2007-10-25 11:31:20 · 6 answers · asked by bread 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
I'm sure you have heard of the butterfly effect; a butterfly flapping it's wings in Brazil deflects successively larger currents of air that end up causing a hurricane. That's an exaggeration, but a human has a larger effect on the world than a butterfly. everyone of your friends and family would definitely be affected without you. maybe once you held a door open for someone they got to their car a little sooner. they got on the road a little earlier, and avoided a car accident that would have killed them. you have an important impact on humanity. whether humanity really matters is a question for the religion section
2007-10-25 13:45:18 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Have you ever saved another's life? Helped someone through a tragedy? Made a difference to someone in some way? We have the power to influence and lead in ways most don't acknowledge or take responsibility for because we are all so used to looking to just how things affect us personally. Our life and the impact we have on society, people, and the world is our choice. Be as important as you want to be to as many people as you want. You possess the power, the drive is optional.
2007-10-25 19:45:20 · answer #2 · answered by meitay 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends what you do with your life. The average person will lead a life that is only important to those they interact with regularly. However, some transcend this boundary by being a catalyst in some event or action that affects many.
2007-10-25 19:58:31 · answer #3 · answered by kfinn360 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you looked around lately - some folks lives aren't even important to them, and they're throwing them away.
Mostly - our life is important to us - but by example, we are important to many others. Our lives and love are important to our children and others.
The way we lead our life is important - especially to us. Live a life of lies, and you often won't trust others - because you'll assume they also lie. Cheat a lot, and you'll believe everyone else is cheating; because you often see the world around you through your own flaws.
So the more you life your life with integrity, the greater your hope will be.
2007-10-25 18:45:35 · answer #4 · answered by rstrother 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a Zen, or relativist view. In the cosmic scheme of things, not only are our lives unimportant, but the entire existence of the human race and of life on Earth is unimportant.
To each of us individually though, yes, it is important. This is because value is inherently a human concept; we give things value. Most of us place some positive value on both our own lives and the lives of those around us, with greater values for family, friends & loved ones. These values do not exist independently in nature because nature is a concept, not a sentient being, and thus is unable to value anything on its own.
So to answer your question, the lives we lead are important to us and to those around us, but have no value independent of us or other humans.
2007-10-25 18:59:21 · answer #5 · answered by R[̲̅ə̲̅٨̲̅٥̲̅٦̲̅]ution 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is only important to ourselves and the people who depend on us.
2007-10-25 20:57:17 · answer #6 · answered by inkgddss 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋