Why do you choose to live?

[NiRv4n4]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J41iFYO0NQA (sorry for spam, I simply had to. Warning: makes no sense if you haven't seen the movie. In which case... Go rent it. It matters. It really does. )

You know, I have never seen the Big Lebowski, but I have a dvd of it just sitting on a shelf. I think I might watch is sometime soon.

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

Well, I do comprehend the fact that I won't wake up. I just don't... I don't think there's a word for it. It's kind of like with space: I understand that space is infinite, but infinity itself escapes my grasp. Things must have a beginning and an end, otherwise the human brain just gets all dizzy and goes "Dude, like, far out, man.". At least mine does... It's said that one can indeed 'grok' infinity, but only in a mystical/drug experience, temporarily. Certainly a mystical experience would help to alleviate my fear of death, even if it was all hooey in the end.

well what if the outer personality/physical body was just a part of the actual you - the one you are aware of - and there was something else even more real in a sense that it would carry on your existence even after what is known as death and in a sense that it would posses the capacity (unlike our limited physical existence) to fuly identify with infinity?
Then I suppose it could be a reversed story. instead of waking up to nothingness one could wake up into some more free and even more real existence.

 

[Greizer85]

well what if the outer personality/physical body was just a part of the actual you - the one you are aware of - and there was something else even more real in a sense that it would carry on your existence even after what is known as death and in a sense that it would posses the capacity (unlike our limited physical existence) to fuly identify with infinity?
Then I suppose it could be a reversed story. instead of waking up to nothingness one could wake up into some more free and even more real existence.

I certainly hope so. However, hope doesn't count as evidence. Neither do mystical experiences, in the scientific sense; but it'd be a personal comfort if nothing else.

Anyway, this is the sort of vague hippie talk that people don't appreciate here.
I wish I had more to say on the subject, but I think SiLL's post summed up my view
better than I could've. I exist to feel, and as for death, I try not to think of it and hope for the best (I'd rather science make me immortal than take my chances with God's existence, though).

 

[SKILORD]

Spite is a powerful motivation, sadness is always flammable.

But, no one else seems capable of fixing the vast social and economic problems that the "continued existence of western society" poses (which you sort of get at in the first post). So, on top of that Spite there is also a lot of arrogance.

Spite and Arrogance. That's a good life philosophy. It will keep you crawling out of bed every morning. You will not, however, be in a particularly good mood.

It's manageable situation though, I mean, it's better than being all emo about it. Choose the dark side.

 

[Tani Coyote]

Spite is a powerful motivation, sadness is always flammable.

But, no one else seems capable of fixing the vast social and economic problems that the "continued existence of western society" poses (which you sort of get at in the first post). So, on top of that Spite there is also a lot of arrogance.

Spite and Arrogance. That's a good life philosophy. It will keep you crawling out of bed every morning. You will not, however, be in a particularly good mood.

It's manageable situation though, I mean, it's better than being all emo about it. Choose the dark side.

Just say it in the Terminator's words: anger is more useful than despair.

I'd beware of arrogance and pride, however. Pride is the father of all other vices.

Why have sorrow or rage when you can have happiness, anyway?

Now, what makes one happy... that varies. Also, how does one keep happiness from becoming contentness, and thus losing its appeal?

 

[G-Max]

I don't know about a hooker, but I'm pretty sure your odds of doing so with the likes of Candace Bailey or Sara Underwood are fair to middling.

Who?

(consults the Wiki)

Oh, some Nickelodeon hack and a bunny who had a bit part in Epic Movie. I actually have more respect for the prostitute than for either of them.

It's manageable situation though, I mean, it's better than being all emo about it. Choose the dark side.

The last guy who turned to the dark side was an emo...

 

[SKILORD]

You're going to give me a prequel aneurysm. But my point stands, Anakin was emo, but Darth Vader was not emo, ergo the Dark Side cured his emo-ness.

With regards to arrogance, maybe I should put it a different way. If you mean arrogance insofar as overly high self esteem or confidence in one's human worth. But when one claims that they want to use their life to "make the world better" that is a pretty arrogant claim, it assumes that other people are not capable or willing to improve the condition of the world, worse still, that their actions and the actions of other people like them through history so far are responsible for the current condition of the world. Claiming that it is even possible to improve the condition of the world to any extent is a arrogant statement, I think that probably the best example would be the title of President Obama's memoir, the audacity of hope.

Audacity is a much rosier way to paint the psychological landscape of a person delusional enough to think they can make the world a better place to any extent, but the truth is that many people (most of them in the Republican party) that audacity was arrogance. That is one of the many reasons that conservatives don't care for the man.

But with regards to happiness, you know, it's not like I don't try. I make attempts to enjoy life. But then again, you can't be happy all the time, my boy in the OP clearly is having trouble being happy and so my advice is to take all the sadness and set it aflame.

IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT WITH PROPER VENTILATION DO NOT HURT ANYONE.

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

Waylon Jennings - Luchenbach Texas

"The only two things in life that make it worth livin' , are gi-tars tuned good and firm feelin' women".

 

[G-Max]

You're going to give me a prequel aneurysm. But my point stands, Anakin was emo, but Darth Vader was not emo, ergo the Dark Side cured his emo-ness.

Nah, he was playing with the Dark Side long before he became James Earl Jones. I think being a robot is what cured his emo-ness.

 

[SKILORD]

Then I change my answer to "I choose to live in hopes of becoming a cyborg"

 

[Dachs]

If it's to be "The Torment of Existence Weighed Against the Horror of Nonbeing", I choose the former.

I am prepared to have your babies.

 

[G-Max]

Then I change my answer to "I choose to live in hopes of becoming a cyborg"

Hell yeah!

 

[MilesGregarius]

I am prepared to have your babies.

Glad someone finally got the reference.

Dachs, is there anything you haven't read?

 

[Dachs]

Glad someone finally got the reference.

Dachs, is there anything you haven't read?

Dude I <snip> love Calvin and Hobbes

late eighties/early nineties were like a miniature golden age for newspaper comics

Moderator Action: Watch the language, please.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[MilesGregarius]

Dude I <snip> love Calvin and Hobbes

late eighties/early nineties were like a miniature golden age for newspaper comics

Agree with you on both points.

Admittedly, Calvin and Hobbes ain't particularly esoteric, but it still took two pages and someone of your erudition to comment on it. I will take it that taking two pages for a Calvin and Hobbes reference to be duly noted as yet another sign of the decline and fall of Western civilization.

 

[Dachs]

I am forced to agree with you there my friend

 

[G-Max]

I'm a big fan of C&H, but no human can be expected to have read every panel so many times that they will catch any and all references.

I can, however, recite the entirety of the animated Transformers movie (1986) from start to finish.

(note to self: 1,500 posts, yay!)

 

[bernie14]

won't talk about death anymore, I learned the hard way that's against forum rules. That's a topic that's done to death anyways (no pun intended). A more interesting topic is why you choose to live. Why do you feel your life is worth living?

because I am the one living it

What do you hope to accomplish?

Something in between world peace and nothing in particular…..we are probably neither as important nor as useless as we think we are…..

What impact do you feel you have on people around you, and the world at large?

Net positive (imo)

What good can you do, or a human in general do to improve the world around them?

The negative golden rule (READ THIS)

What justifies our existence?

what “justifies” existence?

I have been struggling lately with the knowledge that my existence is contributing to global warming, and the famine in Africa causing thousands of deaths. So I've been trying to look at the positive side of my life. Why is my life more important than theirs (I don't mean that in a bad way)?

Because it is your life

What good can I do in my life to justify my existence?

see READ THIS

Must I justify my existence for me to continue on living? Or is life enough not worth preserving?

I am either reading this the wrong way or this is not an “or” question…..

How can I improve my being to make my life worthwhile?

The answer is subjective, but the tone of your question suggests that life is worthwhile only if you improve your being….

Anyways, those are personal questions, and not really for this thread. I guess you can say, I'm looking for ideas and/or positive inspiration.

As a subtopic, what do you consider the most altruistic deeds a human can do?

altruism is over rated….. far too often, people think that doing something for someone else is a good thing, without even considering the wishes of the other…..see (READ THIS)

And the ultimate question: What is the meaning of life?

dk…..we may find out when we die, or not……while we are still here though, i guess it would depend on your beliefs….

a) religious…..consult your holy book/religious authority

b) for the non religious, the meaning of life is….

Spoiler :

an orgasm, yes, an orgasm….this is DNA’s evolutionary method to make sure you want to procreate

I've had several beers, so maybe these thoughts are the result of said intoxication (I'm relying on firefox to correct misspellings Who out there has not contemplated why they live, but others die?

Alcohol is not going to help if you are depressed, but you probably already know that…..

 

[Duke of Britain]

My family, friends and faith.
I need to say that i feel no thing such as physical pleasure in life or anything like that, i only feel myself happy when i'm with my family, friends, or when i talk with God.

To me life is just a timer, i need to do something while i wait until the time to join God comes.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

I cannot unravel the secrets of nature and the universe when I'm dead, can I?