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Is there a meaning of life?

what i mean to say is , does life have on main reason of existence.

remember to explain below

  • 10 votes
  • 26 votes
Selah613 5 Sep 24
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39 comments

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0

It does not in and of itself have meaning. We are simply of byproduct of life which is ever seeking to perpetuate itself.

However, individuals can assign meaning or purpose to his/her own life as it suits. Personally, I consider myself to be a lottery winner of a sort by even existing. Thus, I want to rack up as much experience and enjoy each to the fullest while I can.

Zster Level 8 Oct 8, 2017
7

The answer to the universe is 42.

you beat me to it!

Explain me 🙂

7
5

Yes, it does, but you may not like the answer. The prime purpose for any bio-organism is to survive and reproduce. Beyond that, no.

The advantage human beings have going for them is the ability to think in the abstract. To contemplate things like meaning in life and to be able to produce subjective meaning for our own. I have an entire panoply of reasons for my life. Ask if you're interested.

Pretty much what I was going to say.

I think that's the disadvantage of being human as we are the only creatures who seem to give a shit about it.

4

I know Mattbat' beat you to it but I will give your props for still posting it. So funny 42. Love it

Spit out my drink a little when I scrolled past that one lol

Fill me in on the 42

4

Meaning of life is the meaning you give it. If you dream to become something great, if you desire to make positive changes for yourself and others, then that's your purpose. You have to give your life meaning and purpose. To me, that's the only answer. There's no correct philosophical answer, if that's what you're searching for. And if there was, would you want to limit yourself to that? We can all wonder how we got here. There doesn't have to be a reason for our existence. Just like there doesn't have to be a reason my paints fell, it just happened when I left the room. But I love the art that came from the spilled mess. It now has a meaning to me.

Ember Level 4 Sep 24, 2017

sort of "life is what you make it" is that it? a shoe maker's slogan is "just do it!"

Great explanation! I sometimes incorporate scientific and or philosophical perspectives in my remarks. Your example of falling paint, and spilled mess was a great example of vivid imagery to make your point.

3

Life is what you make it and what you perceive it to be.

3

There is no meaning, it's all a wonderfull fluke!

3

Nope, our situation is so depressing if you think about it, lol.

Lol 100% agree.

3

While there "may be" one main reason for all existence, the answer depends on which scientist you ask, and I'm not sure that the scientific community agrees unanimously. The most universally acceptable and useful answer I believe is to identify and define "your" one main reason, and do the work of fulfilling it. For example, Warren Buffet (One of the wealthiest men in the world), has admitted to being agnostic, and has donated over $27 Billion of his wealth to charitable organizations.

If I have the money I'll surely do the same for the sake of humanity but with a little twist here and there. But as it is, bill collectors will be arriving shortly. Too bad the world didn't end on the 23rd

SonnyMlaPH: We may not have the financial resources of Warren Buffett, but we all can contribute to helping others in various ways.

GoodMan: that's my forte, I'm good at helping others in some other ways

3

Meaning is personal and everywhere.

Concisely truthful. Excellent!

2

If we assume that people need some kind of meaning for their existence, then I think each person has to find their own way in which to make their lives meaningful for themselves.

2

“After sleeping through a hundred million centuries we have finally opened our eyes on a sumptuous planet, sparkling with color, bountiful with life. Within decades we must close our eyes again. Isn’t it a noble, an enlightened way of spending our brief time in the sun, to work at understanding the universe and how we have come to wake up in it? This is how I answer when I am asked—as I am surprisingly often—why I bother to get up in the mornings.”
? Richard Dawkins

2

"Meaning" is a human (or intelligent) concept, so there literally can not be a meaning to something without an intelligence to assign it one. Similarly, the question "is there a meaning to existence(of everything)?" But consider if everything existed EXCEPT life, there would be no consciousness at all to say whether it had meaning, so it wouldn't. Yet it would still exist.

2

Don't know if we'll ever be able to answer why we exist. Although, scientists will most likely discover how life came into existence. But as far as where meaning comes from, I assume our only source is ourselves.

We make our lives meaningful, valuable, purposeful. And we prioritize these meanings, values, and purposes. Also, we may have a number of these meanings, values, and purposes in common with what others have made for themselves. And when they become shared experiences, they become cherished memories, and catalysts for relationship building.

Jerry Level 2 Oct 11, 2017
2

you make the meaning , but in general it's not

2

there wasn't a spot for don't know

2

The meaning of life is the experience of life.

2

To crush your enemies. See them driven before you. And to hear the lamentations of their women. Just kidding, If don't know what movie that's from I feel very sorry for you. Also you left out the choice "I don't know" because truly I really don't know.

2

On a universal level, literally nothing we do matters. On an individual level it only has as much meaning as you feel free to give it.

2

I'm sorry I'm going to say no. Life is a series of random events that end in statistical outcomes. I honestly wish I could say there's more to life. But we live just to die we work just to pay bills we eat just to shit it's beginning an end to it all but no reason for any of it. Those are just my own personal thoughts

sort of just going through the motions and going with the flow and following like sheep, etc . . . I think that's a very simple way to live. I think that's with me, why make life complicated. Just enjoy the journey, so to speak

see thats what i thought. i believe there is no actual rhyme or reason to life you just do whatever the hell you want.

I would say we all do whatever we want within societal constraints. We need to act within accepted societal moralities.

Selah613: Anarchy would ensue with that kind of belief. Most people can't defend thamselves.

A genius of a singer/song writer - Stevie Wonder, almost blind, paints his songs in wonderful colors and amazinglly vivid descriptions of what he knows of life in perfect rhythm and harmony . . . "songs in the key of life!"

paul1967: yes, always with utmost dignity, integrity and respect for the rights of others

2

There has to be a reason for everything. We all know the answer to this if we look at it from the religious perspective. I don't know if the scientific community has an explanation or theory on this which is a zillion lightyears away from that of the religious. But the fact remains that we are here, matters in existence, asking what caused us to be here . . . and what caused that cause and the cause of that and succeeding causes down the line tracing back. Like walking in a room full of mirrors

There's a song by The Cascades band back in the 1960s, part of which goes like this:

There's a reason for a sunbeam
A reason for a daydream
A reason why the desert's dry
A reason why a stream falls
A reason why there's rainbows
A reason for a cloudy sky

. . . go ask your grandpa about it. Your dad must've grown up in the hip-hop generation

I agree. There is a reason for everything, however, I also believe that the 'Cycle of life' (which is a scientific question) is different than the "Meaning of Life" (which is a philosophical question). To me, the most important is the meaning, which essentially is your "Mission Statement" that you declare personally, and helps you focus your efforts in a certain direction (where you see yourself in life) at any particular time.

1

Here is the problem. As soon as we acquired our ability to reason beyond our immediate animal, physical needs we also acquired a responsibility to use that ability to benefit more than our individual selves or even our specific tribe. If you disagree with that, than you are wasting a perfectly good pre-frontal cortex. Further, wasting your time on earth by not learning how to manage your feelings in such a way that benefits your mental health will ultimately lead to terminal depression.

1

maybe,maybe not. Think even our best speculations may be misguided!

mzee Level 7 Oct 19, 2017
1

Yes there's a meaning but it's not what most people expect. The meaning of life is to keep genes going from generation to generation via agents with a desire for love, sex, parenthood, grand-parenthood & the general rule of 'thriving'. These meanings are secondary to the genes 'desire' to replicate. Of course the desire isn't real in the genes but it is in the creatures it manifests (if desire helps the life-form replicate - some don't need to manifest such a modus operandi). 'Life' isn't something beyond the functioning of the various biological 'mechanics' at play. That bothers some people but it doesn't bother me because it leaves me a blank canvas to create whatever artificial meaning I can create 'on top' of the genetic mandate. But who would want a pre-ordained meaning anyway? Imagine your parents said 'We had you because you were meant to be a doctor. [-or whatever]' That would mean you couldn't choose a meaning of your own. - Who wants that?!

Paul Level 5 Oct 18, 2017
1

"life makes sense and who could doubt it, if we have no doubt about it."

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