Great question! I can't wait 'till he can tell me Right now he says "dada", "mama", "ok", "uh-oh", "light", "hi baby", and he can sing "doe a deer".

It's funny -- I always thought I knew how much my parents loved me -- until I had my own child and realized that there is just no way of understanding your parents' love until you're a parent yourself.

Right on target Salima.

I'm not sure why you're trying so hard to disagree with my post, as we are saying the same thing on the main points.

I, personally, simply don't give credibility to an idea that isn't rational. Perhaps you forgot, but my only requirement for a person's view of a "meaning in life" is that it is rational.
I don't think that honoring your parents or relatives is a rational meaning in life, and I think anyone that does is either uneducated on the issues or isn't grounded in reality.




Do you think her views are rational or valid. Do you accept them as rational or valid.

"light" is an odd word for a baby to know... clue?

There is no rational meaning in life. If you present me one that is not ultimately based on something irational, I will be impressed

Life itself might not be meaningful or purposive. More ridiculously, people dogmatically term that every person's life must be meaningful and purposive, otherwise, she is said to be hopeless, bad and even demonic. This is indeed the fallacy of logic, for people simply deem that the antithesis of meaningfulness is undoubtedly pointlessness or hopelessness. In fact, the relationship between meaningfulness and pointlessness might be far more complex than "the-one-is-the-opposite-of-the-other;" there be more implications; more connections; more connotations embedded in this relationship.

Therefore, what we claim as the meanings and purposes of our lives may just be several things to which we will, but not some things which are inherently and innately meaningful and purposive. In short, for the sake of responsibility and academic prudence, we should rather say that, there is a will to the meaning and purpose of one's life; whether the will itself is the meaning and purpose of one's life is to be further discussed; whether such a will is justified or, is just forced blindly by human impulse is also an interesting question.

For me, (I try my best to be less metaphysical, for I cannot live metaphysically in a strict sense. One has to be down-to-earth if one cannot be otherworldly or totally detached from the reality.) there be one way to the ultimate meaning and purpose of my life, that is, to be dialectic. But, the price of being dialectic is also obviously painful and paradoxical, given that one may have to hold a double-standard of living-knowing something that is metaphysically right while doing something which contradicts virtue. This is indeed the absurdity and hopelessness of mankind, or even of the universe. But, there is another dictum uttered by a Chinese writer who says that," the worst thing about mankind and the society in which she lives is that, mankind has to face the absurdity of her society; but, it is also the absurdity of her society which forces a batch of its citizens to challenge and rebel its absurdity. Thus, the grandeur and beauty of human power stems from such kinds of challenges and rebellions.

Being dialectic means being logical, critical and objective. To view an event only through two ways is far from enough, for life is admittedly more than a two-sided thing. Therefore, to dissect life via two ways is also devaluing and underestimating the intellect of human being. It is also the truism that such devaluation and underestimation are utterly intolerable and unacceptable. But, as what I have said, the "faith in opposite value" is inconsiderate and might be erroneous. Therefore, being dialectic, also, does not entail the meaning and purpose of one's life. Now, it seems that I, again, come back to the original question. But, somehow, I am not disappointed for the logical trap set by myself, for the meaning of life, if there is one, is to be found via trecking through the intellectual quagmire and trap.

P.S. In order not to be so dogmatic, I have to confess that, a simple way of living and thinking is also prevalent in the current society, at least seemingly. Whether such sort of simplicity should be worshiped is as doubtful as whether a dialectic way of viewing life is right. (to be continued....I am so tired today..)

I think, maybe, we should rather say that there are only somethings which are meaningful for individuals, but are not meaningful universally. More importantly, it is impossible for someone not believing something at all, for even a nihilist must believe in "nihilism," which is unavoidably a sort of philosophic doctrine.

Second, we have also to clarify, as what you have mentioned that, it is not the death that is meaningful; it is a train of thought (i.e. time is limited, etc.) inspired by death which enlightens you. Namely, we could also say that, the meaning of life does not exist alone; it must be inspired, given that different people have different kinds of interpretations of it, based on miscellaneous inspirations or sudden insights of her own.

Here are some interesting questions that I am thinking about saying, if one day, our world turns to be perfect;there is no war, no disease, no violence, no injustice, no immorality, no promiscuity... then, do we still need meanings and purposes? For the meanings and purposes we aspire now seem base on our wishes for social and moral betterments. That is to say, once our world is perfect, we do not need meanings and purposes, though this inference sounds queer or, even absurd. But, it is plausible.

The next question is even more absurd. Since a perfect world requires no pursuit of meanings and purposes, which sounds weird; therefore, do we need to make the world imperfect in order to have meanings or purposes? This question is as odd as the first one, for it seems that everyone inherently craves for a perfect world.

I am waitting for your penetrating insights,judgments and corrections, my friend(s).

---------- Post added at 12:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:29 AM ----------


I think, maybe, we should rather say that there are only somethings which are meaningful for individuals, but are not meaningful universally. More importantly, it is impossible for someone not believing something at all, for even a nihilist must believe in "nihilism," which is unavoidably a sort of philosophic doctrine.

Second, we have also to clarify, as what you have mentioned that, it is not the death that is meaningful; it is a train of thought (i.e. time is limited, etc.) inspired by death which enlightens you. Namely, we could also say that, the meaning of life does not exist alone; it must be inspired, given that different people have different kinds of interpretations of it, based on miscellaneous inspirations or sudden insights of her own.

Here are some interesting questions that I am thinking about saying, if one day, our world turns to be perfect;there is no war, no disease, no violence, no injustice, no immorality, no promiscuity... then, do we still need meanings and purposes? For the meanings and purposes we aspire now seem base on our wishes for social and moral betterments. That is to say, once our world is perfect, we do not need meanings and purposes, though this inference sounds queer or, even absurd. But, it is plausible.

The next question is even more absurd. Since a perfect world requires no pursuit of meanings and purposes, which sounds weird; therefore, do we need to make the world imperfect in order to have meanings or purposes? This question is as odd as the first one, for it seems that everyone inherently craves for a perfect world.

I am waitting for your penetrating insights,judgments and corrections, my friend(s).

I have short term purposes in life which are more external obligations than anything else, but in the long run I have nothing. Except probably for philosophy. Whenever I think of philosophy it puts me at ease; I can picture a warm earthy colour and I feel calm. The concept of art, and not art itself funnily enough, gives meaning to my life as well. I think physical beauty, on humans, animals, everything, is one of the most valuable things.

It'll sound weird, but I've always derived meaning from the vastness of the universe. Just thinking how small and miniscule I am just excites me. The fact that the world is not small and so confined is great.

donuts.........ahhhhhhhhhhhhh