contain the wonderful promise that God will wipe every tearfrom [peoples] eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning, nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away."(Revelation21:4 see also Hosea13:14).

Answer 4

I am still in search of that...! I couldn't find a right one! I have searched in religion, science, socilal work and what more!
I see people around craving for manythings. At last, finding nothing! After having enough religious life, one priest told me frankly that whatever he preached is proved wrong in so many lives. Other Senior priest told in public that he is not able to console others when they are coming with the real experience of life! Search n search! I am doing the same thing!
Indian Vedas searched a lot about life at last, I have heard that after describing all the things they say "na iti" means but this is not....(life)

Answer 5

I'm always told that the meaning of life is to enjoy your life and have fun being a kid because you will never get a second chance and you will only be a kid once, and that you have to enjoy every second of your life or when your an adult you will regret it

I'm 14 so ppl tell me this ALL the time

Answer 6

21

Answer 7

The meaning of Eternal Life is to know that you are a Divinely Beloved son of God in Jesus and that you have living faith that you will eventually be all perfect in personality, spirit, soul, mind and body forms when you are a Resident on infinite Paradise and eternally doing God's will in Glorious services and adventures !

Peace and progress,
Brother Dave, a Jesusonian Christian Truthist
http://www.PureChristians.org/ Gospel enlarging website,
proclaiming worldwide the True Religion
OF JESUS and ABOUT JESUS and IN JESUS
Come and share !

Answer 8

42 or 2b

http://yudkowsky.net/tmol-faq/tmol-faq.html

the meaning of life to me (considering everyone) is to just be alive.
thats it.
Sorry.......
sounds pretty empty, but thats why you need to make the best of it.

help spread knowledge. Discover new things, ideas and truths, that will help our children live in a world that might get them closer to finding the answer.

Be careful though.
Faith can sometimes lead you down the wrong path or even backwards.

ra/zu has a really good point and a lot of thumbs down.
did you noticed I mentioned "Children"
we all know where they come from right?

Answer 9

I can tell you it has nothing to do with GOD! ROFL.. Yes some people do believe in God... Not very smart people (Cough)

The meaning of life is to make an impact on this world, To live forever in the hearts and minds of your friends and family.

Answer 10

The meaning of life is the attachment & importance each person chooses to place on it.

Answer 11

Maybe you should describe what you mean by that.

"What is the meaning of life?" can be interpreted as many different things.

I'd say "to live," but that wouldn't apply to everything that question can be interpreted as.