Why do you choose to live?

[Disgustipated]

I 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? What do you hope to accomplish? What impact do you feel you have on people around you, and the world at large? What good can you do, or a human in general do to improve the world around them? What justifies our 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)? What good can I do in my life to justify my existence? Must I justify my existence for me to continue on living? Or is life enough not worth preserving? How can I improve my being to make my life worthwhile? 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?

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

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? I think it's worthy of discussion. But let's focus on living, not dying.

 

[Tani Coyote]

I have a wonderful family, worth staying with as long as I can.

I have great financial prospects, and that in and of itself makes this life that much more worth living. When you can spend a few dozen to have a great time at Disneyland and the like, you feel the urge to raise a few more dozen so you can have that great time again at some point in the future.

I'm comfortable with life since I know what to expect with it, unlike death. Death is the next great adventure, but you should complete this one first.

There's so much to experience in this life. Love. Travel. Media.

 

[Skwink]

Who out there has not contemplated why they live, but others die? I think it's worthy of discussion.

I'm young for one, active, and have access to clean water, healthy food, and good medical protection, and treatment.

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

I 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? What do you hope to accomplish? What impact do you feel you have on people around you, and the world at large? What good can you do, or a human in general do to improve the world around them? What justifies our 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)? What good can I do in my life to justify my existence? Must I justify my existence for me to continue on living? Or is life enough not worth preserving? How can I improve my being to make my life worthwhile? 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?

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

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? I think it's worthy of discussion. But let's focus on living, not dying.

Thats a whole lot of a questions! I think there is no need to worry about life/death question much. I mean some say that human life is like morning dew on the leave of grass- its very short lived.
I think one doesnt realy need a sense of purpose but rather sense of satisfaction. You dont need to justify anything for life is actualy process of fulfilment and everybody is totaly unique. There will never be someone exactly like you or me with the same capacities, expiriences, oportunities..... ever.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Because I don't know how to do anything else better?

 

[Tee Kay]

My mother worked hard to improve my life. The least I could do for her is try to stay alive.

 

[CivCube]

Life's too short to think about ending it. I'm enjoying where the forks in the road take me.

 

[El_Machinae]

Two questions pop up for me as an addendum.

Why do we choose to have kids?

Why do we choose to let other people die?

 

[GoodGame]

I have some sympathy for the victims of the faminines in East Africa, but I know they have roots in history and culture, and are not a new phenomena to which I specifically contributed.

As for AGW, I'm not convinced by the data. I accept GW is occuring, that is all.

As for why people live and the meaning of life, I'm convinced that it is a mixture of libido (we are animals after all) and personal philosophy from which we derive pleasure from constructing a rationalization and then acting it out.

 

[Hehehe]

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

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? I think it's worthy of discussion. But let's focus on living, not dying.

My opinion is that there is no meaning to life, no grand plan. I'm just in it for the ride

 

[civver_764]

Gotta agree with Hehehe.

 

[Greizer85]

I mostly exist in order to feel. It's gotten harder due to recent mishaps, but it helps that the alternative is horrifying: most likely a total nothingness. I have no idea how some people can act peaceful about the idea of death; the end of consciousness is for me an incomprehensible terror. If I could choose to live forever, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

No need for justifications, given the above. Still, I consume much less than the average person in the West; my donations should cover for my excessive meat-eating once I actually get a real income somehow. I make songs and poems that have been judged adequate by professional people. I keep to myself and do not bother others, something most of humanity seems inherently incapable of.

As for why we have children, it's genetics and a frantic search for meaning (most folks ain't that creative). Peer-pressure too to some extent.

Why we let others die? We don't comprehend someone in Africa as fully human. I mean, not as fully as someone in the West. People in the West ain't as important as our own countrymen. And compared to the family the rest of the country can go rot in Hell. Basically the more familiar and similar to us the group is, the more important it is in our mind. So far the trend has been toward larger social units, but I think 'world-consciousness' may be beyond our monkeybrain-capacities. When (if) we all do manage to evolve to the level where all our decisions take into account all of humanity, well, then it's time to move on to other planets.

Edit: ofc, corruption, organization and whatnot. But it's to do with the same idea. There'd be no corruption if we all had humanity's best interest in mind instead of our own and our immediate circle.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

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

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? I think it's worthy of discussion. But let's focus on living, not dying.

It is worthy of discussion, but only because we have an emotional need for a meaning / a plan / purpose / something of the sort. On the other hand, there is IMO absolutely no good reason to assume that the world, life and death isn't a totally random and pointless development and a lot of good reasons to assume it is. That sounds pretty grim, but it isn't that grim when one just accepts this state of nature and proudly ignores it because what matters are emotions only anyway.
I.e. who cares that your love is only some chemical processes when it to you still feels like something bigger?

Going from there, I think while there is no actual objective meaning to anything from what we know, emotions give us the potential to find subjective meaning. A fleeting kind of meaning, because as soon as you die, it's gone, forever, but it's the best we got. And it has while we are alive a lot to offer also, in terms of satisfaction, excitement and adventure etc. Sure they are also down-sides of such a subjective meaning, pain, loss, despair, hate... But you always can get something of the good stuff too, and it can be all the better when gone through not so pleasant experiences. But that now turns in the pretty obligatory talk I am sure you all have heard already - it still is valid though.

And going from there - the meaning of life is to find ways your emotionally world unfolds in the best way you can find. Or in other words, to get the most of love, satisfaction, the right kind of pride, fun - in short happiness - out of life. Yeah that's a pretty uncreative conclusion, but to be anymore precise means to try to push your own idea of happiness down other people's throats. Maybe that is what you are looking for. in a good way, i.e. possible approaches to live which will make you more happy, but I don't feel like I am secure enough in my own ways to give any such advice to strangers on an Internet board.

edit: Note that one's own happiness as the ultimate goal isn't an egoistic approach at all. When you are "altruistic", you'll do it in the end because it improves your wellbeing.

 

[IglooDame]

In general, I enjoy my waking hours and get a feeling of satisfaction from them. Sleeping, much less so. Since I assume death will be like sleeping except without the dreams, living therefore is preferable to not living.

There's also some other reasons.

 

[Perfection]

I don't have the choice to not die, I just choose not to die now.

 

[BvBPL]

Physical, aesthetic, intellectual, and social pleasures keep me around.

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

I wake up excited to be here and figure " I'll have another one please"

 

[MilesGregarius]

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

 

[Greizer85]

Death is not like sleeping (assuming it's nothingness). There's the rather crucial difference that you wake up from sleep. Imagine not waking up from sleepless dreaming. You can't because it's incomprehensible.

Frankly, I'd rather go to the Christian Hell than cease existing. At least there's a chance, however small, that God might change His mind and let you out at some point. With nothingness there's no escape. There's nothing. Incomprehensible.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

Because, for some reason, I keep waking up.