The Meaning of Life

[Psionicist]

I don't know if this has ever been asked before, but considering the huge amount of intelligent individuals here this should make an interesting and hopefully thoughtful discussion. What is the meaning of life, in your opinion? What is your life philosophy? What do you live for? I know you have thought about these questions before, several times, so why not share your ideas?

One of the reasons I ask is because I am somewhat unsure whether I am unsure or not myself, compared to the rest of the population (you, in this case). I can’t say I am definitely certain I know the answer to the question(s), but I can come up with some feasible answers if I sit down and think for a couple of hours. I know what I value; I know what I could die for. I think I know some of the reasons we (humans) exists. I am pretty sure I live "the right way" for me, etc. But I am not 100% confident in my views, so I’d love some inspiration!

Thanks!

 

[kirinke]

Simply put, the meaning of life is 42. ^)^

seriously though. the answer is the question.
The meaning of life is to live.
Every answer boils down to that.
After all, isn't that the gift itself?

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

The meaning of life? The non-python meaning of life?

It's sunday. I don't answer philosophical questions on sundays.

 

[ASH]

I know that when its time for me to die, I would want to look back and find that I found true happiness and love, and that I will be remembered fondly. So, the meaning of my life is to be happy, loved and to make some small difference so that when I die I am rembered well.

 

[AGGEMAM]

It's sunday. I don't answer philosophical questions on sundays.

It's monday here. Does that mean you can answer it now then?


But of course, everyone knows the meaning of life and everything is ... 42!

 

[Krieg]

Serious non-philosophical answer?

Procreation.

 

[Dirigible]

To drive my enemies before me, to hear the lamentations of their... naw.

I've always felt to die with the most toys would be a worthy goal.

 

[Zappo]

I don't want to bring religion into this, but - well, I'm an atheist, I don't think there's an afterlife or any sort of higher meaning except that which we define for ourselves. So, my life is the only time I exist and I want it to be as long and enjoyable as possible, and to bring as much development to humanity as I can, so that more and more people can have great lives.

 

[Mercule]

I don't think it's any big deal to be unsure. I'm not always sure, and even at my most lucid, there are unanswered questions. My best guess? Here you go:

Along the same line as Zappo, I need to invoke religion, but I'm a Christian. I ain't rammin' it down your throat so don't go flamin' me.

The purpose of life is to honor God.

What does that mean? To seek understanding of His desires and follow through on them.

What are those desires? Basically, to be good, respect others, benefit others, better yourself, help others to better themselves, and generally seek/promote wisdom.

Okay, if God's such a great guy, why doesn't he just hand us the bloody rules rather than make us guess? Two things: 1) He kinda did, first with Moses and the prophets of the Old Testament. Then, after those lessons had dulled, with the Christ in the New. Whether you're a literalist or not, there are a lot of good lessons in there. 2) Apparently, free will is important in this whole thing. To actually have the ability to choose, there needs to be two (or more) apparently viable choices. If "the truth" were handed to us in an unambiguous and undeniable format, it wouldn't be much of a choice. Besides, think about human nature. Even if we had all the answers, we'd spend our time trying to come up with a better plan rather than just guessing at the plan.

Okay, so if we just obey, we'll get to heaven, right, and that's the point? Not in my mind. The point is not just racing to the finish line or to "look out for number one". It's about genuinely embracing the concepts of love, etc.

So, in a nutshell, the purpose of life is to "Love God (goodness) above all else," and "Love your neighbor (everyone) as [Christ] has loved you." This will honor God.

 

[LightPhoenix]

The meaning of life is to think, especially about the meaning of life.

How many people even ask themselves this question? This question, when given serious thought and answered honestly, tends to reflect what people want out of their own lives. As such the answer to this question is wholly dependant on who is answering it and the circumstances surrounding their life at the time it is asked. Hence, there is no one true answer, because the only way to answer the question wrong is to lie to yourself and others. Thus, the answer is rather moot... it's the question that is the important thing. Thinking about questions such as these enable us to be introspective about ourselves, and understand ourselves better... enabling the path of self-actualization, as I believe Jung and Adler referred to it as. This process of self-actualization makes us better people... not unflawed, but happier and more capable of unlocking our potential, more capable of dealing with the problems in our lives.