What really matters?

[dank06]

This is a question I have really been struggling with for the past 2 years or so: What really matters?

After 2 years of searching for an answer, I feel that the ONLY thing that matters is survival.
This leads to the "Why". If viewed from a purely evolutionary standpoint across all species, why should anyone or anything have a drive to survive and to pass on genes to offspring?(the latter does not apply to me - I am gay)

If the only thing that matters is survival (and I have just come to this realization), then no one should have a problem overcoming any type of fear since all fears unrelated to survival are completely and utterly insignificant
(eg asking someone out, manifesting an intention, etcetera).

The push to make the paradigm shift came from the following situation:
I am 90% certain I saw a guy checking me out at school and I was unsure on how to approach him due to the nature of the situation and the technical programs that we're in (eg, I suspect he hasn't revealed he is gay, and I most
certainly haven't done so). I was questioning myself for a few weeks on how to approach him. It was constantly on my mind. Then I took a step back and saw how trivial the situation is. Then it dawned on me: nothing matters
but survival, NOTHING. When I see him next I will have no trouble approaching him.

A second reason or pointer to the realization and question is the following analogy:
Pick a starting point such as the center of the earth, which is a sphere. Moving outward from that central point, you may encounter the moon. Once you hit the moon, whats on the other side? More space of course. Keep going and maybe you pass through some planets, but what's beyond that? More space again. Continue on this way and you never return to your starting point...the volume of the sphere continues to expand. What if you come to the limit of that immense sphere? What's on the other side of the sphere? More space again.
Eventually, you see how incredibly small and insignificant we really are -- nothing matters.

If you don't enjoy the outer space analogy, choose a more concrete example such as an ant in South America. That ants perspective is so incredibly narrow, how could it ever know about Canada, America, Europe...? The ant could really care less since it's basic instinct is to survive: putting yourself in the position of the ant can really make you feel small -- how can anything matter to that ant but survival?

However, the big question remains: Why survival?

[stephencp]

"Continue on this way and you never return to your starting point..."'

I thought that relativity had us coming back to same point eventually...

Stephen
Power-Book Library: Free personal development, success, inspiration and motivational classics

[Adam]

Science, I've found, is great at answering how, but has, as yet, failed to answer the final why.

I have done a lot of thinking and pondering and meditating and searching and questioning, and the only answer that I have come up with is to experience everything. Fortunately, that is an extremely short answer to a very long chain of questions and semi-answers... and I have a very strong feeling that even that isn't the final why.

Why do we want to experience everything? Frankly, I don't know. Why would anything infinite want anything?

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by dank06

This is a question I have really been struggling with for the past 2 years or so: What really matters?...
However, the big question remains: Why survival?

"What really matter matters?" - I guess to say only survial matters works if it helps ditch false fears. But there is so much more that matters for me - it matters that I'm happy, for example. I don't need to be happy to survive, but it matters to me. So I'm not one to answer "why survival (is the only thing that matters)?".

However, the answer to just "why?" - is so we can ask why. (lol)

[songwriter]

What matters is living. Survival is not living. There are ways of surviving that are not "living" really...
Why "living"? Because there's nothing better to do.

[Radical]

Well, if you think about it you are right - nothing really matters. Not even survival, because in the end we will die and all our memories will be lost forever.

So what is the point? What is the point of anything, if one day we will die and everything we've ever thought, said, done etc is forgotten? I mean we might as well have never been in existence.

Well the fact is we are in existence, and we should be thankful for every day of being in existence that we get. If nothing matters and life is pointless, then why don't you just commit suicide? There must be something that's stopping you from doing this?

Something only matters if you decide for it to matter. So what matters to you? What's stopping you from commiting suicide? Whatever it is, that's what matters. Everything else is ultimately meaningless.

[dank06]

Originally Posted by stephencp

I thought that relativity had us coming back to same point eventually...

How is that? Only based on the assumption that space-time is curved perhaps? ... (Einstein's theory of relativity could be incorrect due to its incompatibility with quantum mechanics...but that's for another discussion)

Originally Posted by Adam

Why do we want to experience everything? Frankly, I don't know. Why would anything infinite want anything?

Can you explain what you mean by infinite?...how are we infinite?
And I see exactly as you do on science...it has no problem with answering 'how', but it cannot seem to answer the 'why' in many cases since 'why' is not quantitative.

Originally Posted by songwriter

Why "living"? Because there's nothing better to do.

That seems like a cop-out answer: Just because.
example: Q. Why do bad things happen to good people? A. Because God wants to increase their faith.
How is that considered a valid answer?

Perhaps people have answered this question (in some form or another) by creating certain belief systems (eg religion), but any such belief system introduces an aspect of doubt which in theory can be overcome with faith.

Faith however is not based on logic or reason -- which is why I have so much trouble accepting some things.
I grew up in a Catholic household where we went to church every Sunday but I felt at a very young age that none of it made any sense (as young as 6 years old!). In fact, I have not set foot inside any religious establishment since I moved from my parent's house.

This still leaves the question...isn't there a way to arrive at an answer about survival/living using logic and reason? Or am I wasting time on this?

[Hsiang-Lin]

Hey dank06,

Great question and thread. I used to think about this all the time as well, although I have come to a semi-conclusion (always room for more growth )

Indeed, what you say is a valid perspective. In the very long run, everything we do in this lifetime or what we accomplish as a species MAY be pointless. But how do you KNOW that for sure? If you think about it a little further, no one really KNOWs that life and humanity will be pointless somewhere down the line. You can certainly believe it, but can you prove it? But at the same time, how do we know there AREN'T people who know the true nature of reality? When you think enough about it, you realize that what you believe to be true may actually just be a belief. That is why we need to constantly question our fundamental beliefs. (on a side note, I have a very high inclination towards people like Jesus and Buddha for understanding the true nature of reality).

So what did I do? I simply didn't know which side to choose. I just simply let it mull in my brain and eventually I learned to apply each perspective as I see fit for each situation. So for example like you approaching a guy you like, you could employ this perspective that this is a trivial act even within your own lifetime so what's to lose? I've done similar things with girls I liked so I know how nerve-wracking it can be.

Now at the same time, the danger of taking this perspective too far is that you see life as ultimately pointless and trivial. When I feel this mindset coming on, I use inspirational mindsets or thoughts to raise myself back to balance. This way, I continue to strive each day while able to overcome my fears. Of course, I'm no where near mastery in life, but I feel this way of adapting perspectives to each situation is quite useful.

So the bottomline is, don't become too easily sucked into one perspective as "truth." It may be a perspective you currently espouse and believe moreso than others, but always have that bit of healthy skeptcism, so you allow room for growth, increased consciousness, and new models of reality to enrich your life.

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by dank06

However, the big question remains: Why survival?

Why not?

[Dating Specialist]

Originally Posted by Hsiang-Lin

So what did I do? I simply didn't know which side to choose. I just simply let it mull in my brain and eventually I learned to apply each perspective as I see fit for each situation. So for example like you approaching a guy you like, you could employ this perspective that this is a trivial act even within your own lifetime so what's to lose? I've done similar things with girls I liked so I know how nerve-wracking it can be.

Now at the same time, the danger of taking this perspective too far is that you see life as ultimately pointless and trivial. When I feel this mindset coming on, I use inspirational mindsets or thoughts to raise myself back to balance. This way, I continue to strive each day while able to overcome my fears. Of course, I'm no where near mastery in life, but I feel this way of adapting perspectives to each situation is quite useful.

So the bottomline is, don't become too easily sucked into one perspective as "truth." It may be a perspective you currently espouse and believe moreso than others, but always have that bit of healthy skeptcism, so you allow room for growth, increased consciousness, and new models of reality to enrich your life.

That's what I do too! Instead of restricting myself to just one aspect of the reality, I subject myself to as many perspectives as I could concieve and see, and choose the one that's most useful and appropriate at that point.

Life is really a matter of perspectives isn't it? There really is no hard core truth, except the truth that we subscribe to. That's why beliefs are so powerful.

So what matters eventually could yes, be survival if we're talking about the ultimate thing to continue living, but why not look at life as a big giant with lots of modules in it. Within each module, different things will matter, right?

[MGJ]

Great question. To me personally... the only thing that matters is creation. I think thats why we are in physical form. Our sole purpose in life is to create. We can create what we want in life or what we don't want... so it boils down to the art of creation. We are creators.... IMHO.... and thats all that matters to me.

Survival, in my humble opinion, is a surrender to the ideal that you have no power to create the life you want... if not, then why be in survival mode? Do I want to create a survivalist kind of attitude/life... of course not... I want to thrive. So the question becomes, how do I thrive? By thinking in survival terms? No. By creating, holding and visioning a thriving, fulfilling life.

In any event... didn't want to get too heavy on this... but my 2 cents.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by dank06

Can you explain what you mean by infinite?...how are we infinite?

I didn't mean to imply that we are infinite... I mean, anything that is capable of creating a universe that has a purpose behind its existence is infinite, or at least as close to infinite as we can imagine.

Stating that there is a purpose for anything in this universe implies a consciousness capable of understanding that purpose... If there were a purpose for life, it would imply a consciousness that we would see of as a deity... I guess my question could be rephrased to, why would a god, being infinite [perfect] from our perspective, want to create anything?

[Angela]

I believe that there is absolutely no inherent purpose in life, but that everything matters.

[MGJ]

to Adams question... "why would a god, being infinite [perfect] from our perspective, want to create anything?" From my perspective, by making the decision not to create, you are creating. You are making a decision NOT to create (although not as fun).

Why would "god" NOT want to create anything? If given the choice to either create or not create which would you choose merely from the point of joy? What is more fullfilling? Doesn't consciousness, in all forms, strive for joy? And can that not come from the process of creating something that pleases you, with the knowing that your powers created this joy?

[Cassie]

Not to intentionally self-promote or fling this in anyone's face, but I actually just wrote an article dealing with some of these questions in my financial blog.

If you fancy taking a peek, here it is.

The Conundrum of Money

I believe many times we're consumed with the wrong ideals, and forget how to become receptive to discovering our greater purpose in this life.

[dank06]

Well, I can certainly say that all input here has expanded my perception.
Thank you, Hsiang-Lin, for your incredibly valid point/question about actually knowing something --> That's just it, the perspective that survival is the only thing that matters should be applied with caution. You also addressed another question: what's to stop me from seeing everything in life as ultimately pointless and trivial...what is there to stop me from killing myself? -- and the truth is, there are many things to stop that even if those things are trivial in the face of survival.

I made a mistake too in applying my main question across all living things. Because we are human beings (with logic, reasoning, emotion, etcetera) we really cannot place ourselves on the same level as other species.

I don't know why I haven't thought about perspectives in the light that I can apply different ones to certain situations...maybe I'm limiting myself to the belief that a person can hold only one perspective [eg, instead of adopting multiple perspectives, we only expand our view (or subtract from it)]

I know I have a lot to learn and that I have a lot of growing to do...but how can I accept an answer which I cannot know is true or for which there is no proof?

[Cassie]

Finding truth is tricky because humans are imperfect beings and thus our perceptions of truth are most likely skewed. This does not mean there aren't universal truths that exist in the universe. It does mean we may not be interpreting that truth in the exact right way, unfortunately. However, even though we are imperfect beings, I believe it is still our duty to continually strive to obtain knowledge to the best of our (limited) ability.

Our initial starting point can be through quiet contemplation and the pursuit of wisdom.

It is very inspiring if you look at some of the greatest minds who dedicated their entire lives to the pursuit of knowledge. For example, Aristotle was a pagan philosopher who believed that tracing all causes to their origins brings us back to that part of reality which is permanent, unchanging, eternal, to God himself. Thus God was thought to be the first principle.

I do believe our greater purpose is out there to embrace. We just need to allow ourselves the ability to be receptive to it. Taking the time to question why things are how they are is a great beginning to this journey.

[Athena]

Originally Posted by dank06

This is a question I have really been struggling with for the past 2 years or so: What really matters?

After 2 years of searching for an answer, I feel that the ONLY thing that matters is survival.

not true-- on one level, the most basic/biological level, yes survival is important. But on the higher levels, you have MANY layers of reasons for existing and for 'mattering' to the world. On the societal level, you matter because you are here to GIVE to the world, and to help humanity progress. The same can be said on the universal level-- your spirit has incarnated here to help evolve the whole spirit mass move forward.

Survival is just the most basic of the layers, it's not the whole reason for being alive, and there are much grander purposes in your existence!

A second reason or pointer to the realization and question is the following analogy:
Pick a starting point such as the center of the earth, which is a sphere. Moving outward from that central point, you may encounter the moon. Once you hit the moon, whats on the other side? More space of course. Keep going and maybe you pass through some planets, but what's beyond that? More space again. Continue on this way and you never return to your starting point...the volume of the sphere continues to expand. What if you come to the limit of that immense sphere? What's on the other side of the sphere? More space again.
Eventually, you see how incredibly small and insignificant we really are -- nothing matters.

not necessary-- again-- you are taking the farthest ranges of things and either making them overly diminuitive or overly expansive.

You are looking at things with a microscope and a telescope, and reducing things to their most basic or most expansive parts, and seem not to be able to find meaning from those views. That's because those views are way out of range-- they're okay for reference once in a while, but there's no value in looking at things with only those views. You need to be able to look at the middle range, at the here and now, in space and time, and find meaning in the structures you are in NOW. Why you were put on this planet at this time, with these people and this society, and how you are going to contribute now.

Again, it's not just about survival, but about contribution and evolution. The world and your existence is rich with meaning, you just need to be able to see it clearly!!

[Jmurphy]

In fact we are infinite. Religion has long pointed to the fact that we are one with God. This is a literal that is being discovered by science now. Quantum physics has shown that there are no definite boundaries between anything - you, me, the chair you are on, your computer - these are all just fluctuations of energy that vibrate at different frequencies. You feel that there is separation between it all because you still think that you are your ego. And for the ego to live, it must be separate from the rest of existence.

Dank is also correct when he says that there is nothing to fear - what is it you are defending? Only the images conjured by your ego are to be feared and defended, because only your ego can 'die'. Existence does not come, does not go, it just IS.
J