Yes, "unrealistic". It is exactly those motives you list that drives people to seek improvement.

Drives people to seek improvement in what exactly?

Communism - a system which utilizes social organization where property is held in common rather than private. The system entails a common goal (also grand theory) where, ideally at any rate, desires such as power, money, and perhaps well being are secondary to the community at large.

Communitarianism (or even prescriptivism) - a system where the community rather than the individual is at the center of analysis of the value system.

I would have said something along the lines of humanism, but with humanism, you have an emphasis on man and his importance, power, achievement, authority, etc. It honestly sounds like you want to find a notion where we put aside individualistic aspirations in favor of a grander human aspiration. Especially when you say that even well being is secondary to a higher purpose that seems to smack of animal farm to me. But then, this is mostly in reference to social notions. There are definitely some things that could be said about religious notions, but I don't know if that's where you want to go with this.

well actually I think (which isn't saying to much. correct me if i'm wrong) that religion would better fit this sort of belief. my reasoning behind this is how I used the term "a higher purpose" which, to clarify, I meant as something beyond humanity and leading more into the aspect of creation and why humanity exists.

why humanity has the ability to find a higher purpose
- because they are wise

if that so then more wisdom finds more higher purpose

i think we need to find more higher wisdom to find more higher purpose
right?

I agree with you there. In my opinion humanity is to distracted to ask questions about their lives, they just simply go about living it.

I like to refer to the movie The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy where the giant super computer said that the answer to the meaning on life is....................... 42. Then it said that you must know the question before you may find the answer.

Has humanity forgotten to ask the question?

Well take Hinduism and your thoughts for example. Hinduism would (generally) state that there is an inherent presence of the divine in all living things? in all things a devout Hindu sees God. In the more metaphysical aspects, all the manifestations of the world are essentially a single reality with alternate strings of the same reality (like Leibniz's monads). But long story short, in reference to the Upanishads, the supreme absolute reality (Brahmin) constitutes true identity (Atman) of all things. In life, we cycle through the desires and trials, the endless cycles of death, rebirth, (samsara). We break free of the cycle through the realization of the Atman.

So in reference to your points in post #5 (and keeping in mind the fundamental thoughts you had in post #1), you could say that releasing ourselves from selfish desires such as power, money, and well being, a higher purpose is found (namely that of a release from samsara). However, in light of your points in #5, you could say that the higher purpose is a return to the one. The existential implication inherent in this underlying goal seems to be evident though, to come full circle and come together with a greater being with common purpose. At least that's how I see it.

Truth be told, I'm not Hindu, so this is merely an interpretation with abstract comparisons. Similar comparisons could also be made with Buddhism, traditional Chinese religions and Confucianism, Taoism, Chinese Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Shinto, etc. It's actually a very relative conception you have in relation to established religion. If you are curious to see any other comparisons with the previously mentioned religions and your thoughts, let me know and I can do a quick abstract for you.

But you could go even further than religion is concerned, going so far as ancient Greek metaphysics (Heraclitus, Aristotle, Plato, etc.). I suppose it goes as far as you want to take it. But I mention Greek metaphysics in particular because it has a heavy dose of cosmogony in it.

maybe not they just don't bother because no knows the answer
they just instead insist on making solution to find the answer

thank you very very much. You have now given me a starting point in my journey into philosophy for that I am throughly grateful.

That's great to hear! Let us know what you find out along the way!

How they live, of course.

"poor understanding of economy" ?
Well people need money to start companies, to pay their bills, to invest, to keep a perpetual trade between countries, regions ..etc.

If we didn't have a good economy based on money, we would be like a 3rd world country, that can't afford making schools, make anything worth selling, exporting, the goverment wouldn't have economy to support the country with expensive surgery, medicine, airports ..etc.

Money is the key to the future.

what a nice tread

Federation ist ism.

It sounds like you're saying: no pain, no gain. Which is true from a certain point of view.

The Wizard of Oz tells the story of how people find out who they really are by virtue of the journey... the quest. It's the journey, not the destination. Which is true from a certain point of view.

There's a really cool version of the story of the quest for the holy grail. The knights discover that the Fisher King can only give over the secret if they ask the right question. Their journey is to find this question.

So you're positing some truth unknown to you now, and you're willing to put aside personal comfort to find it. This seems to put you in the category of the aspirant. You're in good company.

Many a wise person has commented that life is the greatest of all gurus.

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According to a test I took I am an existentialist. The Wikipedia gives a short definition but the examples of philosophers do not include really any I could agree with. Was JP Sartre also an existentialist ?

Sometimes I think labeling makes it more difficult to think freely; you sort of want to cling to your initial point of view because then you 'fit' in with a group. Are there any positive thinkers among the existentialists ? Is Buddhism a form of positive existentialism ? Is Humanism ?

I am really not good at formal definitions. I know I want to be able to find this certain word; I used to describe myself as consciously naive. I learned I am neither, but wanted to express my intention to be aware of the people / world around me and still staying positive about it...



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Inprocess........

A long time ago, far, far away, there a young prince who had been brought up sorrounded by luxury and with his every need fulfilled. As his father was a King, he lived in a palace and had servants and the best of everything. However as he grew to maturity and left the palace walls, he was confronted by sights that disturbed his sheltered life. He once saw a funeral procession making its way to the funeral ground; on another occasion, he poor old fellow who was so infirm he could barely walk; another time a man stricken by some dreadful illness. But then, on one of these tours, he saw a travelling monk, clad only in a simple robe, and who seemed to him at peace with the world.

These sights caused the prince to wonder about this very question. Certainly, he did not have to worry about his circumstance; but it was clear to him that no matter how rich he was, he still would fall victim to old age and death, and perhaps to illness. So he decided to pursue the life of the wandering monk, to see if there was some truth he could find that was less impermanent than his worldly life. Because, he thought, no matter what your situation, you will always have things happen that you don't want, and loose things that you do want, and in the worldly life there seems no lasting peace.

That prince's name was Gautama Siddhartha, who left his sleeping family and all of his possessions, and who meditated on it for 6 years in the forest before finally realising that higher truth. At which time, he became known as the Buddha.

There's another story about a prince, that I like, it's called Lucky Man, by Emerson, Lake and Palmer.