What is the Purpose of Life?

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Reply Mon 7 Jun, 2010 09:04 am
A great question that I like to ask myself everytime I'm working on a project or unfortunately in the middle of taking an exam is....WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MY LIFE?

And quite simply in my opinion THE PURPOSE OF LIFE, IS TO FIND A PURPOSE....

I personally love this topic and wish to here your opinions on what THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS (to you ofcourse) :bigsmile:
 
Jebediah
 
Reply Mon 7 Jun, 2010 09:43 am
@ImMachiavellian,
I'mMachiavellian;174218 wrote:
A great question that I like to ask myself everytime I'm working on a project or unfortunately in the middle of taking an exam is....WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MY LIFE?

And quite simply in my opinion THE PURPOSE OF LIFE, IS TO FIND A PURPOSE....


No sooner said than done :bigsmile:
 
Dr Seuss
 
Reply Mon 7 Jun, 2010 10:03 am
@Jebediah,
You are correct. There is no purpose. If there was then we would all have the same one. But since there isn't one we all are left to do something from nothing.
 
Ding an Sich
 
Reply Mon 7 Jun, 2010 02:06 pm
@ImMachiavellian,
I'mMachiavellian;174218 wrote:
A great question that I like to ask myself everytime I'm working on a project or unfortunately in the middle of taking an exam is....WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MY LIFE?

And quite simply in my opinion THE PURPOSE OF LIFE, IS TO FIND A PURPOSE....

I personally love this topic and wish to here your opinions on what THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS (to you ofcourse) :bigsmile:



Hold on. Let me assign a purpose to my persons and carry on.
 
G-Thomson
 
Reply Mon 7 Jun, 2010 06:15 pm
@Ding an Sich,
I'll quote from R.J.Hollingdale who put in a foreword in Nietzsche's 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra'.

"What is truth? For what, at this level, is truth, 'the truth'? Isn't it the discovery that no truth is discoverable except the truth which you yourself are? That there is no truth (sense, meaning) in the world except the truth (sense, meaning) you yourself give it? That 'truth' is a concept belonging to the human mind and will and that apart from the human mind and will there is no such thing as 'truth'?

To give life a meaning: that has been the grand endeavour of all who have preached 'truth'; for unless life is given a meaning, it has none."
 
Huxley
 
Reply Mon 7 Jun, 2010 06:26 pm
@G-Thomson,
The purpose of my life is to enjoy it, to help others enjoy it, and to faithfully make a nuisance of myself to all political entities. Really, I only have a hard time with number 3.
 
harlequin phil
 
Reply Mon 7 Jun, 2010 10:38 pm
@ImMachiavellian,
i have no purpose in life. i've accepted this. i'm just waiting til it's done. until then, i'll entertain myself however i can.
 
jeeprs
 
Reply Tue 8 Jun, 2010 12:02 am
@ImMachiavellian,
well the question invites all kinds of ironic responses, but one thing I am mindful of is that animals and the very needy never seem to ask this question. I am not saying it should not be asked. It is more a matter of saying that life seems to have 'plans' so to speak...spiders spin, lions hunt, beavers beave, whatever. So one answer is to be very mindful of your body's natural vitality and to try and bring that kind of natural zest for living that creatures have into your activities. I am sure that is part of the answer.
 
wayne
 
Reply Tue 8 Jun, 2010 12:22 am
@ImMachiavellian,
Taking the position that there is a creator, that he/she has given me life.
I ask myself, if I create something and give it to someone what is my purpose?
Quite simply, I wish them to enjoy my work, to make good use of my gift.
I am trying to view life as a gift to me, I believe that sharing increases my enjoyment of this gift.
Learning to put aside my selfishness and share my life is an occupation that takes all of my time and seems as good a purpose as any.
 
mark noble
 
Reply Tue 8 Jun, 2010 09:51 am
@wayne,
Hi I'm...........

Each persons purpose is their own.
If you want the universal, that applies to all living things it is this


'TO LIVE'

Have a brilliant day, sir.
Mark...
 
GoshisDead
 
Reply Tue 8 Jun, 2010 10:38 am
@mark noble,
Maybe since you are machiavellian, the purpose in life is to set a goal and attain it.
 
ttime09
 
Reply Fri 11 Jun, 2010 06:02 am
@ImMachiavellian,
The purpose of your life is to achieve your values in order to ultimately achieve your happiness. You must choose your values objectively, based on your life as the standard of value. Based on that principle, you can determine that things are "good" if they promote life-furthering values, or "evil" if they lead you closer to death. As to your specific purpose (i.e. the specific means by which you achieve your happiness) that is up to you to decide, whether it be music, politics, writing, teaching, a sport, etc.
 
djjd62
 
Reply Fri 11 Jun, 2010 06:05 am
What is the Purpose of Life?

to get to the end, but unlike most races, the last one across the line wins
 
HexHammer
 
Reply Fri 11 Jun, 2010 07:36 am
@ImMachiavellian,
..not to ask stupid selfexplanatory questions.
 
William
 
Reply Fri 11 Jun, 2010 08:14 am
@ImMachiavellian,
ImMachiavellian wrote:
A great question that I like to ask myself everytime I'm working on a project or unfortunately in the middle of taking an exam is....WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MY LIFE?

And quite simply in my opinion THE PURPOSE OF LIFE, IS TO FIND A PURPOSE....

I personally love this topic and wish to here your opinions on what THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS (to you of course) :bigsmile:
 
G-Thomson
 
Reply Fri 11 Jun, 2010 01:05 pm
I'm floating through life at the moment with no set destination or purpose.
I have ideas, dreams and goals, but I am not going to let them dictate how I live my life.
Nor am I going to say that the purpose of life it to find happiness, please a god or anything like that.
T o me it is a load of nonsense.
I will live until I die, then we'll see what happens.
 
north
 
Reply Wed 18 Aug, 2010 12:54 pm
@ImMachiavellian,
ImMachiavellian wrote:

A great question that I like to ask myself everytime I'm working on a project or unfortunately in the middle of taking an exam is....WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MY LIFE?


to promote life

Quote:
And quite simply in my opinion THE PURPOSE OF LIFE, IS TO FIND A PURPOSE....


your own Humanity, Earth and the living things on Earth , to survive towards infinity

Quote:
I personally love this topic and wish to here your opinions on what THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS (to you ofcourse) :bigsmile:


to relise that life is possible OUT THERE



 
KaseiJin
 
Reply Wed 18 Aug, 2010 06:52 pm
While the original thread was basically dead . . . or had died . . . I guess it could still be continued (but answering to past posts may prove to be a useless thing in more than one way).

As kind of hinted at in one or two of those older posts, it is really this H. sapiens thing to ask such a question. THE really main reason for that, is linguistic ability, actually, and then under that, simply the big brain power that we have come to have.

In looking at nature itself, we can more clearly come to a much more balanced conclusion, that the purpose of life is to live. That is the more reasonable, most realistic, and most knowable answer of all...at the moment.
 
1CellOfMany
 
Reply Sat 21 Aug, 2010 02:15 pm
As a Bahá’í, I believe that we were created to "know and worship God". But what does THAT mean? Since we were created in God's image, and since we are also told that all of the Divine Attributes (virtues) are present in us in potential, I take it to mean that our purpose in life is to develop the Heavenly virtues. Learning what these virtues are and becoming mindful of them is accomplished through prayer, meditation and mindfulness, but the actual developmentt of these virtues is accomplished through applying them in our everyday actions. "Let deeds, not words, be your adorning."

Please note that this does NOT include calling others on their mistakes or lack of virtues! "O Son of Being! How couldst thou forget thine own faults and busy thyself with the faults of others? Whoso doeth this is accursed of Me."
 
erebus
 
Reply Sun 23 Jan, 2011 05:07 pm
@ImMachiavellian,
There is no purpose.
The reason we THINK there is a purpose in life is because we CAN think. It is nothing more than a sentient question that lays dormant in our minds.

BUT, if you are implying "what is the reason of natural life" as in "everything that is biotic and exist" has a simple explanation.
Why are birds alive?- to reproduce, evolve, stay alive.
Why are worms alive?- to reproduce, evolve, stay alive.
Why are monkeys alive?- to reproduce, evolve, stay alive.
and even to the extent- Why are parasites alive?- to reproduce, evolve, stay alive.
The answer is simple, our purpose in life is to reproduce, evolve, stay alive as it is with every other organic in our world, probably even the universe.
 
 

 
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