Do we really seek purpose?

Eventhorizon

Eventhorizon

Permanently relocated
Banned
MBTI
INTJ
It seems as if most of us go through our lives looking for purpose in different amounts but I ask, is it what we really want. The creator of our mutiverse might stop by one day and tell all the world, "oh and that purpose thing?" "I put you on this planet to convert oxygen to CO2. Nothing more" and then leave. There we would have our answer but none of us would like it.

I suggest it is not just purpose people want, it is GRAND purpose they want. I want to be something special, something uniquely important in this existence.

Think about it.
 
This made me remember something that Thomas Aquinas mentioned in his arguments for proof of God's existence relating to purpose.
"inanimate and non-intelligent objects act toward the best possible purpose, even though these objects are not aware of doing so. It is clear that these objects do not achieve their purpose by sheer chance but rather according to a plan...Therefore, there must be some intelligent being that directs all natural things toward their purpose. We call this being God."

We seemed to be inclined to do good and feel remorse when we do bad things. I figured that's part of our purpose.. something good. But as intelligent beings, we have freedom and are able to go astray.

Just some thoughts!
 
Eventhorizon said:
It seems as if most of us go through our lives looking for purpose in different amounts but I ask, is it what we really want. The creator of our mutiverse might stop by one day and tell all the world, "oh and that purpose thing?" "I put you on this planet to convert oxygen to CO2. Nothing more" and then leave. There we would have our answer but none of us would like it.

I suggest it is not just purpose people want, it is GRAND purpose they want. I want to be something special, something uniquely important in this existence.

Think about it.
Click to expand...
Your question is a purposeful question :D

I suggest it is not just purpose people want, it is GRAND purpose they want. I want to be something special, something uniquely important in this existence.
Click to expand...
Oh yes. The quest for significance, the quest for importance, the quest for a special purpose, a beautiful prpose, the quest for a deep meaning. Are we looking for wind and false hope?

The question is this:
How can me seek for transcendental and real meaning if there is no such thing?

How can one search for a ultimate and profound purpose, if there is no such thing?

How can one ask and put quesstion in his mind that never do exist? How is that possible?

Is there a meaning to all this? But how can I ask this question, if there is no meaning? Isn't this a meaningful question still?


There is something interesting here: If there is no meaning, how can we think and hope at ultimate meaning? We invented this? But how we can so, to think at such profound questions, meaningful questions about our existence, if there is nothing at all about it? If it is so, then the question "Is there a meaning?" is as meaningful or meaningless as "I have a inch on the top of my head or not?"


Can a fish that all his life has been in the water think at dry land?
Can a man that has always sleep think at reality?
Can a man that has never been real, think at reality?
Or, can a man that is a illusion, think at reality? Or is that only a real man, from reality, can think at illusion?

Ecclesiastes 3:11
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
 
Rofl awesome op

People want purpose that is specific to them as individuals. They just want to feel like they matter and have something to do instead of bumming around before they die.
 
ODyssey said:
This made me remember something that Thomas Aquinas mentioned in his arguments for proof of God's existence relating to purpose.
"inanimate and non-intelligent objects act toward the best possible purpose, even though these objects are not aware of doing so. It is clear that these objects do not achieve their purpose by sheer chance but rather according to a plan...Therefore, there must be some intelligent being that directs all natural things toward their purpose. We call this being God."

We seemed to be inclined to do good and feel remorse when we do bad things. I figured that's part of our purpose.. something good. But as intelligent beings, we have freedom and are able to go astray.

Just some thoughts!
Click to expand...

I read something about this when looking over material related to MBTI. It was something along the lines of the path of least resistance having no purpose for without will there is no purpose and there in does evil enter as a cognitive deficit. Or maybe it was the other way around. http://tinyurl.com/or3jv5v "The Red Book: A Reader's Edition" by C. G. Jung
 
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So people seek power, others money, fame etc.... While I do like money a great deal, I will not do what it takes to gain large quantities of it either because I do not know how or that I do know how, I just refuse. What I do want, what seems to be an obsession on my part, is to speak to the wizard. The wizard either being a 16 year old pimple faced kid playing a game, or an actual religious god of some sort.

I a speck of dust that would demand answers and pass out judgement of those answers. I seem to be unable to live and just accept that I at least, appear to be alive even if I am not. I know to many things about how we are created. We are vastly more space than we are anything else and for what isnt space, there is still nothing there other than a bunch of place makers. We are ethereal mist.

The problem I see is that, even if I were to die and find out I was not truly dead I would still want answers. I cannot comprehend ever being at peace, at simply just existing.

All of you have given a unique perspective. It is enjoyable to read them.
 
The question of meaning is indeniable...many people, for a long time, manage to lie themselfs, to act like they know the answer to the question, or mosre common, like they don't care. But at some point, any man or woman will stop, and think. Some people try to run from this all their lives, but at some point they will stop and face the reality.

Some say they don't care...actually they do care. And this is really interesting...why do we care after all so much?
 
Every time the topic of finding purpose in ones life comes up, I'm always reminded of the film unbreakable staring Bruce Willis and Samuel Jackson. The whole movie is pretty much based around the question of who are we, why are we here.
 
Dohavior said:
I read something about this when looking over material related to MBTI. It was something along the lines of the path of least resistance having no purpose for without will there is no purpose and there in does evil enter as a cognitive deficit. Or maybe it was the other way around. http://tinyurl.com/or3jv5v "The Red Book: A Reader's Edition" by C. G. Jung
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'..there in does evil enter as a cognitive deficit.' Right, So does darkness when there is lack of light. There's never completely nothing. So when people say that there was just nothing before the big bang, it's not true. There is always 'something' to be able to begin, a prime cause that caused everything. This prime cause is what people call God.

Out of topic, whoops.
 
ODyssey said:
So when people say that there was just nothing before the big bang, it's not true. There is always 'something' to be able to begin, a prime cause that caused everything. This prime cause is what people call God.
Click to expand...

There is of course the idea of Nothingness in that.....wait........... you,re a mermaid
 
I think I tend to seek meaning. While most I associate with tend to seek purpose. It's a curious dichotomy.

p.s. Laughing at hypothetical in OP. Lol!!
 
Yeah, I don't think it's nothing, it's an idea, formulated by the brain, a myth, a character. It can be a symbol, it can be viewed in any way. Even empty space is not called 'nothing', space is something.
 
I just dont like the idea that something has potentially put boundaries on me with rules. You cant be a squirrel, you cant be a tree, you must be a human that is currently not rich because the program you have been placed in says no.
 
Eventhorizon said:
It seems as if most of us go through our lives looking for purpose in different amounts but I ask, is it what we really want. The creator of our mutiverse might stop by one day and tell all the world, "oh and that purpose thing?" "I put you on this planet to convert oxygen to CO2. Nothing more" and then leave. There we would have our answer but none of us would like it.

I suggest it is not just purpose people want, it is GRAND purpose they want. I want to be something special, something uniquely important in this existence.

Think about it.
Click to expand...

I'm kind of with Joseph Campbell on this one, he said that he didnt think that people were searching for the meaning of life so much as the experience of being alive and the whole point was to be prepared for the day when your adventure came to you.

You know when the monster or crisis shows itself while you be one of the heros or play a part like that or will you be the extra who gets aced immediately and doesnt even feature in the credits?
 
Humans seek meaning because we have consciousness. Without it we will be living solely from a purely survival instinct and nothing more. The interesting thing about it is that since no two DNA is the same and no two people are alike; even among twins - the variety of life gives rise to questions. The variety of life experiences a human being can experience gives life a special zing that we cannot fully grasp but we feel it's pull and push within our lives. The events in our lives always seem to have an underlying meaning and the meaning only makes sense to the individual experiencing it. This continual experience allows humans to expand their consciousness. It becomes a cycle of growth, expansion and finally decay. The human life is in sync with the laws of nature. The laws help navigate through the quantum field of energy so the individual can continually experience life events that expand its consciousness.

However, just because we have consciousness does not mean that we live our lives from this point of view all the time. Our free will gives us the option to live our lives consciously (following our own path) or unconsciously ( living life from others perspective and being detached from the inner self). Living life consciously is harder but it feels right to the individual. Harder because living consciously requires personal accountability and responsibility over everything that happens in life and there is nobody to blame. Living unconsciously is easier because you are simply following others instructions, ideas and beliefs that are not your own. This makes it easier to blame negative life events onto others but there is no fulfillment or happiness when we live out our lives dictated by outside people and institutions.

I would say those who feel good by fabricating a purpose for themselves just to feel good are not in touch with who they really are. More like lost souls traveling in life without direction. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that in life there exists things such as love, compassion and happiness that give the most meaning to life. If we solely focus on the meaning and why those things move us in ways we cannot fully explain; than you get one step closer to experiencing the grand design and meaning of life. The state of loving, giving and being happy seems to exist all around and not specific to people or places. It becomes a goal to achieve; further giving more meaning to our lives.

Sometimes we give special meaning to goals and dreams and each one is different and each one is an extension of the individual. Our beliefs can help shape these dreams of purpose; but it's our desires that really gets things going. Desire is usually the culprit behind many dreams and life purposes and the uniqueness of each individuals desires gives meaning and purpose. Ultimately experiencing the very thing that we desire gives us the illusion that we will be more fulfilled or accomplished or happier. it's an illusion because it's always the experience and the journey that gives us the meaning and all the things we discover along the way are the real gold that gives meaning to our existence.
 
[MENTION=884]solongotgon[/MENTION]
Humans seek meaning because we have consciousness. Without it we will be living solely from a purely survival instinct and nothing more. The interesting thing about it is that since no two DNA is the same and no two people are alike; even among twins - the variety of life gives rise to questions.
Click to expand...
I agree that we seek meaning because we have consciousness. But wouldn't you agree that meaning is something independent of consciousness, yet can only be grasped and sought by consciousness?
 
LucyJr said:
@solongotgon

I agree that we seek meaning because we have consciousness. But wouldn't you agree that meaning is something independent of consciousness, yet can only be grasped and sought by consciousness?
Click to expand...

No I don't agree with it. Because the sole function of consciousness is the ability to see patterns, puzzles, meanings and repeated occurrences that take place and assign meaning to them so we continually improve our chances of making better decisions to pursue whatever we seek. The ability to see these patterns in our lives as well as see other people's patterns makes us more aware each time. We are born with consciousness intact for self preservation and purpose seeking. A baby watching another baby fall down a small flight of stairs and hurt themselves may learn the pattern of not climbing the stair due to self preservation and fear. Consciousness helps aid in survival as well as the ability to improve the chances of survival in the long term.
 
ODyssey said:
'..there in does evil enter as a cognitive deficit.' Right, So does darkness when there is lack of light. There's never completely nothing. So when people say that there was just nothing before the big bang, it's not true. There is always 'something' to be able to begin, a prime cause that caused everything. This prime cause is what people call God.

Out of topic, whoops.
Click to expand...

Is that some sort of joke? 'no-thing' is still yet a thing, yes however it is more specified than the extrapolated 'some-thing'. Identity comes from the difference not the similarity.

Darkness is not the absence of light, electromagnetism is everywhere. Neither can it be said darkness is the opposition to light for that place is reserved for the object. One must understand absence and opposition. Brighter the day, the darker the shadows. Darker the night, brighter the candle. Darkness perhaps is an innately learned cognition of lower light.

The "prime cause that people call God" can be quantified as Infinity. Intelligence can be quantified as maximizing possibilities http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL0Xq0FFQZ4

It is an introverted delusion that retards intelligence to think that there are infinite possibilities for this leads to moral pluralism which in turn creates gods. All Gods are evil or they are not Gods that is the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_evil

But what is evil or infinity, but a discussion of subjective complexity. Moral of the story one can be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent and yet still dumb as a door knob therefor yet impotent in every feasible way to be inert and nigh non existent. With great power comes great responsibility.
 
LucyJr said:
@solongotgon

I agree that we seek meaning because we have consciousness. But wouldn't you agree that meaning is something independent of consciousness, yet can only be grasped and sought by consciousness?
Click to expand...

I was just posting on the nature of consciousness in relation to quantum physics....
http://www.infjs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27025&page=37&p=731167#post731167

Qualia are defined and yet undefined...they are the part of our “consciousness” that is indescribable.
If you read that post as well as the two previous posts....there is clear evidence that the microtubles of our brain could contain our “soul” or “consciousness” with a quantum gravity field as both independently operating, but upon our death able to be released into the universe to continue existing - hence the “rushing through a tunnel” description of near death experiences.
 
Every-time a bird sings I am reminded of the outside world. This far more than when I hear peoples voices. Why is that I wonder?

Anyway, consciousness. A persons physical body dies and they find they still exist. Where are they? Do they go to heaven? If so whose heaven? Gods? Maybe Gods heaven is an enclosed room with some light. You get there and ask God, this is heaven. He says yes. You say you are confused because it does not seem like heaven. He tells you, that is because you do not yet understand the true nature of heaven. In another 3 trillion years, you may come to grasp a small part of it. In the mean time, this is where you will be spending all that time. Congratulations you remain conscious. Your other option was not to follow me in your life in which case you would have been rewarded with the ending of your consciousness.

Remember "heaven" is Gods heaven not yours. God apparently is too beyond us for us to understand it. My story may be a very real possibility.
 
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