The Meaning of Life

[BrooklynKnight]

The base function of life is to procreate. Thats all it really boils down too. Just because we're sentient and intelligent doesnt mean we need any more meaning then that. :-D

The rest is just filler between all the sex we're supposed to have. ;-D

Oh, and the real answer is, of course, 42.

 

[Nebin]

Hot Halfling chicks

 

[Pyrex]

"To crush your enemies, see then driven before you and to hear the lamentation of the women!"

But seriously, life has whatever meaning you bring to it. My meaning is to leave the world better than I found it while experiencing as much of it as possible

 

[kirinke]

like i said. the question is the answer.
the meaning of life is too live every answer boils down to that.

oh and
flop-eared bunnies are wise. listen to da bunny! the bunny knows alot! and we have a black-belt in being really, really cute.

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

Found it.

That was easy. Ask me for the meaning of antidisestablishmentarianism!

 

[blargney the second]

It's always so tempting to be pithy with questions like these...

The thing is, I think most people mistake meaning for purpose. Sex is one of the purposes of life at any given instant, but not necessarily the meaning of life as a whole.

Meaning implies that someone is trying to communicate something. In that case, if you look at lifeforms as a form of art, there are many ways you can interpret a message in life's existence.

-Beauty
-Continuity
-Aggressiveness
-Adaptation

Depending on your outlook, you can interpret life's message to be futility, hope, or anything in between. It mostly depends on your frame of reference.

-blarg

 

[Krieg]

The thing is, I think most people mistake meaning for purpose. Sex is one of the purposes of life at any given instant, but not necessarily the meaning of life as a whole.

Procreation is the one thing that differentiates living forms from everything else in the universe.

Life begets life.

Any "meaning" beyond that is merely self justification (not that there is anything wrong with that), insecure creator mythologies aside.

 

[blargney the second]

Any "meaning" beyond that is merely self justification (not that there is anything wrong with that), insecure creator mythologies aside.

Yep, I was skirting around the religious implications of trying to find meaning in life. Religious and political discussions are a no-no on EN World, I think philosophical ones might be allowed if they're not too offensive.

The gist of what I'm saying is that meaning can be used in two ways: the meaning behind a statement, and the meaning that we take from something (ie art). In order for this thread not to get locked, we ought to stick to the second one...

-blarg

 

[Henry]

I quote this thing every now and again, 'cause it's a great book, but...

The Chosen, Chaim Potok,
P. 217, 218: Reuven's father

"You are no longer a child, Reuven, . . .It is almost possible to see the way your mind is growing. And your heart, too. . . .So listen to what I am going to tell you. . . .Human beings do not live forever, Reuven. We live less than the time it takes to blink an eye, if we measure our lives against eternity. So it may be asked what value is there to a human life. There is so much pain in the world. What does it mean to have to suffer so much if our lives are nothing more than the blink of an eye? . . .I learned a long time ago, Reuven, that a blink of an eye in itself is nothing. But the eye that blinks, that is something. A span of life is nothing. But the man who lives the span, he is something. He can fill that tiny span with meaning, so its quality is immeasurable though its quantity may be insignificant. Do you understand what I am saying? A man must fill his life with meaning, meaning is not automatically given to life. It is hard work to fill one's life with meaning. That I do not think you understand yet. A life filled with meaning is worthy of rest. I want to be worthy of rest when I am no longer here. Do you understand what I am saying?"

 

[Eosin the Red]

First, to disagree with my esteemed colleagues, the FUNCTION of life is to procreate; meaning has a completely different implication. Meaning is a relativistic term – something that will need to be filtered through personal philosophy, religious (or areligious) views, and life experience. It will mean something different to all of us. Call it justifiucation or excuses or whatever but the question specifically asks about meaning - not function.

The meaning of my life is echoed Mercules response but I also have an intense passion towards service. A life of service has a meaning that will stretch long beyond the 8 or 9 decades we physically live.