You write as if from experience. I understand and, within some boundaries, agree. I've adopted four special needs kids and each of them has had or continues to have problems with organic depression. There are things in your life you have no control over. But, for the most part, most people have the ability to make decisions. Even if that decision is to seek help for depression, take the meds that have been prescribed, or ask for something else, there is a decision. I've been through it all, all night suicide watches, locking the cutlery in the safe, watching a deputy cuff and carry off a beloved daughter. I'm not unsympathetic, but even yet I made them recite the creed. They knew it, they know it, and they know there could be something better even when they are in the pits and I am in there with them. "If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice." Old Rush song, don't remember which one and I've decided not to listen to all the albums to find it.
Life is what it is: A gamut of emotion, routine, and the unexpected, encountered while chasing down an elusive purpose. It's taking each day as it comes and occasionally succumbing to a bout of maniacal laughter. Some days could last forever and others you just want to end...And a few, just a few, mind you will have you going: What the hell? - Darkkin, the Tedious
The meaning of life, rather simple really regardless of your religion. 1. Think about it, human beings are the most morally capable creatures out there, no other animal has the potential to be moral as us. we are also the most powerful creatures as of now, able to help this world or destroy it. 2. There is suffering having morals in a world with no suffering is pointless. We were but in a world with suffering so we can use our moral sense, humans generally don't like to see other humans or animals in pain. therefore figuring out our purpose is simple, the meaning of life is simply to do good, and to prevent suffering. Do onto others rule that most religions preach. and even if your not religious your concious still screams at you when you see needless suffering. so our purpose is to obey the urge only human beings have, that urge to stop suffering, the urge to do good. So stop living life for your self, and start living your life for others because at the end of the day all the material wealth you obtained won't mean a damn thing. but if you can save or change one life before you die, you will have completed your purpose. Sadly society teaches us that life is all about me, which is why people are so empty inside, by living only for your self we go against are very nature. It no wonder you're asking such an obvious question So there you have your meaning, now go out there and make a diffrence!
Meaning as consciousness I think we often find the meaning in life in the depths of depression, the refusal to go on believing. Hence pulling oneself out of that consciousness begins the building part. I have been a student of consciousness and continue to be so. From novels, I have extracted the meaning of other consciousness, mainly the classics. In philosophy, I have tried to isolate it and analyze it from the ancients through Hegel, from people like Kierkegaard to Husserl, Foucault and Heidegger today. To be responsible for building your own consciousness, to extract it from the precocious grips of the others and then to wire your own. Heidegger says you are practically in the world already as if there is no need for a consciousness. I think he is wrong and haven't finished comprehending him. The meaning of life is writing yourself.
I don't know. You're writing WAY above my pay grade. I would say I'm a behaviorist, not a philosopher. You are who you are, but to others you are what you do. I'm last again. Got to get out of that habit.
Need I point out that when you post, you WILL be last - until the next one? The only way out is the same as in War Games - not to play.
I know what you're saying. No matter what life dishes out to you, most of us do have a choice to make the best of it or to give in. And if you're a strong person with a strong support group, family, friends, etc., that's bound to make it possible to choose to embrace live with all its problems. But I also know how hard it can be, even with that support group, to make that happen. Ultimately, it has to be down to the individual. But some, maybe only a few, but some, people are not equipped to make that choice, and when the ability, strength, desire, call what you will is not there, in reality there is no choice. I watched my son come to terms with a progressive degenerative illness. I've seen his hopes and aspirations wither. I've also seen him pick himself up and make a life for himself and his family. He greets every day with enthusiasm and determination. He is my greatest inspiration and I admire his strengths but I also saw how close his illness came to destroying him - and those who love him. Life doesn't always give us the opportunity to choose. My son is lucky. His illness is debilitating, he can't walk, but he still has a good life. Others aren't so lucky and it's not really fair to say that they can chose to embrace their life or they can choose to give up life. Sometimes even deciding not to make a choice is beyond a person's control.
I admire your son for his attitude. I conceded the last paragraph: Life doesn't always give...etc, in the second sentence of the quote in your reply. I agree with you. I've seen it.
I beleive myself that a 'meaning' to life is unlikely. Somewhere along the line of human phsycological-evolution I think that (unlike animals around us) that we became extremely self-aware. This could be seen as a blessing or curse depending on your stand point on life. When a creature becomes significantly self-aware like us parts of the brain develop to accomodate these thoughts. For example there's a part of the brain that is basicly made to pursue faith and beleifs. It's in our genes. It's nicknamed the 'God Gene' becuase it allows our brains to contemplate and beleive in the existance of a meaning/importance higher than ourselfs. I think this gene has evolved to be part of us as a coping mechanism for our self-awareness. If we didn't have evolve the capacity to think these thoughts we would be merely animals. If we were merely animals we would only have one meaning of life: survival/ reproduction. Perhaps this would be a far more full-filling living experience for us. However the fact remains that we are intellectually evolved to ask questions. In my opinion our self-awareness is the pain and curse of our existance. So if there IS a God, I don't see why we should all be so thankful. For this? Nahhhh.
My mother's opinion is: why does their have to be a purpose in life? Just enjoy your life as best you can! I think she has a good point, especially since she's a happy person.
To me that's just a another way of saying I don't know, which is fine I suppose but then I always wonder, what does it mean to live the best you can?
For me, Life can be as ordinary and as unhappy as it gets unless you have the guts to make it extraordinary and a lot happier. It really depends on the person and how she wants to life life...
Death my friend. That is the only meaning in life. Sure you can say love and all of that but when you die its like it was never real.
Eh? If that's true why don't we all commit mass suicide and get it over with? xD surely there most be more don't you think?
Personally no. I was borna but it was not my of my doing. I accept that when we die there is nothing left and that there was nothing to start with since I will be dead and won't be able to remember anything.
Those with life threatening or terminal illnesses would beg to differ and until you have been down that road, please don't take life for granted...Death is what makes life all the more precious, but it is how we live that truly defines life and the memories we leave behind. Those memories, emotions, they live on long after we are gone. They are an echo of a voice lost. But just because something is lost doesn't mean it never was.
I think the finality of death is what gives life meaning. Everything is one day going to come to an end. That's a guarantee. So might as well make the most of it. By the way, just because a person believes life has no meaning doesn't mean that he should kill himself. In fact, I disagree with Camus' notion of a "logical suicide," but this thread probably isn't the place to discuss that.
Some people need to believe their has to be a purpose to life in order to help them cope with life. Other's however, don't need to.
Meaning of life? Smiles, love, happiness,living and all that wonderful stuff. Yeah I kept it simple and innocent. To be honest that's the meaning of my life anyway. But I guess you could say everyone has the ability to have a meaning it just depends what the focus on having that meaning mean.
Can I hijack this thread? Of course the answer is no, but I'm going to give it a shot, anyway. Mr. Moderator (or Ms. Moderator, as the case may be) feel free to send this reply to the dungeons if you wish. The question," What is the meaning...," is really meaningless. It's been debated for centuries and there has been no equitable answer. I propose a new question: If you were to dive into the eternal abyss -- death, or whatever else your belief system would call it -- what would the purpose of your life (earthly or otherwise) have been? I'd love to know how many different answers to that question there are.
Doing what you believe is meaningful is a big key when it comes to determining what the meaning of your life is.
