The meaning of life

**Salem1** · December 19, 2010, 08:03 PM

Some people may consider this to be a basic fact, others may never have thought about it this way. I'm going to express my thoughts about this in an as clear way as possible, I'm myself figuring out this as I'm writing.

It occurred to me that the meaning and purpose of life is right in front of us; it is simply to exist. By being alive you are fulfilling the purpose for which you evolved. Finding a deeper meaning to it than that is a byproduct of a vastly increased intelligence compared to animals and other lifeforms, but such a new meaning is an artificial development of the truth. For as you are alive, you are already fulfilling your first purpose. In this way it is not a lack of meaning but that are completing our meaning which is the situation today. That we have passed the finishing line should not be a source of pessimism as it currently tends to be but of optimism, because we have evolved beyond the scope of our design, we are more than complete, we are a species which will reshape life.

And it is this which fuels our continued pursuit to develop an artificial meaning of life. Since our lifespans increase and our lives are less filled with risks of death, the meaning of life is left behind us as it is now achieved. This creates a reaction to seek a new meaning, it is why in first world countries and other such places people are more preoccupied with finding a new purpose, for their original one of existing is under no threat, rather than concerning themselves with survival as a poor 3rd country person might do. In our relatively new first world environment which will continue to develop, man has superceded his original design. You might say that intelligence is like a coin, a coin cannot have less than two sides and so you cannot be more adept at existing without also rendering the pursuit of mere existance obsolete, as we have now achieved that goal.

That's why depression is so rampant, it's because our species has not yet adapted to the new reality. Our bodies have not yet formed a new meaning of life and so the only other thing that can do it for now is our intelligence, but with an important flaw... it is only in the mind, not in the body that this new meaning is invented. As such it can never become the new truth as long as it is the intelligence which is the source. We have completed our journey and now ask our genetic programming ''what now?'' to which it has not yet made a suitable answer.

With this truth in mind you need not set a new meaning of life, because the one you were made for you are already fulfilling. The only new one that truly builds upon our real purpose is the pursuit of immortality. Be at ease with yourself and do what you want to do as your function is already complete. Do not concern yourself with this question for it is not meant for our intelligence to dabble in, thinking about it is a side effect of having this improved means of survival which is our intelligence. I was going to complete that last sentence with a contrast and add something else but I lost myself, hope you enjoyed reading

**Helm** · December 20, 2010, 04:52 AM

I say the meaning of life is a highly individual thing, the trick is to discover your own meaning of life. It's not enough to simply exis as anything can do that, so merely existing brings no meaning.

**Amorphos** · December 20, 2010, 01:26 PM

It occurred to me that the meaning and purpose of life is right in front of us; it is simply to exist. By being alive you are fulfilling the purpose for which you evolved.

Evolution doesn’t have a purpose or goal, most species die out and eventually the sun will go supernova and all life on earth and the earth itself will cease to exist.

In short that isn’t a ‘meaning’ of life, its just an accidental mechanistic pretence at life.

Apart from that there are very many qualities aside from the physics and the biology [e.g. the metaphysics] , so why contain everything within the framework of evolution alone.

I think a universal purpose may be to live and experience reality, which is quite near to what you said.

**Col. Tartleton** · December 20, 2010, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by Quetzalcoatl

Evolution doesn’t have a purpose or goal, most species die out and eventually the sun will go supernova and all life on earth and the earth itself will cease to exist.

In short that isn’t a ‘meaning’ of life, its just an accidental mechanistic pretence at life.

Apart from that there are very many qualities aside from the physics and the biology [e.g. the metaphysics] , so why contain everything within the framework of evolution alone.

I think a universal purpose may be to live and experience reality, which is quite near to what you said.

Essentially we are the product of a great accident unless proven otherwise, and as such it is our duty to make the most of the accident. Our Atoms could have been rocks and gases and we'd be of little interest in conversation. However by the luck of the draw we are in fact people and therefore aware of the fact we aren't rocks...

**Helm** · December 21, 2010, 03:08 PM

Evolution isn't an accident it's an ongoing scientific process, not that we're scientfic processes but that's how our physical bodies evolved over the millions of years.

**Nefarious** · February 18, 2011, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by Helm

Evolution isn't an accident it's an ongoing scientific process, not that we're scientfic processes but that's how our physical bodies evolved over the millions of years.

Yet, in all that time, males of our species still have nipples.
One gets the sense we're not that evolved...yet.

On topic:
My meaning of life is simple enough. Eat well, stay fit, and die anyway.
As the end catches all, I spend my time volunteering to help others enjoy the ride.

And I'm very selfish in doing this. I feel better when helping others. It makes me feel good. Helps others? Fine. But my main interest is in myself.
Just being honest.

**~~removeduser_4536284751384~~** · February 18, 2011, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by Nefarious

Yet, in all that time, males of our species still have nipples.

if they didn't have nipples their females offspring wouldn't be able to have nipples.

And while it would be possible to "code" our DNA so that males don't have nipples but their female offspring do, you would have to drag around a whole lot of extra code in your DNA for no point other than to get rid of nipples. Not really an advantage, in fact perhaps a disadvantage. More chance of dangerous mutations and cancer.

**Kjertesvein** · February 20, 2011, 02:55 PM

Food for your mind:

Originally Posted by Nefarious

On topic:
My meaning of life is simple enough. Eat well, stay fit, and die anyway.
As the end catches all, I spend my time volunteering to help others enjoy the ride.

And I'm very selfish in doing this. I feel better when helping others. It makes me feel good. Helps others? Fine. But my main interest is in myself.
Just being honest.

honesty is the essence of philosophy

~Wille

**Tiwaz** · February 21, 2011, 05:54 AM

Ultimately, purpose of life is to pass on your genes.
Eat, survive... Breeeeeed.

What else can we truly claim to leave behind us but our descendants?
Fame? Who here knows the name of the guy who first played violin?
Fortune? When you die it ends up in someone elses hands as wealth has no earmark.

What fortune and fame CAN do, is give your offspring better chance of survive and succeed... And thus propagate your genes further.

**~~removeduser_4536284751384~~** · February 21, 2011, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by Tiwaz

Ultimately, purpose of life is to pass on your genes.
Eat, survive... Breeeeeed.

What else can we truly claim to leave behind us but our descendants?
Fame? Who here knows the name of the guy who first played violin?
Fortune? When you die it ends up in someone elses hands as wealth has no earmark.

What fortune and fame CAN do, is give your offspring better chance of survive and succeed... And thus propagate your genes further.

That's not our purpose. Objectively we have no purpose other than what we give ourselves. The fact that we eat, sleep breed etc is just a coincidence of evolution.