Ask yourself; is my existence any more meaningful than that of an ant? We are intelligent human beings that live on a large blue planet. But our planet is small compared to the sun. The sun is one of millions of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way Galaxy is one of millions of galaxies in the known universe (with the possibility of millions of other life forms). In that sense, is your existence any more meaningful to all that is out there than an ant is to you?
2007-10-26 10:14:45 · 16 answers · asked by pcguthrie 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
What's significant is a value judgment, and as such is a human concept. Nature, being itself just a concept and not sentient, does not "value" anything. So to answer your question, our existence has no significance to nature or the cosmos, but it _does_ have significance to us human beings!
2007-10-26 10:24:08 · answer #1 · answered by R[̲̅ə̲̅٨̲̅٥̲̅٦̲̅]ution 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most of this planet and the rest of the universe would get along just fine without me. My wife and kids would not. My workplace would not. And should you point a gun at my head ready to fire, I would definitely believe that my existence matters, to me and to others.
But, why compare yourself to an ant? Why question the meaningfulness of your existence? You exist. Go out and make your presence significant. Save an ant from being stepped on. Perfect the energy source that will replace oil. Buy a dairy farm and put milk on the table of a few thousand homes. You don't have to make the headlines to have a meaningful existence.
2007-10-26 10:35:56 · answer #2 · answered by David Bowman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The universe as a whole has a balance that it is ever expanding but yet equal to unity, or 1. The scale reduces exponentially as the awareness backs away from the whole, the balance will be maintained, but does the ant really care? Apparently, you do, but can you change it? that question has been asked since the beginning of man.
2007-10-26 10:32:55 · answer #3 · answered by mavis b 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
simply by fact of our organic and organic makeup, all of us clearly desire to stay alive, relish issues and pursue objectives. yet as for a "component" or "reason" that we exist, there are a number of unusual recommendations. i've got many times puzzled why human beings, particularly atheists, think of that there might desire to be a component or reason for existence. (faith is all approximately explaining a reason for existence so I understand theist opinion.) We, alongside with billions of alternative existence varieties, consistently stay and die in the international and there isn't any "component". Like a typhoon or a hearth, existence is a technique that maintains as long as situations enable. No magic is in contact. .
2016-10-14 03:23:19 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To quote the band "Bad Religion":
'You're only as elegant as your actions let you be
A piece of chaos related phylogenetically
To every living organ system, we're siblings, don't you see?
The earth rotates and will revolve without you constantly.
Two billion years thus far, now mister here you are,
An element in a sea of enthalpic organic compounds.
The world won't stop without you.'
2007-10-26 12:27:52 · answer #5 · answered by James Bond 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the grand scheme of things we are but a pimple on the a** of the universe. We have yet to begin to understand our role in the universe. Higher intelligence is not a theory is blatantly obvious. We are nothing, yet we have far more power to control reality than we allow ourselves to believe.
2007-10-26 10:58:31 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The briefest answer is this: if you think your life is not significant, end it. This is not meant in a spirit of mean-ness. But if you cannot commit suicide just to prove your own answer, then the answer you believe is that you ARE significant, or that you believe you will find your significance.
2007-10-27 01:56:26 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The power we have to destroy is astronomical. This in and of itself holds significance we should be responsible for because we are conscious beings that understand the consequences of our actions.
2007-10-26 10:47:58 · answer #8 · answered by meitay 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It can be as significant as a God or as little significant as an ant. It is what you make of it. That is the beauty of this life. :)
2007-10-26 10:27:44 · answer #9 · answered by ajay 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One thing we can admit straigtaway: Existence is significant.
If anything else 'is' also, it cannot be other than part of that Existence. The rest I leave to you.
2007-10-28 03:51:25 · answer #10 · answered by shades of Bruno 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋