What is the Ultimate Meaninglessness of Life?

[Astronuc]

"The basic business of life is to have a wonderfully good time" - Zaphod's first principle.


Read the HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy.


Have a good laugh.


Make sure the other guy pays for the drinks.


Don't forget your towel, and


Don't Panic!

 

[a2tha3]

I've never understood why some people need to have some artificial meaning associated with life in order for them to live. I cannot even begin to understand how these people could survive without someone to tell them how to think.

I think it is probably just human nature, and if you don't understand human nature then you probably won't understand how they can survive without someone to tell them how to think.

In my opinion (regarding human nature of course) is that a lot of people in this world are generally more pessimistic than optimistic, and thus think that whatever they are thinking is probably incorrect or invalid

Maybe they hope that someone can validate what they are doing; and allow them the comfort to know that they aren't messing up in anything..

--I plan on finishing this post tomorrow, or maybe i'll forget because I'm supposed to be doing a report-- Oh well

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

I tend to go along with Camus on this one, there is no point, life is ultimately quite absurd, the Universe without Gods leaves us free, no matter our toils. The meaning of life is to live and to not miss the implacable grandeur of this one by looking to the next life. That sort of philosophy makes the most sense to me.

The Myth of Sysiphus:

All Sisyphus' silent joy is contained therein. His fate belongs to him. His rock is a thing Likewise, the absurd man, when he contemplates his torment, silences all the idols. In the universe suddenly restored to its silence, the myriad wondering little voices of the Earth rise up. Unconscious, secret calls, invitations from all the faces, they are the necessary reverse and price of victory. There is no sun without shadow, and it is essential to know the night. The absurd man says yes and his efforts will henceforth be unceasing. If there is a personal fate, there is no higher destiny, or at least there is, but one which he concludes is inevitable and despicable. For the rest, he knows himself to be the master of his days. At that subtle moment when man glances backward over his life, Sisyphus returning toward his rock, in that slight pivoting he contemplates that series of unrelated actions which become his fate, created by him, combined under his memory's eye and soon sealed by his death. Thus, convinced of the wholly human origin of all that is human, a blind man eager to see who knows that the night has no end, he is still on the go. The rock is still rolling.

I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain! One always finds one's burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night filled mountain, in itself forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.

 

[pace]

Another guy that wants to shout out his oppinion without reading all that's before him.
For me it is different in that I find much meaning, but I also feel small. I'm supporised when someone says they can't find meaning in anything for to me there is so much. Maybe if you can't find a meaning all you want is to be with someone? Usually for me at the least that means being with someone that is more alike you and not different. It can make the world rock, but of course you want to do the right things(kinda like get the right meaning) also. So, then.. you have the problem of finding someone that's alike, or someone that can show you the right way. Now that can be a dilemma(or maybe being with someone alike can make both grow equally because maybe you both know different things and can learn each other!). Usually I would guess that could solve itself by joining a larger group doing something, and that also takes a leap of, maybe not faith as someone here said, but a leap of courage. I've done that sometimes, it have been alittle embarresing, and I think it can be that for many, but usually it had ended up with just alittle laughter afterwards and people that I didn't like anyway turning away from me, and those who fit to me come closer. Point is that I am making is that I personally have a hard time differenting meaning from social meaning, and I guess that goes for others also. It's quite womanistic, it is most women that advice you to join people, but it usually works ime. Point is also that when you're down the look up ahead looks really high, you have to take step by step, but by struggling alittle extra will maybe not take you to the top, but you'll find yourself taking a step, and that can give (imexperience) supprisingly a lot of selfboost and happiness. Try be nice when you're with others, maybe they'll say you're lazy(because they don't understand your feeling of meaningless), and they probably or maybe won't understand you're nice, but they'll learned something and so have you, cause I think one learn so infinitly much by being with others.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Well to be frank, I am giving what I think has meaning to me, without referencing what anyone else has said, because then that wouldn't be my personal philosophy. I happen to believe that there is no real deep underlying meaning, and that instead of looking for something I might never find, I should appreciate what I have and learn to enjoy life for as long as I possibly can. I don't see what that has to do with anyone elses opinion, and I don't see why my personal philosophy shouldn't be entirely subjective; if people want to find deep meaning in their life good for them. I don't need to, I got rid of that rock long ago. If it sounds selfish so be it. But I am not making out an ethical code, I am as moral as the next person if not more so, so I don't see why I should have to explain my personal philosophy in any further way than as it applies to the point of life.

 

[baywax]

I don't know if its a 'meaning' but I figure life and my participation in life presents a huge opportunity to get to know as much as possible about life. This means learning biology and as much other science as possible. It also means learning as much about other people too. It means getting to know about everything from sand to stars and all that's in between. And through that process it means getting to know myself and my response times, reactions and interpretations... and those of other people. These pursuits have to be some of the more exciting and rewarding opportunities life has to offer. And I guess that's what life 'means' to me.

As for point. What's the point of life?

Life is the point of life. Anything more complex than that would beg a definition of "point' and a more accurate definition of how "life' is being used in the question.

The point of life, without definition of either term, could be to provide entertainment for some gigantic electromagnetic being. Or, it could be the primary stage of a universal conscious-awareness. It can be pointless and it can be very pointy. But, to half-a++ed accurately render an answer to the question, the definitions should be clear.

 

[Noone]

Why we are God&Gods but not The GOD

The real issue is that we can't be Gods, mainly due to the fact that we can't influence our surroundings beyond the things we do on Earth (and even then, not all of us have that kind of influence). No matter what we do, the existence will still rear it's ugly head: every morning/night the same picture, same sky, clouds, stars, cosmos, you name it. That's something I see no solution for.

In terms of being successful here on Earth, sure, it would be wise to think of everything in positive terms, to follow your dreams and to consider yourself a God for yourself.

But that is the real subtlety here: if the universe doesn't care, then how is it a worthy life we live? no matter what we do, we are going to die. If a cure is found for Death (if such a thing is possible), then that would only exacerbate the problem because I would personally be unable to enjoy this daily repetitiveness and how exactly would immortality really be immortality if everyone in possession of arms would be able to kill himself? Sure, no physical death, but what about illnesses and about the aforementioned option? There are too many gaping holes to reach a reasonable conclusion

And then again... even then, the Universe wouldn't care

Someone said here, that because we are sentient being, we are so much more meaningful than the universe is as a whole... there is a modicum of truth in that as well, but only insofar as we're alive.

well its in the way of how a person can see it, for an example. say the creator is playing a game of chest, and we are the peices, and the board is the laws and rules that make up what can and can't be done, the spaces we move on are the actions that we do and won't do, so then that creator must move each piece among the board. But that would mean we would have no freewill to govern are own actions, the reasonable and logical a creator would pick would be to make every piece move itself among the board, so there for giving us freewill to think are own thoughts and move are selfs, instead of having a creator do those for us but just make us think that it's not making us. that would be why were God's mainly due to we have the power as the creator has of movment among the board. the reason why we are god and not the god, is because are flesh are all made and came from the same one spot in a past point of time, and in a way we would be apart of god, and its also why Jesus said that we all are god&gods, his true teaching never took hold, mainly due to the false perception of what he ment -.- so we are god&gods in a way, but were not the god that created everything. this is just one point of view out of the nearly infinit points of view of this concpet, there are even more way's of perception of those nearly infinit points of view of it -.- tends to make it hard for other to find somthing with in life that would satisfiy that of which there minds thought seeks. but in the end we will still need Food,Water,Air,Shelter,Entertainment, and love till the day we die :D so try not to be depressed or worry about like peeps just try to get your self those 6 things :D just make sure what entertainment you pick doesn't take away from anothers entertainment, hence "do onto others as one wants done onto ones self" and that would be a rashtional and reasonable thought and rule, mainly what math and science is, a hint about the creator was logical and allso didnt want to leave people any proof that they could share with others, only them selfs, kinda like the question "could you make your own new color that's not from light?" and the answer is no, even if you could imagen one, you wouldn't be able to show it to others mainly due to the point that there isn't any form of madder or word that could show others a new color that doesn't exsist :D. but you could prove it to your self. that's a parable that relates to the concept that we can only prove god to are selfs. o and to recap on the quote there are only a fixed amount of thoughts that can be thought but there are infinit points of perception of those fixed amount of thoughts, are brains give us the power of thinking with intelect and thoughts, so without a brain we wouldn't be as we are now, that's the only thing that we can prove with logic and that's we can't think or even be in the state that were in without are brain's, so when are bodies die it can't be proven what will happen or what will not happen. but logic points to we wouldn't be in the state that were in now. so its not confusing unless you make these things confuseing to your self or other's, ether you make it or you say it :D are brains are slaves to what are bodie's information feeds it, then were bound by are perception of that information :/ so i suggest re-verse engeneering back to the start of everything which would lead to The question where did the egg come from :D hence we would be the chicken and we all know we had to come from the egg, the egg would be the creator, but we wouldn't know were or be able to think were the egg came from :D thanks due to the same reason why we can't make a new color or make an new line formation that hasnt been made, due to the fact were not aloud to. just like a computer A.I. it can only do what we say it can and can't do. so the creator made a fixed amount of thoughts we could or couldn't do. based of what game board are pieces are on :D i hope this sheded some light and precpective on the matter of the question's and concepts

 

[Noone]

The point of life

I don't know if its a 'meaning' but I figure life and my participation in life presents a huge opportunity to get to know as much as possible about life. This means learning biology and as much other science as possible. It also means learning as much about other people too. It means getting to know about everything from sand to stars and all that's in between. And through that process it means getting to know myself and my response times, reactions and interpretations... and those of other people. These pursuits have to be some of the more exciting and rewarding opportunities life has to offer. And I guess that's what life 'means' to me.

As for point. What's the point of life?

Life is the point of life. Anything more complex than that would beg a definition of "point' and a more accurate definition of how "life' is being used in the question.

The point of life, without definition of either term, could be to provide entertainment for some gigantic electromagnetic being. Or, it could be the primary stage of a universal conscious-awareness. It can be pointless and it can be very pointy. But, to half-a++ed accurately render an answer to the question, the definitions should be clear.

The point of life is that it is pointless, for the only point it has is the point we make or say its that simple :)

 

[Noone]

if you pick nether then that would mean you would be living what you would like as a pointless life due to the fact that you havnt created a point that suites your perception of this world around you

 

[Noone]

i soOoOOo love parables :D

 

[baywax]

The point of life is that it is pointless, for the only point it has is the point we make or say its that simple :)

Then, tautologically speaking, life has a point in that it is an exercise in pointlessness. Biologically speaking the point of life is to reproduce itself. Dramatically speaking the point of life is to make rocks envious (a pointless endeavor).

 

[DaveC426913]

Then, tautologically speaking, life has a point in that it is an exercise in pointlessness.

Mm. So, what would the success criteria be?

 

[Cyrus]

The point of life is to DIE, and pay taxes in the process.

Seriously though, who cares what the point of life is? Thats a rather pointless question. a.) There is no answer to that, and b.) if there were an answer, would life be worth living anymore? Probably not. You'd have children and then die right afterwards.

I really don't see what you gain by this exercise.