The Meaning of Life
- Gman2
- DovPaoloA
- spinemaster
- ecarrion
- estromquist
- PureDoxyk
- gaukia
- ecarrion
This archived discussion is "read only".
» DovPaoloA - ANSWERS - AND QUESTIONS
I wish to propose that ANY question one asks is a question that can be answered by the asker - perhaps after pondering it (which may be an almost forgotten activity).Example: "So what?"
So - exercize the questioning faculty we have, we shall discover that indeed we have quite a few answers at hand, and more available AFTER PONDERING.
Here goes now; to see more, goto my Identity articles...
-- posted by DovPaoloA
» spinemaster - Trying to breathe on purpose
We are accidentally born.We aren't breathing on purpose.
We are helplessly alive and doomed to die.
So relax.
Life is not a question that has an answer.
To ask "what is the meaning of life?" is like asking "How big is blue?" or trying to hammer nails into a lake.
Every breath and step we take kills something.
All we can really do is to try and not take more than our share and leave as little residue behind as possible, finding a balance between doing and not-doing, between silence and chatter.
We should straddle duality and gallop into ourselves where God and the Devil can finally kiss and make up.
-- posted by spinemaster
» ecarrion - Too many questions
Our problem is essentially that of our humanity. Because we are burdened with the ability to question our existence we are to a large extent doomed to a life of misery. Misery because we are fully aware of our mortality and yet live out our days as immortals.Perhaps there are no answers to be had to many of the questions of life. Our quest to impose meaning on much that surrounds us is yet further testimony of the futility which characterizes our humanity.
-- posted by ecarrion
» estromquist - Meaning of life
I think the question itself can be understood according to at least two different senses.1) Teleological – “What is the purpose of our lives?” Answer: none.
2) Normative – “What should we do with our lives?” Answer: we should strive to achieve and maintain a feeling-tone of self-satisfaction.
I think that’s it in a nutshell.
-- posted by estromquist
» PureDoxyk - The Meaning of Asking about the Meaning of Life
I love it when people ask what Life means, but I hate it when they answer. Why must one question have one answer--for ALL people? Is there a point in even trying to be that general?Then again, if I had to be general, I would side with Hermann Hesse, who, in Demian, postulates that the only purpose of our existence is to find out what the heck we are, and try as hard as we can to be that thing, whether we like it or not. Hesse obviously feels that, whether we know what it is or not, we did get put here for a reason. And, well, Hesse was a smart, smart guy...
-- posted by PureDoxyk
» gaukia - Re: Trying to breathe on purpose
In response to message posted by spinemaster:We may come to be alive accidentally. But we carry a responsibility to show that the work of chance is right sometimes. It's right when chance gives birth to people who change their surroundings for the better. To leave as little residue as possible is to deny the chance that God has bestowed. To be contented with the current situation is complacency.
To ask what's the meaning of life may not be pointless simply because the answer differs from one to another. In fact it is this diversity in response that brings out the true meaning of life.
-- posted by gaukia
» ecarrion - Re: The Meaning of Asking about the Meaning of Life
Yes, Hermann Hesse was a very clever person. But I have trouble believing that we are here for a reason. I see myself as basically wondering around doing little things in an attempt to stave off boredom. Amongst these activities I include work, reading or interacting with others. If I were a Socrates perhaps I would see my mission as that of educating the youth of Athens. But I see no such purpose to my own life and to that of many others. In this case I concur with Arthur Schopenhauer who in one place wrote, "'Tis better not to be."-- posted by ecarrion
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