What is the meaning? Why go on living if death is inevitable? What is the point in going forward, in getting so far, just to die? Why not just end it now? Everything that is now won't matter at all when one is dead, so what is it that drives us on?
The Meaning of Life
- Thread starter Zukkor
- Start date
[video=youtube;-YaV3fcxLEk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YaV3fcxLEk[/video] lyrics in video description
[video=youtube;n9UjtTDbABU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9UjtTDbABU&playnext=1&list=PLA66B7A19298B EE00[/video] Lyrics here
Life has no inherent meaning, you are correct.
Simply because it does not exist at birth does not mean it cannot be made.
Make your own, it's your story. Live it how you want (there are consequences, of course, but you know that).
You were given life by your parents, use it. Manipulate it. Life is yours to keep, yours to greet, yours to travel with merry feet.
Individually, we mean nothing. As an ever-growing, collective ocean of molecules, we have great potential.
Yes, life does gradually extinguish; it also regrows and continues. What you do in your lifetime affects the larger pattern
simply by existing and doing. If nothing else, take comfort in the fact that any bad things you do will be (very gradually) swept away by time -
no pain or destruction lasts, but the growth you start and maintain affects others too (and even more people in turn). That (ripples), in my opinion, is what makes life worth living.
[video=youtube;n9UjtTDbABU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9UjtTDbABU&playnext=1&list=PLA66B7A19298B EE00[/video] Lyrics here
Life has no inherent meaning, you are correct.
Simply because it does not exist at birth does not mean it cannot be made.
Make your own, it's your story. Live it how you want (there are consequences, of course, but you know that).
You were given life by your parents, use it. Manipulate it. Life is yours to keep, yours to greet, yours to travel with merry feet.
Individually, we mean nothing. As an ever-growing, collective ocean of molecules, we have great potential.
Yes, life does gradually extinguish; it also regrows and continues. What you do in your lifetime affects the larger pattern
simply by existing and doing. If nothing else, take comfort in the fact that any bad things you do will be (very gradually) swept away by time -
no pain or destruction lasts, but the growth you start and maintain affects others too (and even more people in turn). That (ripples), in my opinion, is what makes life worth living.
What is the meaning?
I think this differs from person to person. For me, it's to find happiness/peace/fulfilment, which is a nearly impossible goal to reach in any perfect way, which means I'll never stop having a meaning in my life (it's also to help other people find happiness/peace/fulfillment). Since this is subjective, only you can really answer this for yourself.
Why go on living if death is inevitable?
Why not? Why kill yourself (pretty much the only alternative to going on living) if you're just going to die anyway?
What is the point in going forward, in getting so far, just to die?
There isn't a point. It's just more fun to have some sort of goal.
Why not just end it now?
Why not just wait it out?
Everything that is now won't matter at all when one is dead, so what is it that drives us on?
Curiosity.
I think this differs from person to person. For me, it's to find happiness/peace/fulfilment, which is a nearly impossible goal to reach in any perfect way, which means I'll never stop having a meaning in my life (it's also to help other people find happiness/peace/fulfillment). Since this is subjective, only you can really answer this for yourself.
Why go on living if death is inevitable?
Why not? Why kill yourself (pretty much the only alternative to going on living) if you're just going to die anyway?
What is the point in going forward, in getting so far, just to die?
There isn't a point. It's just more fun to have some sort of goal.
Why not just end it now?
Why not just wait it out?
Everything that is now won't matter at all when one is dead, so what is it that drives us on?
Curiosity.
Well, serving God(s) is the meaning from a religious standpoint. As far as an atheistic standpoint living is better than eternal nothingness so why choose nothing over something? Hmm. Just listening to your question you make an interesting comment. Temporary things can't have meaning. Hmm. Even if this were true, you can impact the world so long after you die your still influencing such as newton did, jesus did, and chuck norris will/did.
Looking back a few pages in this sub-forum shows that this and similar discussions come up periodically. Perhaps some useful comments can be found there as well.