What's our purpose in life?

[Pas 8,133]

But stew's what you do with really poor meat?

 

The only good bit of a stew is the dumplings. Are they a decent blowjob?

[robinson100 12,771]

I like the idea of stew ML - actually much, much better than a box of chocs - with the chocs, if you do´t like one, you just leave it, but in real life, even if you don´t like something or somebody, you still ahve to cope with them.

 

I am not really sure of the "purpose of life", although I suspect that we will be reincarnated depending on how we are in this life.

My personal philosophy is to try to be to others how I would like them to be to me, to work as hard as I can and produce the best work I am capable of, and to love my family and friends with all my heart...

...I wonder if that will be enough???

[Chat Noir 1,962]

I have often wondered what my purpose in life is (see unhappy thread) but maybe mine is to just wander purposelessly. For it is about the journey and not the destination.

I never wanted to be anything when I grew up, even as a child I used to say "I already am".

As I go along, I try as much as I can to help others and evolve on a personal level.

Enjoy the ride.

[a.tuttle 1,757]

To carve out and hang onto a sense of individuality, and using that as a base for all decisions. Never looking back and never looking to another day, always in the here and now. Laughing in the face of death and imminent doom. Eternal Return.

 

Life is like setting out on a sea journey, knowing your ship is going down at some undetermined point in the future.

 

Rather than stew I'd go with fondue. Chocolate and cheese, it can't get any better. Gotta start with a good analogy. And it's hard to repair a stew gone horribly wrong.

[perdido 6,083]

Whats the purpose in life?

 

Answer:

To watch television re-runs. So far I have seeen all the Friends episodes, first 5 seasons of lost, first three seasons of Heros, got married, divorced, 5 seasons of Seinfeld(shudder). all the Threes Company Episodes(well worth it only when Suzanne Summers was on it)and just started the first season of Black Books its gonna be a great summer.

 

Oh and to sleep around.

[Lovepuss 441]

All those in HD *shakes head and feels envious* I really should spend more time watching movies and serials...

[Babycakes 631]

Many, many meanings of course, but in terms of purpose one of the main things: To get an education. It's one that I'm still working on.

[JohnPB 91]

"There is no solution to birth and death, other than to illuminate the time between them". - Carl Jung

[garry entropy 776]

 

[bluedave 2,499]

My purpose in life is to be my son's father, simple.

 

For the rest, having achieved my intrinsic goal my intellectual and human side is to have the best time i can and be the best person around that people meet to share my life with.

 

Ok, put simply, procreate, then party and personalise.

[gaberlunzi 814]

 

It doesn't do my departed Dad any good, sure, but the fact that I tell everyone how awesome he was surely does good by my family name.

 

More importantly, he knew I felt that way before he died.

 

Gab, if you can't trust your kids to tell the world how awesome you are, you might want to write your own obituary now.

 

My kids spread my name far and wide, not that that does me any good,except to feed my ego.

Every part of existence of life contributes to the continuance of life and the knowledge of it perpetuates the chain until life(not only mankind)gets to the other side of the big bang if that is where life started.Consider yourself a link in this chain to eternity, no matter how much or how little you contributed to it.

[iain 141]

 

Carl Sagan, my favorite scientist, sums it up much more eloquently than I can:

 

"I would love to believe that when I die I will live again, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of me will continue. But much as I want to believe that, and despite the ancient and worldwide cultural traditions that assert an afterlife, I know of nothing to suggest that it is more than wishful thinking. The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there's little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides..."

 

I really like this quote, simply because it is. The thing I love about life, is that if you really look at the chances of your own existence it is amazing that you actually exist. People are so wrapped up in the question of why, what is the purpose, how do I find a state of mind that let's me exist forever. I tend to look at life in another way, more along the lines of, 'oh my god I exist!', 'Life is sooo finite!' and 'what the hell do I want to do with such an amazingly random opportunity.'

 

My wife who has religious tendencies took a while to reconcile with my viewpoint of life. She was asking herself how she could live her life well, as in lead a good life, enough to get into the good afterlife. I on the other hand am more just amazed that I exist, and I'm more concerned with what I can do with this amazing opportunity. One of the big arguments that arise is about morality. The Christian (or other religion) view that if you have a set guideline to live along, which will deliver you to the next after life which is good, that this will give you morality and without you will surely not spiritually progress, and without such a guideline you will simply stagnate or morally regress. In other words you need the concept of infinite life with rewards/punishments to have a sense of correct moral justice. What I always found very interesting to try and explain is that maybe the concept of finiteness could instill a deeper sense of morality. I mean the very idea of finiteness is mind boggling, the idea that the only true truth in life (I think therefore I am) will cease to exist is hard to grasp. If you manage to grasp this, then you might go a step further and realize that you only have one shot at 'life' and that everyone around you only exist for a very short period of time and anything you do to harm or derive from an existence is truly a damage that cannot be described in words. Truly the finiteness of life makes it holy, and anyone who would try and reduce the existence of another completely abhorred. In my mind, this is where true moral questions come into existence, and this realization of finite time/existence is what separates us from non philosophical entities.

[tech71 1,535]

We are hardwired with the evolutionary imperatives to survive and procreate. Anything else is self imposed. It's wide open.

[gaberlunzi 814]

[theGman 3,498]

So, what’s our purpose in life? - There is none.

Why are we here? - Evolution.

Do we need to prove anything, to anyone? - Bit of a weird question, its up to you I guess.

Will, what we do today, have any consequence later (i.e. afterlife)? - Consequences later, of course. Consequences in afterlife, no.

Is there such a thing as Karma? - No

Is there an afterlife or reincarnation? - No

 

What do YOU believe in? - Do I have to believe in anything?

What’s YOUR purpose in life? - None, and it doesn't bother me. I get on with it and have as much fun along the way as possible.

Do you believe, your actions of today, will have some sort of consequence later? - Yea. If I walk in front of a bus now, later I will be in hospital.

Where are you going, if anywhere at all? - Right now? I'm going to the toilet, coffee runs right through me.

[Guest]

This is a very interesting question - and not only about human life.

 

In the last bfew days there has been a school of pilot whales that has stayed with two injured companions off the Scottish coast - putting themselves in great danger as a result. They only left once the two injured whales died. This sort of selfless act defies any sort of materialistic logic based on there being no greater point in life other that procreation of the species and what you can get out of it.

 

In other words, the values of compassion and kindness are completely illogical in a life without meaning.

 

Where does that leave us - I don't know.

[Rango 22]

 

 

Is there an afterlife or reincarnation? - No

 

What do YOU believe in? - Do I have to believe in anything?

 

You contradicted yourself in the very next sentence.

[theGman 3,498]

 

You contradicted yourself in the very next sentence.

 

I don't understand...why am I contradicting myself?

[lilplatinum 7,142]

Pilot whales are highly social animals, helping the group members is part of how they survive. Social animals looking out for each other makes perfect biological sense, as a strong group allows you a better chance of survival.

 

http://plato.stanfor...ism-biological/

 

Game theory can demonstrate many scenarios where compassion is logical as well.

 

Anyway:

 

So, what’s our purpose in life? - To maximize pleasure and minimize pain

Why are we here? - Our parents got drunk enough to forget birth control while fucking..

Do we need to prove anything, to anyone? - Only if we want to get laid.

Will, what we do today, have any consequence later? - Short term yes, the longer time frame they become smaller and smaller as to be irrelevant.. even the most famous humans in history will be irrelevant once we're extinct.

Is there such a thing as Karma? - probably not

Is there an afterlife or reincarnation? - probably not

 

What do YOU believe in? - cogito ergo sum

What’s YOUR purpose in life? - To crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and to hear the lamentation of their women.

Do you believe, your actions of today, will have some sort of consequence later? - see above

Where are you going, if anywhere at all? - the bar to drink away the memory of these silly questions

[SmittyBoy 493]

So, what’s our purpose in life? - To be.

Why are we here? - Why not?

Do we need to prove anything, to anyone? - Yes.

Will, what we do today, have any consequence later (i.e. afterlife)? - Fairly unlikely, but is that important ?

Is there such a thing as Karma? - Of course - is that important?

Is there an afterlife or reincarnation? - Unlikely

 

What do YOU believe in? - gravity.

What’s YOUR purpose in life? - Do good, Be good.

Do you believe, your actions of today, will have some sort of consequence later? - of course, what a silly question.

Where are you going, if anywhere at all? - Crazy, wanna come ?