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Question. What Is The Meaning Of Life?
208 Answers
Answer. There isnt one. This can be the only rational response.
There is no *ultimate* meaning, although we are all capable of making *a* meaning of our individual existance.
For some, such as christians and muslims, the meaning of life is to get themselves a place in paradise. But this doesnt answer the question, it only removes it a step. What then is the meaning of a life lived eternally?
For others who believe in reincarnation, the meaning is to become perfect/reach Nirvana/or whatever but doesnt answer the question. Again, it only removes it a step. What is the actual *meaning* of it all?
The only rational response to the big question must be there IS no ultimate meaning. Each and everyone of us are only here due to a chance meeting of a sperm meeting an egg.
We are born and then we die, like everything else in nature. A zebra's life has had no meaning when its been eaten alive by a lion. A tree's life has had no meaning when its been chopped down for firewood.
I totally fail to see why the religious cannot grasp a simple truth.
I would love to be proved wrong though.
There is no *ultimate* meaning, although we are all capable of making *a* meaning of our individual existance.
For some, such as christians and muslims, the meaning of life is to get themselves a place in paradise. But this doesnt answer the question, it only removes it a step. What then is the meaning of a life lived eternally?
For others who believe in reincarnation, the meaning is to become perfect/reach Nirvana/or whatever but doesnt answer the question. Again, it only removes it a step. What is the actual *meaning* of it all?
The only rational response to the big question must be there IS no ultimate meaning. Each and everyone of us are only here due to a chance meeting of a sperm meeting an egg.
We are born and then we die, like everything else in nature. A zebra's life has had no meaning when its been eaten alive by a lion. A tree's life has had no meaning when its been chopped down for firewood.
I totally fail to see why the religious cannot grasp a simple truth.
I would love to be proved wrong though.
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There's no single answer that's right or wrong,everyone will have their own take on it.
My life has consisted mainly of learning about everything around me (a still ongoing study),loving those close to me,nursing some as they left this life,bringing new life into the World and nurturing them to be the best people they can be and supporting them when they in turn brought new life in - if I succeed even somewhat in that then my life has been well lived.
My life has consisted mainly of learning about everything around me (a still ongoing study),loving those close to me,nursing some as they left this life,bringing new life into the World and nurturing them to be the best people they can be and supporting them when they in turn brought new life in - if I succeed even somewhat in that then my life has been well lived.
I see your point Nails, mainly because that is my position also.
But as I have pointed out many times, I firmly believe that the human psyche works best with the comfort of a 'higher power' as an explanation for things that the brain cannot explain to itself.
Now that 'higher power' can be anything you like, from the sun or the moon, to any type of deity you want to conjure up, or pick up having had it conjured up a few thousand years ago.
What deity you choose depends a lot on your parents, and your overall culture, which is why we are nominally a Christian country - because have been for hundreds of years, and nothing underlines a deity like a sense of history.
That doesn't rule out more 'modern' deities such as Haile Selassie, worshipped as a deity my the Rastafarian faith, or even Scientology which only kicked off in 1953, but still has millions of followers.
The thread that runs through all of them, in my view, is the comfort and security of a 'higher power' which takes the weight off fundamental questions about why we are here, and so on and so forth.
There are others, and I am one of them, who feel no such need for the comfort of a deity, and are happy to exist in a life formed entirely of circumstances and coincidences.
Similarly, I don't need the comfort for 'life after death' to stop me fretting about the inevitability of my own cessation from occupying my body here on earth.
I am fine with all of that - notwithstanding the pain it will cause my loved ones when I go, but I can do nothing about that, so I don't concern myself about it, and spoil my time here.
Others, and there are many committed believers on here, fret themselves stupid that everyone does not see their own deity as they do - but that is a matter for them.
Enjoy yourself, be nice, don't leave the kids in debt - that will do for me.
But as I have pointed out many times, I firmly believe that the human psyche works best with the comfort of a 'higher power' as an explanation for things that the brain cannot explain to itself.
Now that 'higher power' can be anything you like, from the sun or the moon, to any type of deity you want to conjure up, or pick up having had it conjured up a few thousand years ago.
What deity you choose depends a lot on your parents, and your overall culture, which is why we are nominally a Christian country - because have been for hundreds of years, and nothing underlines a deity like a sense of history.
That doesn't rule out more 'modern' deities such as Haile Selassie, worshipped as a deity my the Rastafarian faith, or even Scientology which only kicked off in 1953, but still has millions of followers.
The thread that runs through all of them, in my view, is the comfort and security of a 'higher power' which takes the weight off fundamental questions about why we are here, and so on and so forth.
There are others, and I am one of them, who feel no such need for the comfort of a deity, and are happy to exist in a life formed entirely of circumstances and coincidences.
Similarly, I don't need the comfort for 'life after death' to stop me fretting about the inevitability of my own cessation from occupying my body here on earth.
I am fine with all of that - notwithstanding the pain it will cause my loved ones when I go, but I can do nothing about that, so I don't concern myself about it, and spoil my time here.
Others, and there are many committed believers on here, fret themselves stupid that everyone does not see their own deity as they do - but that is a matter for them.
Enjoy yourself, be nice, don't leave the kids in debt - that will do for me.
Andy, I still dont see how believing in a higher power answers the question ''what is the meaning of life?''
So what if there IS a higher power? It doesnt answer the question any more if there were flying saucers, Big Foots or goblins.
I totally get that peoples lives are sometimes enhanced with belief, but it still doesnt answer the question. More precisley, those with belief dont answer the question.
Ive got a friend who's a fervent believer in God and the Bible. Ive asked him many times this question. He evades it. His only interest is getting to heaven. When asked 'What then?' he visibly becomes a little uncomfortable. Obviously incapable of enjoying THIS life, never mind the next.
So what if there IS a higher power? It doesnt answer the question any more if there were flying saucers, Big Foots or goblins.
I totally get that peoples lives are sometimes enhanced with belief, but it still doesnt answer the question. More precisley, those with belief dont answer the question.
Ive got a friend who's a fervent believer in God and the Bible. Ive asked him many times this question. He evades it. His only interest is getting to heaven. When asked 'What then?' he visibly becomes a little uncomfortable. Obviously incapable of enjoying THIS life, never mind the next.
//In that case, for me, the short answer to your question 'What is the meaning of life?' is -
I neither know nor care//
Same here. But always interesting to hear the views of the religious ;-)
Theland (bless him) always on about the 'Big Questions' but the biggest question of all is, why are we here and what is the meaning of it all. So you get to go to heaven if all goes well. And? What is the meaning of it all? What then?
The only rational response is there is no meaning to existance.
None, nada, zilch. The sooner we all stop pretending that there is the better.
I neither know nor care//
Same here. But always interesting to hear the views of the religious ;-)
Theland (bless him) always on about the 'Big Questions' but the biggest question of all is, why are we here and what is the meaning of it all. So you get to go to heaven if all goes well. And? What is the meaning of it all? What then?
The only rational response is there is no meaning to existance.
None, nada, zilch. The sooner we all stop pretending that there is the better.
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