meaning of life, anyone?

[joethejoeguy]

I have been stuck this question for quite some time now...


as far as i can tell, after you die there is nothing. this seems the most logical explanation to me. if this is true then there is no point to living, considering that everyone will eventually end up as one big ball of nothingness.


anyways, what are your thoughts?

[Sam988]

"be phisically immortal or die trying" thats as much motivation as i can get

read this for more info on what i mean

ImmInst.org -> Singularity FAQ for Dummies



soon, technology will prevent you from having to die then living might be a bit funnier, since you can waste as much time doing whatever you want to do for as much time as you want to spend

that will keep me occupied for some thousands of years at least. by then i believe there will be enough new stuff created to entertain me for some more thousands of years at least and so on..


edit: btw, i'm serious about this


another thing, as more a deeper philosophical life purpose, i guess making the world a better place to live is as much as i can hope to do, i if there ever is a better purpose than this one

[Lychee]

If there is nothing at the end, why was there something in the beginning?

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by joethejoeguy

anyways, what are your thoughts?

Most of the time, when people ask "What is the meaning of life?", they are really asking: "What is the meaning of MY life?" which in turn can be broken down into a series of other smaller, more concrete questions, such as:

1. "Why do I feel [bored]/[disinterested]/[directionless]/[dissatisfied]/[ ]?"

2. "Is there anything in particular I should be doing? If so, what is it?"

Once you break it down like that, you may find it easier to find the answers ...

[Anagogy]

Originally Posted by joethejoeguy

I have been stuck this question for quite some time now...


as far as i can tell, after you die there is nothing. this seems the most logical explanation to me. if this is true then there is no point to living, considering that everyone will eventually end up as one big ball of nothingness.


anyways, what are your thoughts?

joe,

I think some reading is in order.

I would start here: Amazon.com: Journey Of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives: Books: Michael Newton

You might find this book to be of interest. Maybe not. Who knows.

[Max Power]

What's the meaning of life??.........it ends.

Everything that has a begining has an end....but consciouness is timeless and eternal.........you can't kill it with a stick!

Max

[Sam988]

Originally Posted by joethejoeguy

I have been stuck this question for quite some time now...


as far as i can tell, after you die there is nothing. this seems the most logical explanation to me. if this is true then there is no point to living, considering that everyone will eventually end up as one big ball of nothingness.


anyways, what are your thoughts?

Find what excites you about life, what makes life worth living, like a major goal you want to achieve, and live your life to achieve it. Its that simple.

[stephencp]

You're assuming that there is a distinct "you" that has a meaning. This is a big assumption and one that is not sharred by at least one major religion.

If there is a "you" then the meaning of your life is what you make it. If there isn't a "you" then the question does not make any sense.

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

[NotesMaeve]

Seeing my own universal impact. I won't be happy unless it's as great and positive as possible.

[Maguru]

I haven't got the meaning of why(?) I am here but I do understand the most basic function in my life that is my consciousness, which answers the who(?) am I. Having been 'down the rabbit hole' I believe the purpose of my whole life experiences has been to expand my consciousness.
The how(?) of my life is in the process of 'cause, effect and consequence' operating throughout my life that, in turn, has brought awareness of the expansion or spiritual growth. A never changing but all changing constant wheel that we are all aboard.

[nightdiamond]

Hi Joe and All, I think Acting like Godot has very, very, good point.

My opinion is that maybe you're thinking along these lines; unless there is an "other side" or god, the life has no meaning. Also, that god or the other side has to provide that meaning to you so that you'll know life has a purpose. If there is no god or other side, life has no purpose.

I think thinking like this will never get an answer that will soothe and satisfy you for a few reasons; "meaning to life" is too vague! Believe it or not it's much too vague to get an answer to.

It's like saying "i want to be happy" but- "happy is also vague unless you give a specific of what happy is to you. There is "sexually satisfied" , "full stomache" "relaxed" "physically calm" "satisfied with my relationship" "financially secure with $80,000 in the bank" but "i want to be happy" is vague in comparison don't you think?

The other reason is that waiting for the other side to provide you with the meaning to life will never happen. It's too vague, and everyone is different so how can everyone have the same purpose in life?

This type of question will create an endless loop in your mind.

My suggestion is simple. Simply stop thinking along those lines. Stop asking the question what is the meaning of life. Then create your OWN meaning to life. That meaning will satisfy you as you work to achieve it. It will keep you busy throughout your life and stimulate you.

If you are enjoying life, I think you'll be too busy to wonder if there is a meaning to life.

And consider that there may not be just one grand meaning to life, but many meanings to life? Many purposes, many goals, many plans, many things to do, think, give, do.....

This may not be exactly what you were describing for yourself, joe, but we understand the question....

Tell us what you rhink Joe, take care....

[Louise Lewis]

Hello to all!
I'm a newbie here, so I thank you for letting me join. (My apologies if I goof on some technical aspect.)

Applause for Joethejoeguy admitting that he has "been stuck on this question". I value his honesty. You probably don't need me to say that you are not alone.

Collecting meaning-of-life answers has been my "job" for over 4 years, and through this adventure, I do not judge anyone's answer or where they are in life. (Ok, I had a personal giggle when Nightdiamond's said "simply stop thinking along these lines".)

I love this question and all it serves up in our brains. Be not afraid of this or any question...and certainly don't worry if you don't have the answer. But do let the seed of this question settle into your heart/mind/soul...water it from time to time...and one day YOUR answer will rise up.

I also (passionately/obsessively) love reading MOL answers; so allow me to invite you to submit your MOL answer on my website Louise Lewis, author of No Experts Needed: The Meaning of Life According to You!

Thank you for sharing your 'smarts' with me!

[opinestle]

Originally Posted by joethejoeguy

as far as i can tell, after you die there is nothing. this seems the most logical explanation to me. if this is true then there is no point to living, considering that everyone will eventually end up as one big ball of nothingness.

*I swear I am not trying to flame anyone,I respect everyones' chosen belief system.*


When I hear people make statements like this,it makes me sad.It makes me sad when they are experiencing the infinite miracle of life,and all they can think about is what will happen when they die,and how there will be nothing.You have chosen this by your own choosing.
Look around you,and look at all of the beautiful,positive things that are here just for YOU.

I understand that out of chaos comes perfection,and there would be no positive if it weren't for the negative.

This is where my thoughts on religion come in.I am not a religious person per se,but I respect the purpose of it.IMO, all religions are trying to teach us one basic,simple truth.Have faith in your higher power.

Attaining enlightenment,and seeking the purpose of life has been mankinds ultimate goal as far as I can see.But as with anything, the enlightenment attaining,and purpose seeking is bound to hit "bumps" in the road.

when we hit these bumps in the road, we become disillusioned,and estranged.

We become the child that has just discovered that there is no Santa Claus.

Our feelings are hurt because somehow God has let us down.

And then we begin to believe that there is "logically"no purpose to life,because apperantly there is no God....God would not let us down.

I think that is where we are messing up.

We stop believing in miracles,and seeing the beauty in things.

We stop wanting to LIVE.

THAT'S IT.

We create a downward spiral.

It's so saddening to see people choose this reality for themselves.



This is only my opinion.I guess I just want the best for people.Maybe try to see the positive sometimes.Try hoping and wishing sometimes.Try to expect a miracle sometimes.

Lets' not try to take the mystery out of everything


Love~
opinestle

[Asmoday]

Originally Posted by Max Power

What's the meaning of life??.........it ends.

Everything that has a begining has an end....but consciouness is timeless and eternal.........you can't kill it with a stick!

Max

Ironic, huh?

But somehow, it seems you can completely destroy it with a truckload of McDonalds and a marathon session of Fox entertainment programming.

Who knew?

[openeyes]

Originally Posted by joethejoeguy

there is no point to living, considering that everyone will eventually end up as one big ball of nothingness.

Does the fact that a movie ends after only a couple hours make it not worth watching?

[Flyingwithoutwings]

Originally Posted by openeyes

Does the fact that a movie ends after only a couple hours make it not worth watching?

I'd say its worth watching as long as I can enjoy my time not watching movies just the same. And possibly watch more movies as desired .

[Amadeus]

Max said:

What's the meaning of life??.........it ends.

I hope I'm not sounding mean, but how old are you Max? That makes absolutely no sense. Everything eventually ends. That is like saying the meaning of language is that it ends. The meaning of a box is that it ends. A person's life ending is just an event (last one) in a person's life.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by joethejoeguy

I have been stuck this question for quite some time now...

as far as i can tell, after you die there is nothing. this seems the most logical explanation to me. if this is true then there is no point to living, considering that everyone will eventually end up as one big ball of nothingness.

anyways, what are your thoughts?

I struggled for years with the same question. Why bother put all this energy to improve myself? I'm going to die anyway and then that'll be the end of me. Anytime I'd start applying PD, after getting out of pain, I'd stop using PD - afterall, I'm going to die and lose everything when I die, so what's the use?

In May of this year, I decided maybe after being an atheist for 15 years or so, I should try something else. I had an inklin that maybe if I could believe in the after-life, I could have more motivation, more of a sense of purpose, less of a sense of pending gloom. I knew I absolutely could not believe in the Christian afterlife as that didn't make any sense to me. Since I had been reading Steve's site and had read on some of his belief, I decided to explore them in more details by spending the weekend devouring Erin Pavlina's website. I wanted to see if I could find a belief in the afterlife that made sense and one I could start by at least half believing.

After my research of all of her articles on death and the spirit world, I wrote out a matrix. What would it cost me to wrongly believe in the afterlife (if it turns out there was no afterlife)? What could I gain if I correctly believed in the afterlife as Erin presented it? Compared to my present belief, I sensed that if I believed in the afterlife that Erin presented, there would only be upside - at best, I'd be hugely motivated and not be so gloomy about life and death. At worst, if I believed in it but was wrong, I realized I'd still have lived a more fulfilling life because I knew that I'd feel more motivated about improving myself and going after goals. I'd feel more purposeful, and I've noticed in my past that when I felt purposeful, I enjoyed my life a lot more. I knew too by striving for goals I wouldn't fall back into the painful states I've spent so much time in. So I felt I had nothing to lose but tremendous to gain.

So I tried it out, I tried to see how it would be to believe in the afterlife. I told my friends about my new beliefs (fully internally reserving my right to switch back to being an Atheist if I so decided)

Now it's been 4 months and I'm very glad of my experience so far. I've really enjoyed the benefits of it. Life has a lot more meaning to me, and it make sense a lot more. I feel more motivated, more daring. A lot of the things I didn't understand before, I do understand now. I feel the need to continue to improve myself, and as I grow, I am enjoying more out of life. It's not a smooth ride as I am still dealing with other issues as I seek to grow, but I can sense the tremendous benefit of believing in the afterlife.

The most important benefit of which is I no longer wonder about the very same question you asked. I no longer have to deal with that very debilitating question.

So, you might want to give it a try. Just test it, take it for a spin. You've got nothing to lose.

[Shamou]

joethejoeguy ! Since this is your first post, let me extend to you a very heartfelt welcome to this board…

On a biological basis, the purpose of life is to sustain life… and nothing else… however, as living, thinking beings, man is finding new and greater meanings for life… the ultimate being growth and personal satisfaction and fulfillment…

Now, how do we reach satisfaction and fulfillment…??? First, by striving to become all that we can be and then sharing what we have become with others so that we can mutually make this little planet a better place for all…

A poem called, "A Bag of Tools" by R. Lee Sharpe comes to mind…

Isn't it strange how princes and kings,
and clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
and common people, like you and me,
are builders for eternity?

Each is given a list of rules;
a shapeless mass; a bag of tools.
And each must fashion, ere life is flown,
A stumbling block, or a Stepping-Stone.
.

[nightdiamond]

I have to say Openeyes's post was on the money! That was a great way of looking at this very concept in a different way I think.

Seeker5's post is almost exactly what I meant about changing the way you think about the topic rather than stop thinking about it. If you think 'life begins +life ends = no meaning = what's the point', you may end up in endless loop that has you stuck.

At the same you and everyone else on this thread are brave to spend your energy pondering this, so many people take to hills on this subject. Its a fascinating, engaging topic.

Taking a look at it from another angle gives you more options to work with.

You may create your own meaning to life rather waiting for the universe to reveal it to you.

You might discover that there a lot more meanings to life than just simply one.

You can attempt to explore "the other side" yourself to see if there is an "other side" which is a purpose in itself! (In other words maybe you'll discover life doesn't end at all).

Perhaps that way it will change how you see this concept, gives you peace and energy to live and frees you from the loop that may have you stuck.

[joethejoeguy]

wow now i am even more confused
thank you all for the great answers. i am really tired now so im going to bed

[silicon toad2000]

42........

[Iksander]

42! And a pint of beer! (or a cup of tea, depends on what kind of philosopher you are I suppose)

[justfiverules]

The meaning of Life...is to be a naughty, naughty boy! (Hello 'Life of Brian' Fans!)

Actually, I presently believe it is along these lines:
"You give your life meaning by living it."

In his book, "Awareness", by the late Anthony De Mello, one of his arguments is that "we don't want to be unconditionally happy".

He has a point

Articles

[Old Soul]

In my search for meaning of life

I discovered joy today, in this life...... my life is being lived to the fullest , I grab opportunity's at every turn, suck the life out of each and every moment

why? because it is my life, it is filled with purpose , joy and meaning, I do not believe that we get to do this trip again........ at least under the same circumstances or share the same family and friends

so why not see this life as living to die...... I'm to busy living in the moment to concern myself with a life somewhere else as someone else or whatever

[cordis]

Originally Posted by joethejoeguy

I have been stuck this question for quite some time now...


as far as i can tell, after you die there is nothing. this seems the most logical explanation to me. if this is true then there is no point to living, considering that everyone will eventually end up as one big ball of nothingness.


anyways, what are your thoughts?

Consider some facts;

• Your physical body is made up of matter
• Matter cannot be created or destroyed
• No one has ever created an atom or destroyed an atom
• To date the best that can be accomplished is to change it's form
• Physical death is a transformation of the matter your body consists of
• The known matter in the universe is expanding

Conclusions that may be drawn from the above noted facts;

1. The matter (atoms) that I AM composed of has always existed
2. The matter that I AM composed of will always exist in some form

The lyrics of the popular song, "I Write The Songs."
Written by: Bruce Johnston and recorded by many artists proposes an explanation.

I've been alive forever, and I wrote the very first song
I put the words and the melodies together
I am music and I write the songs

I write the songs that make the whole world sing
I write the songs of love and special things
I write the songs that make the young girls cry
I write the songs, I write the songs

My home lies deep within you
And I've got my own place in your soul
Now, when I look out through your eyes
I'm young again, even though I'm very old

Oh my music makes you dance
And gives you spirit to take a chance
And I wrote some rock 'n' roll so you can move
Music fills your heart
Well, that's a real fine place to start
It's from me it's for you
It's from you, it's for me
It's a worldwide symphony

So in conclusion one might consider the facts.

• I existed before I was born into this time-space dimension.
• I will exist after my physical death in this time-space dimension.

Then at least two perspectives to your being here become apparent.

1. It was my choice to be here.
2. It was someone else's idea (fault, decision)

Now you are faced with a choice.
If you choose number 1 the you must ask yourself the question. Why?

If you choose number 2 then several questions are in order.

• Was it a reward?
• Is it a punishment?
• Am I required to learn something?
• What should I be doing about my present situation?

I humbly submit, that it all depends on how far down the rabbit hole you choose to go. The fact that you are here in this forum, and asked the above question suggests that you have pondered the possibilities, and are open to suggestions.

There are countless resources to assist you in your quest for knowledge, some that have assisted me are found on the website in my signature most of which are free e-book classics and mp3s etc.

Always remember, "To get where your going you must leave where your at."

[Mark Lapierre]

Originally Posted by cordis

Consider some facts;

• No one has ever created an atom or destroyed an atom

False. Nuclear fission and fusion, destroying and creating atoms, respectively. Perhaps you meant that no-one has created an atom from nothing. As for destroying an atom, or at least sub-atomic particles which comprise atoms, that's exactly what happens when matter and anti-matter meet. And that has happened. Though again, it doesn't leave you with nothing, they're converted to energy. Lots of energy.

Originally Posted by cordis

So in conclusion one might consider the facts.

• I existed before I was born into this time-space dimension.
• I will exist after my physical death in this time-space dimension.

However, you didn't exist as you. Much like a car before it is built. A car is made up of many materials, oil, metal, plastics, etc., all scattered around the world. Are those unrefined materials a car?

So it's not a fact that you exist before you were born. The only fact is that the components which will comprise your body exist before you were born. That doesn't mean you, as an individual entity, exist before your birth. Those components, before being part of your body, are not 'you'. That's my opinion. Calling it a fact would require validation. That requires an agreed definition on what exactly makes up an individual. That requires answering the question of the existence of souls. That's a matter of faith. Which is not based on facts.

Originally Posted by cordis

Then at least two perspectives to your being here become apparent.

1. It was my choice to be here.
2. It was someone else's idea (fault, decision)

There is a third perspective (and likely more): It was a result of numerous random events, some without conscious direction, some with. Therefore your following questions don't apply.

In my opinion the better question is, "What do I want to do with my life?"

[Maguru]

Looking around the globe there isn't much value placed on the human life. Very expendable and exploitable. Don't imagine this doesn't filter into the consciousness of us all because it does. If you feel no purpose in life the problem is in undervaluing your own life, as many of us do, but it is perfectly understandable in this global climate.
Accept you are dissatisfied. Accept that this is not good enough. Accept your passions and go from there.

[cordis]

Originally Posted by Mark Lapierre

False. Nuclear fission and fusion, destroying and creating atoms, respectively. Perhaps you meant that no-one has created an atom from nothing.

Definitions of Nuclear Fission on the Web:

The splitting of an atomic nucleus, resulting in the release of large amounts of energy; the basic process a nuclear reactor uses to provide heat for the generation of electricity.

(or Fission) - Nuclear fission occurs when a neutron splits the nucleus of a large atom, such as U 235 , into two smaller nuclei, releasing energy and additional neutrons. The extra neutrons then split other nuclei, producing still more neutrons that split more nuclei, and so on. This process is called a nuclear chain reaction.

Nothing created or destroyed; only a change in form as stated in original post.

Matter cannot be created or destroyed.
No one has ever created an atom or destroyed an atom.
To date the best that can be accomplished is to change it's form
.

source; define:Nuclear Fission - Google Search

Definitions of Nuclear Fusion on the Web:

The combination of two light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus with the release of some binding energy.


-The process by which heavier atomic nuclei are built from lighter ones, releasing great amounts of energy in the process.

-is the supposed stellar process by which the nucleii of four hydrogen atoms collide with sufficient energy to coalesce forming a single helium nucleus having slightly less mass than the original hydrogen. The mass which is destroyed in fusion reappears as radiant energy which slowly flows away to the surface. In the fusion, two protons are changed into two neutrons, two anti-electrons, and two neutrinos. ...

-The combination of the nuclei of certain extremely light elements, especially hydrogen, effected by the application of high temperature and pressure. Nuclear fusion causes the release of an enormous amount of heat energy, comparable to that released by nuclear fission. The principal by product of nuclear fusion is helium.
source; define:Nuclear Fusion - Google Search

Again nothing created or destroyed only it's form changed, like an ice cube to water with the by products that were in the ice cube separated.

I believe that rather than your disagreement with my post, it may be we have definitional problem here.

Originally Posted by Mark Lapierre

As for destroying an atom, or at least sub-atomic particles which comprise atoms, that's exactly what happens when matter and anti-matter meet. And that has happened. Though again, it doesn't leave you with nothing, they're converted to energy. Lots of energy.

Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry

"Why do we exist?" may sound like a philosophical question, but it is one of the scientific research topics at BCCP.

Anti-matter exists for every kind of matter particles. Berkeley was the first place to artificially create the anti-matter version of proton, anti-proton, for which Emilio Gino Segré and Owen Chamberlain were awarded Nobel prize. In this picture, the created anti-proton comes into the bubble chamber and meets a proton inside the chamber. When they meet, they annihilate and turn into pure energy. The energy then turns into other forms of matter in a "star"-like spectacle. These days we can create bits of anti-matter routinely using particle accelerators. And you should handle them carefully.
source; source; http://bccp.lbl.gov/matter_anti.html

Originally Posted by Mark Lapierre

However, you didn't exist as you. Much like a car before it is built. A car is made up of many materials, oil, metal, plastics, etc., all scattered around the world. Are those unrefined materials a car?

So it's not a fact that you exist before you were born. The only fact is that the components which will comprise your body exist before you were born. That doesn't mean you, as an individual entity, exist before your birth. Those components, before being part of your body, are not 'you'. That's my opinion.

The matter that existed in the universe before my conception and birth, was just that matter in another form ie. iron, calcium, etc. worth about $0.98 I'm lead to believe by the chemists. That same matter now exists in a different form my body, however the elements if like are still iron, calcium, etc. worth about $0.98

Originally Posted by Mark Lapierre

Calling it a fact would require validation. That requires an agreed definition on what exactly makes up an individual. That requires answering the question of the existence of souls. That's a matter of faith. Which is not based on facts.

A very valid point and topic for an entirely new discussion. I did not delve into the many aspects and systems that comprise a human being. The conscious and subconscious minds if like not to mention the numerous nervous systems;
The CNS consists of the spinal cord and the brain
The Sensory-Somatic Nervous System
The Autonomic Nervous System
The Sympathetic Nervous System
The Parasympathetic Nervous System

A list so long that nobody would read it.

Originally Posted by Mark Lapierre

There is a third perspective (and likely more): It was a result of numerous random events, some without conscious direction, some with. Therefore your following questions don't apply.

I'll grant you the random theory however it would appear to be headed in the direction of the world is flat theory.

Originally Posted by Mark Lapierre

In my opinion the better question is, "What do I want to do with my life?"

A very excellent and pertinent question.

[Mark Lapierre]

Originally Posted by cordis

I believe that rather than your disagreement with my post, it may be we have definitional problem here.

True. It was me being pedantic about phrasing which misrepresents the concept being argued. I agree that it all boils down to changing form, not absolute creation or destruction.

Originally Posted by cordis

The matter that existed in the universe before my conception and birth, was just that matter in another form ie. iron, calcium, etc. worth about $0.98 I'm lead to believe by the chemists. That same matter now exists in a different form my body, however the elements if like are still iron, calcium, etc. worth about $0.98

Sorry I'm not sure what you're trying to say here. It seems as if you're agreeing with me, i.e., matter first exists outside your body, therefore 'not you', then it exists, the same matter, inside your body, therefore 'you'.

Originally Posted by cordis

I'll grant you the random theory however it would appear to be headed in the direction of the world is flat theory.

You've lost me again. The Flat Earth theory was based on limited knowledge and misunderstanding of some observed phenomenon, which some eventually realised (Aristotle or another ancient Greek, I think). Are you saying that the theory that there is no intention behind existence is also based on limited knowledge or misunderstanding? If so, what is the missing knowledge or misunderstanding?