Is there a significant difference between "purpose in life" and "reason for living"?

Question

Many people will respond to the "purpose in life" question with something like "why does there have to be a purpose?" or "There is no purpose" but almost everyone will have a reason for living. I don't see much difference between the two.

I agree that having a purpose gives us a reason for living.

It seems that if we didn't have a purpose or reason for living, we would of necessity have to invent one (to avoid suicide) but having invented one, wouldn't the real purpose be to avoid suicide? It wouldn't even matter what the invented objective is as long as it prevented suicide.

"We can GIVE it meaning, but that is fleeting and only makes sense to us." I think that is the same as self delusion.

Answer 1

Is there a significant difference between "purpose in life" and "reason for living"?

Well, the flippant answer would be "it's up to you since you're free to define those phrases how you will".

But I would say, though you might not know how to articulate it, that you have used the term "purpose in life" to mean a purpose imposed from some external sources (in most belief systems, a God, gods, or impersonal supernatural force) and "reason for living" to mean ones own experience of life as worth living for its own intrinsic qualities.

Answer 2

When one know the purpose of human life it gives them a reason for living. We have to first know that we are not this material body, IE; Race, color, nationality, Religion, mind, intellect, senses, job, etc. We are all eternal spirit souls, part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, also known as Krishna, Allah, Jehovah, Vishnu, etc. We never die, only this mortal body dies. This material world is not our real home, it is called Maya (illusion) and is temporary and full of misery, only one fourth of the souls come here, and the rest are enjoying blissful eternal loving relationships with our Maker named above. We fell here due to envying Gods position. He made the material world for those who want to try to live separately from Him (Which is impossible because He is actually everywhere). After many lifetimes of trying to be happy in this temporary world one becomes frustrated and board and begins to question their existence. We then seek out real happiness, and when one becomes sincere God reveals how to come back Home. Those who are intelligent, take up the process of self realization (Bhakti Yoga) which begins with the chanting of the Maha Mantra (the great mantra for deliverance from all suffering and illusion), which gives one real peace, happiness and reality. Then at the end of life they can give up all material attachments and fully surrender to God and return to the eternal Kingdom, where there is no more birth, death, old age, or disease and be eternally happy. For info to to harekrishnatemple.com read The Science of Self Realization by .Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada. I am so glad I know what to do and have a reason to live.

Answer 3

I feel that there is a 'purpose in life'...even for all the animal kingdom, fish and insects. Certainly humans would have even more a purpose...even if we can't determine what exactly that is.

I think that a 'reason for living' comes from within each of us; through our individual circumstances. I honestly don't believe that it is the same for everyone.

Answer 4

There is no fundamental purpose to life, no real meaning. We can GIVE it meaning, but that is fleeting and only makes sense to us. They are 2 different things.

Answer 5

i think of there is. to assert we are here for a reason is to assert we are here for a reason. to assert we are here for a purpose potential we are here for an purpose of a few style. you are going to be able to desire to have a reason to have a purpose. i don't understand if it is smart, yet i think that reason and purpose are diverse concepts. purpose is an purpose to do something. reason is in basic terms a reason, at times, for something to take place. i'm hoping I make experience.