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
2007-08-22 18:36:57
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answer #1
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answered by Jayaraman 7
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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 be removed from 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 literal earth. The 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 and 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.(Psalm,2:2 ; 6:9 ; Daniel 7:13,14).
The Messiah will rid the earth of all wickedness, and then the psalm will be fulfilled:"The righteous themselves will posess the earth, and they 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 tear from [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).
2007-08-22 01:01:34
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answer #2
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answered by I speak Truth 6
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Normally I would give you the dictionary meaning in an attempt to look smug, but since you're the 3rd person I've seen post this question today (probably loads more), I'll try a different angle.
If you live your life worrying about the meaning of it all, you'll only get frustrated when you can't find the answer. My advice to you, friend--go out & get some sunshine, see a movie, read a good book (I recommend Haruki Murakami), be good to your fellow persons, educate yourself, go for a walk in the rain (it's only water, it won't hurt), say 'hi' to someone you've always wanted to meet (if they snob you, then you probably didn't want to meet them anyway)
Do stuff like that, and you will have less concern for trivial matters like 'meaning' and you'll suddenly realise that more stuff exists in the universe to think about.
And who knows? One day you may stumble across the answer by accident and think "Huh? Is that all? Good thing I didn't get too preoccupied with it after all."
Enjoy
2007-08-22 01:18:04
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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I think the meaning of life is to be compassionate and loving to myself and others. In doing this the interactions with people spread like ripples creating other positive actions.
I don't have a religion. I think religions only serve to divide people not unite. They create pain and sorrow for good people and turn otherwise kind and gentle people into murderous zealots.
Religion is not a requirement for spiritual living.
2007-08-22 01:00:18
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answer #4
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answered by Bran McMuffin 5
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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 !
2007-08-22 14:51:27
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answer #5
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answered by ? 5
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Religion: Roman Catholic
Core Belief: Love
Dang!!! We should also love our enemies too(and I have been failing in that, MISERABLY)
Our first priority purpose is to serve God, BUT we have many others too and that I still don't know because if I do I would be working on it and will not be in front of my computer right now!!!
2007-08-22 01:01:12
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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To me life is a course in bettering ourselves. One of many experiences we go through to eventually reach the spiritual level known as heaven. We must have existed before this life and must exist after this life for life to be eternal. If life has a starting point then life is not eternal,but infinite. God clearly tells us life is eternal.
2007-08-22 01:00:28
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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The meaning of life is simple.....To live it.
Im not religious, i am just a citizen of the planet and am happy to just wake up another day and live my life. We, as humans, put too much stock in trying to make sense of our lives that only a few truly live it.
Kind of sounds like im ripping off braveheart there though doesnt it? Anyways, thats it.
2007-08-22 00:59:53
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answer #8
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answered by Anonymous
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Living it. And being Grateful.
you could probably find me somewhere under the Umbrella-term Paganism. If you want to know more, do a search... plenty of public info.
2007-08-22 01:00:01
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answer #9
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answered by Anonymous
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to know Christ. I don't profess to be of any religion. I merely follow the beliefs of the bible. but yes, I do go to a pentecostal church.
2007-08-22 00:57:33
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answer #10
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answered by Anonymous
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Why do you think that life has to have an innate 'meaning'?
I would suggest that discovering/inventing a meaning for YOUR life is YOUR responsibility.
2007-08-22 00:58:10
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answer #11
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answered by Anonymous
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