Do you look for meaning in your life?

[mayor]

What's the meaning of live.... tough one

Do I look for the meaning? no not really

Do I think my live is meaningless as it is? no definitely not, but if you overthink this you'll always end up with meaningless since you'll always end up with death.

Which isn't problem in itself, everything dies that's life The trick is not to let it get to you. The trick is that you'll can be meaningful until you die, or people around you do. And there are always people around you.

Does that mean I feel like my live has meaning? yes and since there will always be people around me I think that my life will always have meaning.

example: At this point a friend of mine just broke up with her boyfriend and she's having a hard time with it. Besides that she's originated from the other side of the country and live for a year in the same city as me. All here friends from highschool went to other cities so she was quite alone (besides the ex). Se hasn't made any close friends in the past year and didn't really have someone to talk to. At this point she can talk to me, we go out regularly and I basically am helping her through.
So at this point my live has a meaning, I'm helping someone else.

Spoiler for those synical :

before I get comments that I'm just using her to get some... Well, I admit that we met because I hit on her and well.. it worked. and off course I wouldn't reject it if anything happens but I wouldn't really mind if nothing happens

EDIT: well to be fair... I also live to become filthy rich and powerful...

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

do you find your own life meaningful,

No.

and is it meaningful in a way intelligible to you?

No.

Moreover is it meaningful in relation to yourself, or to others, or both?

Neither.

There is no meaning to life. All it is is like a movie: everything follows a script. Our thoughts, actions, feelings, everything. Everything is pre-determined. Absolutely everything. Our souls are the actors, our bodies are the characters, and life is the movie, to satisfy whatever sadistic, evil, tortuous pleasures the creator(s?) have.

"Power", "empowerment", and "control" over our own lives is a complete myth.

So no, I don't find meaning in life.

 

[warpus]

So, the question is the following: do you find your own life meaningful, and is it meaningful in a way intelligible to you? Moreover is it meaningful in relation to yourself, or to others, or both?

It doesn't really matter to me.

In the grand scheme of things I'm only one being out of trillions, on just one planet out of trillions, in one galaxy out of billions. In that sense, it doesn't have any meaning at all. In terms of the relationships I have with my friends, family, love interests, and sports teams, there is plenty of meaning there.

My philosophy is that if you need your life to have meaning then you are probably doing it wrong. Enjoy your life and that's all there is to it. If meaning comes into the equation, great! If not, who cares..

 

[Whiskey_Lord]

Meaning isn't something to be found, but something to be made.

 

[Skwink]

I never had to look for my meaning. There are others like me. We are here. Do not fear us, you couldn't interfere with our long term plans anyway, we're on different levels.

 

[squall78]

If you aren't working towards something or reaping the rewards of that something, what's the point?

 

[azzaman333]

As far as I'm concerned, my life doesn't need a meaning.

 

[Luckymoose]

The meaning of life is reproduction, everything else is to impress the opposite sex. Unless you're gay. Same principals though.

 

[El_Machinae]

If you aren't working towards something or reaping the rewards of that something, what's the point?

Oh, I'm certainly working towards something. And I'm going to reap rewards for it too. But that's because I want the rewards. I've decided that I want to do these things, because they give me intellectual satisfaction. But, I know that if I didn't have these goals, I would still want to live. The number of goals I can have are infinite, but the biological urge to survive is (imo) biological programming.

 

[mayor]

, but the biological urge to survive is (imo) biological programming.

well, that and what Luckymoose said. Reproduction

As far as I'm concerned, my life doesn't need a meaning.

why not?

 

[azzaman333]

why not?

I think the more important question is why does it need meaning?

 

[El_Machinae]

well, that and what Luckymoose said. Reproduction

I don't feel the need to transmit my seed. But I DO have a motivation to spread my ideas and my thinking. So, there's reproductive urges, but it's cognitive.

 

[mayor]

I think the more important question is why does it need meaning?

Well, if something is meaningless, why would you do it? (I'm talking anybody into suicide. DON'T!)

I don't feel the need to transmit my seed. But I DO have a motivation to spread my ideas and my thinking. So, there's reproductive urges, but it's cognitive.

well, reproduction of yourself through children or reproduction of yourself though ideas. basically it's the same thing. You reproduce, the "advantage", if you can call it that, of reproducing through children is that you reproduce "yourself" physically as well as mentally. Most parents transfer their ideas and way of thinking over to their children.

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

Life itself is very meaningful. It opens the door for other yet unmanifested forces to the world arena to play their roles. What an amazing thing! After billions of years of "pure unconscience" Life evolves. Then there comes again yet another amazing step. After millions years of lifes evolution Mind and its faculties enter the picture! And so here we are, thinking...

So yes, every life has a meaning. One can be aware of it or not but that doesnt change the thing. Only if we do things more consciously we become more meaningful.
What is happening is that we are part of that evolving Mind and Life and serve as its instruments.

 

[azzaman333]

Well, if something is meaningless, why would you do it? (I'm talking anybody into suicide. DON'T!)

Continuing to live is better than the alternatives.

 

[El_Machinae]

well, reproduction of yourself through children or reproduction of yourself though ideas. basically it's the same thing. You reproduce, the "advantage", if you can call it that, of reproducing through children is that you reproduce "yourself" physically as well as mentally. Most parents transfer their ideas and way of thinking over to their children.

Yeah, I agree. But the urge to reproduce physically is selected for by natural selection. The urge to reproduce cognitively certainly doesn't seem to be selected for. But, it's certainly there for me ... and I suspect that it has co-opted the biological urge to reproduce (in people).

 

[mayor]

Continuing to live is better than the alternatives.

that's a pretty bleak outlook on live....

Yeah, I agree. But the urge to reproduce physically is selected for by natural selection. The urge to reproduce cognitively certainly doesn't seem to be selected for.

I'm not completely sure about that... There are a lot of people who want to reproduce "mentally". For instance, Politicians... what's their sole purpose if not reproducing their ideas and way of thinking?

But, it's certainly there for me ... and I suspect that it has co-opted the biological urge to reproduce (in people).

politician?

 

[azzaman333]

that's a pretty bleak outlook on live....

Depression tends to do that.

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

Continuing to live is better than the alternatives.

continuing has many alternatives; not continuing only one...

I'm not completely sure about that... There are a lot of people who want to reproduce "mentally". For instance, Politicians... what's their sole purpose if not reproducing their ideas and way of thinking?

most politicians I have seen do not want to reproduce/ their ideas but conceal them. they want you to think that there is something on their mind but when they get to power they do the opposite or something else...

 

[Artifis]

Oh, I'm certainly working towards something. And I'm going to reap rewards for it too. But that's because I want the rewards. I've decided that I want to do these things, because they give me intellectual satisfaction. But, I know that if I didn't have these goals, I would still want to live. The number of goals I can have are infinite, but the biological urge to survive is (imo) biological programming.

Intriguing... Made me think for a bit, that sentiment of yours..

But after a bit of reflection, I realise I'm still of the opinion that I still want to find a meaning in my life. I've recently taken to looking at people around me, normal ordinary folks going about their daily lives, and wondering what they wanted to make of their lives. Raise a family? Put food on the table? Have a happy comfortable life?

Then I think, "Is that it?"

I guess this is because for me I know I look for a greater meaning in life. Nothing religious or whatever, but I know I want to make my mark on humanity. Life is short, and I might be forgotten as history passes me by, but I want to live knowing that I made an impact in improving the lives of those who live, and who will live on this world.

Call it my religion if you will, but I think the prospect of a better future for mankind is my calling. Without it, I'm just an Average Joe.