Where is Meaning?

Question

Where was the human race 3000 years ago--at the height of developing an advanced verbal language full of expression and ideas, on the verge of written communication, staring at the stars in wonder?

Where are we now--on the cusp of a new age of technology, with a faltering grasp on the future, capable of destroying ourselves and everything we know?



But, what does any of it matter?

We are human beings, mammals of this earth, evolved from the eons of natural selection, mutations, and social interactions within our species. We are similar to all life forms on this planet, but what truly seperates us? Is it our dreams, our connection to one another, or our desire for survival and peace? No, it is none of those things. It is nothing, except for an illusion of advancement.

People hold more control over the fate of the planet than all other living beings, but what does it matter? If it hadn't been us, humans as mammals, it probably would have been another species in our place. What is 3000 years, but a drop in the bucket of time? What is 3000 years to 1000000 years? What is 3000 years to 1000000000 years? It is nothing, except for a blink of the eye to our world.

Religions offer us answers, but only the weak-minded falter under the assurance of ultimate truth. Knowledge is new to us. It has not been around long, to us. We are on the edge of truth, and of knowing. What will we know in one million years? How far will our race go, or will we fail while but infants of a civilization newly born? People disbelieve the superstition of UFOs, but how farfetched is the possibility of alien civilizations, thousands, millions, or even billions of years old already in existence, somewhere? What would they see in Earth but an ant colony, with the power to wipe us out in an hour on a Sunday afternoon of clearing the pests out of your backyard?

Ignorance is powerful, but worse is not dreaming, of possibilities and limitations. We are beginners and novices to life and civilization, yet we imagine ourselves on the other end, at the front.

Where is meaning? Where does the essence of one life begin and end in importance or significance? The masses live in darkness, in idle existence, unthinking and unwavering. How can they be comfortable in this; how can you? Many people have claimed their meaning and purpose, proclaimed it loudly through the extents of our lives, in action. Some shine, and some do not. How hard can we shine in a lifetime of 100 years?

Now imagine death. Imagine the death of you, your friends and family, your society, and your race. Why will it matter, not to you, but to everything? If the question of your existence determined your survival, what could you possibly say? In 10000 years, what will it matter? In one million or one billion years, what will matter?

Answer 1

with the question you take a priori that the meaning and worth are required, existent and matter. if one formulates a contradiction with a question only a contradiction can be an answer, yet i trust criticizing contradictions of the answer is an easier task for the asker since answer is not provided by asker while question is :)

sounds pretty nonsense, i know. it takes time and explanation to comprehend.

now, why is worth required? what is worth? what is the advantage of it?

worth. a more worthy person is more important. say like a president, a church leader, a businessman who has much property, etc. they find the meaning in what they do: their country, their faith, their skill, etc. what does this worth give them? wider perspectives and abilities and respect. the more abilities and respect they have, the greater wishes they can fulfill. why do they need the abilities to fulfill the wishes? to be happier. simple like that. for that matter, idea of gaining worth is a common concept of becoming happier. many people walked this path before and many will. how many of them have indeed achieved happiness this way? not a one i fear. some of them have actually, yet in other way.

so, people search the meaning and the worth, as a measure of happiness and as a tool to be happier, while evidently worth and meaning do not lead to happiness. that is why it's a contradiction, a paradox, which your question indeed reveals - worth and meaning do not matter in achieving happiness.

so a common 'adequate' answer to such question is a contradiction either, e.g. 'turn to god, for in god lies happiness', while again there is no adequate evidence on this matter. yet, while you understand the contradiction of such answer, which is mentioned in your question, you do not see the same contradiction in your question, which is evident to me since i'm not the one who asked it. here is psychology at work. one hardly can see even grammar errors in his own writing, not speaking of logic errors :) for this matter asking questions is a good form of learning - it helps comprehend oneself err. i use this form of learning for quite a long time and very successfully by the way.

so, before you had the question, you sought for a happier life, which is natural. yet the 'meaning' concept does not lead there. yet, with comprehending err in the question you can think of a better one and seek an answer.

i sure could preach on available paths, yet this will disvalue your discovery, of which i am more than confident you are capable, for i've walked same path.

good luck to you.
Mickael

Answer 2

Obviously our human nature cries out for meaning and worth. What am I worth in such a vast universe over so many eons?

But If my Creator exists, all of these distances and all those eons are insignificant compared with Him. If He created me, then He must have put that great need for meaning into my human nature. Why? It can only be to point me to seek Him.

If God exists, all of our meaning and purpose must come from Him so I seek God.

Answer 3

Do you imply that you simply supposed the phrase "imply" in its long-established that means or are you too imply to fulfill my imply specifications? Oh, I'm going to begin moaning approximately your blending up all the ones m-phrases...