The point of life is to simply survive.

[SereneScene]

That is what I come up with when I think about the purpose of life, whats the point of eating? Working hard? To survive, you dont need to reproduce in order to survive, in caveman days the point of life was to get food and survive, is it the same today? Well what do we go to school for? What do we work for? So that we can earn money to buy food, a house to sleep in, pay our bills, but we also want to buy nice things, for what? To make us happy, so what IS the point of life? To survive or to just overall be happy?

In the end I think we are no different then other animals in the world, we do everything we need to do to survive and make ourselves happy and then most of us reproduce and eventually die. Thats it. I dont feel that we are meant or "destined" for anything else, we are simply just "another" organism. It sucks because my mind keeps wanting another purpose, something "deeper" but my logic tells me that's all we are.

I have come to terms with this reality.

[SereneScene]

Oh and for the record I dont blame some people that kill themselves. Life is cruel.

[Rlyeh]

I partly agree but reproduction is a factor.

What's the point of an organism surviving if it's not going to pass on it's genes?

[SereneScene]

I partly agree but reproduction is a factor.

What's the point of an organism surviving if it's not going to pass on it's genes?

And whats the point of passing on your genes? For what purpose? The only thing you need to worry about is yourself.

[antonT]

]

Exactly! Furthermore it appears that our sole purpose in life is to sustain ourselves in order to reproduce. Life is fragile - it probably came about by pure chance and it knows this. It saturates planet Earth with billions of organisms so that in the event of some sort of catastrophe - an asteroid strike or something similar - at least something will survive.

Once one's reproductive life is over Life loses interest in us and we eventually die. But the desire to survive and reproduce is in the genes of our progeny and the whole proceedure starts again and again.

There is no purpose in Life other than to sustain ourselves in order to reproduce and survive.

[+and-then]

WOW....and I thought I was depressing....

Guys, life is just what you make of it. It'll be over with soon enough. Being able to think of what you can do to make others happy can give you a lot of happiness as well. You really should try it. It's amazing the feeling you can have just from making someone else laugh or even just smile when they're having a crappy day. I think maybe THAT's what life is about. Lots of moments we all share, brief and fleeting but they are the good stuff.

[dougeaton]

That is what I come up with when I think about the purpose of life, whats the point of eating? Working hard? To survive, you dont need to reproduce in order to survive, in caveman days the point of life was to get food and survive, is it the same today? Well what do we go to school for? What do we work for? So that we can earn money to buy food, a house to sleep in, pay our bills, but we also want to buy nice things, for what? To make us happy, so what IS the point of life? To survive or to just overall be happy?

In the end I think we are no different then other animals in the world, we do everything we need to do to survive and make ourselves happy and then most of us reproduce and eventually die. Thats it. I dont feel that we are meant or "destined" for anything else, we are simply just "another" organism. It sucks because my mind keeps wanting another purpose, something "deeper" but my logic tells me that's all we are.

I have come to terms with this reality.

More college freshmen stuff....give me a break! There is no way that you can really believe that and live anykind of human life at all. We are different that another animals, even though I don't believe we have a soul....our brains are much different, I don't see apes making music, thinking about meaning as you are and creating art........only humans do that.

doug

Oh and for the record I dont blame some people that kill themselves. Life is cruel.

Thats big of you.

doug

Edited April 29, 2012 by dougeaton

[dougeaton]

]

Exactly! Furthermore it appears that our sole purpose in life is to sustain ourselves in order to reproduce. Life is fragile - it probably came about by pure chance and it knows this. It saturates planet Earth with billions of organisms so that in the event of some sort of catastrophe - an asteroid strike or something similar - at least something will survive.

Once one's reproductive life is over Life loses interest in us and we eventually die. But the desire to survive and reproduce is in the genes of our progeny and the whole proceedure starts again and again.

There is no purpose in Life other than to sustain ourselves in order to reproduce and survive.

You say one thing, then sneak in something like this " it probably came about by pure chance and it knows this. It saturates planet Earth with billions of organisms so that in the event of some sort of catastrophe - an asteroid strike or something similar - at least something will survive". That means some sort of plan is set in place....wlhich is it?

WOW....and I thought I was depressing....

Guys, life is just what you make of it. It'll be over with soon enough. Being able to think of what you can do to make others happy can give you a lot of happiness as well. You really should try it. It's amazing the feeling you can have just from making someone else laugh or even just smile when they're having a crappy day. I think maybe THAT's what life is about. Lots of moments we all share, brief and fleeting but they are the good stuff.

Your sane, because you don't try to convince others how smart you are LOL

[Mikko-kun]

There may be purposes you have not yet figured out. Maybe no one or very few people have figured out the purposes that make you feel like you can die smiling and with a light heart for them, but you'll still avoid death and keep devoting part of your life to them. In life it's okay to be selfish and think with your feelings too, even if what you think is a matter of lives and deaths.

I've come to realise that there's much potential in us. We use it in narrow areas, devoting our lives to a single area of interest and wonder why we feel like something's missing.

Even if there's no quarantee that any life form in earth sees the next day, does that have to stop you? I think we have enough time in our lives to stop and think these things, watching the roof from our bed or watching the stars outside, or whatever. I dont mind living a boring life if there's moments that make my eyes glow madly, heart burn, thought race, mental images revel and the appreciation of little sensual delights. There's different things for each of our tastes, I know people twice my age (I'm almost 30) who discover new things where they can feel these things. If you dont ever feel alive, what's the point in any of it?

I dont worry about others nor myself. Worrying is overrated, so is helping. Unconditional support, hand given once... not so.

Human beings develop all the time, just like anything else in this universe. We as individuals develop all the time, on many levels. Or at least have the potential if we do something to develop. You should challenge yourself more in emotional and other areas than logic if you feel that way about life, and find grander meanings in those other than just logical areas, about life. Grand for you doesn't have to mean complicated or big, as long as it's grand for You. I'm sure everyone wonders at times why people are so stupid to keep the status quo in this kind of world, I've done that at least. But it takes more than a million-man collective to change things in this world. Still, every change comes from within.

I dont think we're here for any pre-determined purpose, but to see what the next moment brings. Only those who can truly see the future can give you a map about it and put a purpose, large "X" on that map. When I remember my past, the most enjoyable times where those when I put my inner self on the line for other people and for myself too, and didn't hide from the feeling of uncertainty. If you have that feeling it just means you're capable of developing.

Doug, about your sign. Being able to live without something, being able to live without the "I must have this" is one thing I believe we should strive for. It's really not so easy for everyone. But living that way doesn't have to mean you couldn't enjoy the moment. Two people can do the same thing all their life in order to meet the same dream come true, but the difference between them is that one who can let go of things will be happier. If you think life's not worth living, you've probably not over 30, like you implied. And even if you still think that way, you just need to put your butt on the line more and build things even if they fall time after time.

[SereneScene]

More college freshmen stuff....give me a break! There is no way that you can really believe that and live anykind of human life at all. We are different that another animals, even though I don't believe we have a soul....our brains are much different, I don't see apes making music, thinking about meaning as you are and creating art........only humans do that.

doug

Thats big of you.

doug

And my point still stands. All we are meant is to survive and be happy, what else could we possibly be meant for? Please do explain. Humans want to be more then they are just cause we are smarter then all the other animals but in the end we arent that far apart.

[dougeaton]

And my point still stands. All we are meant is to survive and be happy, what else could we possibly be meant for? Please do explain. Humans want to be more then they are just cause we are smarter then all the other animals but in the end we arent that far apart.

No your point is based on your belief about life, which is personal to you and subjective. Others think life is about loving, groiwng and helping others and that they become happier the more they serve others, in other words, paradox plays a part. We are that far apart from animals. If you can't see that, well that is sad, very sad. I am not saying we are not animals, but we are different, very different.

doug

Edited April 29, 2012 by dougeaton

[CommunitarianKevin]

I partly agree but reproduction is a factor.

What's the point of an organism surviving if it's not going to pass on it's genes?

In studying biology this is the conclusion I have come to also. I base this on living things as a whole. Many creatures live very short lives with reproduction as their one goal. Others die in the process of reproducing. I think the passing on of genes in the point of life.

[dougeaton]

In studying biology this is the conclusion I have come to also. I base this on living things as a whole. Many creatures live very short lives with reproduction as their one goal. Others die in the process of reproducing. I think the passing on of genes in the point of life.

There is not point to life, if evolution is just a blind process that goes forward without thought or awareness. We just are, also to evolve does not mean that things get better, it just is. For you to say there is a point to life would imply some sort of plan in the processes, which there probably isn't....unless there is some underlying intelligence as many believe. It makes no difference to anyone or anything if you reproduce or not, no point. If we should die out tomorrow, no one would care, right? You and your friend speak as if there is some reason behind everything, yet try to sound like your atheist.........which is it. If your atheist, then have the courage to face reality, you and I don't matter.

Of course I could be wrong that is why I am an agnostic.

doug

[CommunitarianKevin]

There is not point to life, if evolution is just a blind process that goes forward without thought or awareness. We just are, also to evolve does not mean that things get better, it just is. For you to say there is a point to life would imply some sort of plan in the processes, which there probably isn't....unless there is some underlying intelligence as many believe. It makes no difference to anyone or anything if you reproduce or not, no point. If we should die out tomorrow, no one would care, right? You and your friend speak as if there is some reason behind everything, yet try to sound like your atheist.........which is it. If your atheist, then have the courage to face reality, you and I don't matter.

Of course I could be wrong that is why I am an agnostic.

doug

Doug,

Wow a lot of assumptions going on here…

First off, I perfectly understand evolution. I know it is a blind process. I never said things get better. Why do you even bring this point up? I was talking about reproduction, not random changes of alleles in a population. Of course it makes a difference if you reproduce or not. If nothing reproduced, life would not exist unless it spontaneously arises and on a very regular basis.

My friend and I speak as if there is a reason behind everything? I have mentioned ONE thing and you construe that to be everything?

How am I trying to sound like an atheist? Is it because I accept the scientific fact of evolution or because I am familiar with reproductive practices of different organisms? You need to stop being so bitter and assuming things. Before you go around calling people cowards and atheists try taking 10 seconds and clicking on their profile. If you click on my profile you will see that what I believe is right in front of your face. If you have 5 minutes try clicking on the link to my first blog post and you can learn all about me and what I study. It might benefit you to do the slightest bit of research being going around making assumptions…but I guess research isn’t really something needed by an agnostic is it? You just simply say “I don’t know…” Brilliant!

[blind pew]

Oh and for the record I dont blame some people that kill themselves. Life is cruel.

I agree with Kev007, we live , we die and that's it. woo hoo

Edited April 29, 2012 by blind pew

[dougeaton]

Doug,

Wow a lot of assumptions going on here…

First off, I perfectly understand evolution. I know it is a blind process. I never said things get better. Why do you even bring this point up? I was talking about reproduction, not random changes of alleles in a population. Of course it makes a difference if you reproduce or not. If nothing reproduced, life would not exist unless it spontaneously arises and on a very regular basis.

My friend and I speak as if there is a reason behind everything? I have mentioned ONE thing and you construe that to be everything?

How am I trying to sound like an atheist? Is it because I accept the scientific fact of evolution or because I am familiar with reproductive practices of different organisms? You need to stop being so bitter and assuming things. Before you go around calling people cowards and atheists try taking 10 seconds and clicking on their profile. If you click on my profile you will see that what I believe is right in front of your face. If you have 5 minutes try clicking on the link to my first blog post and you can learn all about me and what I study. It might benefit you to do the slightest bit of research being going around making assumptions…but I guess research isn’t really something needed by an agnostic is it? You just simply say “I don’t know…” Brilliant!

It does not matter if there is life or not, why would it? There is no direction that we are moving in, eventually we will become extinct, either soon or much later, it is all for nothing. The facts of evolution do not do away with God, since many believers believe in evolution, in fact many men of science are devout believers, they can co exist easily. Your thoughts on the matter or just personal, and well presented.

You did mention one thing about why nature produces so much life by allowing billions of offspring because most will be destroyed, and if what you said is an actual fact, which it is not, and then yes it changes everything. For you are bringing in some kind of overriding intelligence, which means it touches everything.

Yes, most atheist, at least the ones I run into are self centered, arrogant jerks with a deep underlying inferiority complex. I know there are most likely exceptions but I have not met any, though I am open. Perhaps it is the angry, childish ones who speak up, the more mature atheist live and let live, like the majority of people. I not being one of them. I also know what I don't know, you have yet to learn that. Being in your 20's does that, you will grow out of it.

Doug

[thalassinus]

there is no point to life.

all life is accidental.

for there to be a point, there has to be a creator, a reason why religion was formed.

people want there to be a reason....there is no reason. everything living is an accident.

if i am wrong, then let god show me i am wrong.....

still waiting....

still waiting.....

nope....nothing.

[Tomibomb]

It is not enough to just simply...exist.

[CommunitarianKevin]

It does not matter if there is life or not, why would it? There is no direction that we are moving in, eventually we will become extinct, either soon or much later, it is all for nothing. The facts of evolution do not do away with God, since many believers believe in evolution, in fact many men of science are devout believers, they can co exist easily. Your thoughts on the matter or just personal, and well presented.

You did mention one thing about why nature produces so much life by allowing billions of offspring because most will be destroyed, and if what you said is an actual fact, which it is not, and then yes it changes everything. For you are bringing in some kind of overriding intelligence, which means it touches everything.

Yes, most atheist, at least the ones I run into are self centered, arrogant jerks with a deep underlying inferiority complex. I know there are most likely exceptions but I have not met any, though I am open. Perhaps it is the angry, childish ones who speak up, the more mature atheist live and let live, like the majority of people. I not being one of them. I also know what I don't know, you have yet to learn that. Being in your 20's does that, you will grow out of it.

Doug

What fact did I present that is not a fact?

What kind of overriding intelligence did I bring in?

I think if you took some time not being angry you would see that we agree on more points than we do not. I also am bitter towards many atheists because of the exact reasons you mentioned but that does not making me go around accusing people of being atheists and it does not make me generalize them. You would probably be very interested in the topic I am doing for my senior paper.

I saw that you did take the time to check out my stuff and I knew someone of your, shall we say, “life experience” would go for the low blow with my age. That is a totally invalid point that you somehow know more than I do or there are things I am yet to learn because my age. Age is only a number. I do value life experience but age has nothing to do with it. You read my stuff. I have lived in other countries, I have been on deployments, I worked mortuary and broke fingers of troops with no heads to get finger prints. I was on the Honor Guard and preformed funeral ceremonies for a large variety of troops. I am married with a child. I am taking 20 credits, taking care of my son, working, have a pregnant wife, and just bought a house. I am not some punk sitting on a computer that lives at home with his parents. I have quite a bit of life experience. I have more life experience than one who has spent their entire life living in the same town. For all I know you have never left the town you were born in. Apparently there is just nothing for us to talk about because I am just a young padawan and you are the almighty Yoda. I guess I will attempt to reach the intellectual superiority of my elders such as my dad (who is in his 60s and believes in aliens,) Richard Dawkins, George Bush, and Pat Robertson…

Edited April 30, 2012 by HuttonEtAl

[8th_wall]

I recall posting a comment on something similar to this. People seem to fail to realize that when one talks about the meaning of life it can be answered on more than one "level." There is no one answer. There are many. If you're a family man a meaning of your life would be to put food on the table. If you're part of some society the meaning would be to function efficiently. Only when one gets to a "universal level" then you could say yes. The meaning is to survive however how does one do that? Push the frontiers of Science and expand into the universe... Also, it's pointless to extrapolate every example of a meaning and show "no you see here it really is only survival worded differently." Because as far as we're aware for the conscious physical state there is either alive or dead. So in a manner of speaking you could extrapolate everything to subjectively show that the goal is either alive or dead.

The point I'm making is that a meaning in itself doesn't apply to every person. It's subjective to a degree.

[Beany]

I think the original post indicates a lack of imagination, creativity, curiousity, and life's experience. It sounds like what Eeyore would say if he were a philosopher. Life is a blast, it's fun, it's an adventure. Well, it's what we make of it, really, so make something really good. Some say we'll get to come around again, but I don't know that for sure, so I'm making the most of what I have today.

[Clarakore]

The original post strikes me as the point of view of someone who recognizes themselves as individuals but does not recognize how we are also a small component of something greater such as a society or a species.

Individuals hardly get anything done alone. With the ants they even take orders from a group consciousness. We also have a group consciousness which is how the species directs us, compells us, to have children.

We have a reptillian mind, we later evolved a mammillian mind (limbic), then on top of that all we have a human mind aka executive function or critiical thinking. Laughter comes from the mammillian mind for example.

So while a human might decide to not have children using their executive function they might find later in life that their lower brains, which still operate underneath, will cause them to feel something is missing, or a sadness for not having children.

This is the voice, in my opinion, of the group consciousness of the species. Propgating the species is our prime directive as others have stated. We have to differentiate between individual goals and the goals of the species.

Likewise most professions, for example, do not get their main goals pushed forward by any one individual. It is a cadre of individuals who get things done as a group. This is the way we hunted, foraged, took care of children, etc..., during our earliest days as a species. We did things as groups and have lost much of that to a degree althought many sectors of society still function as groups how many of us are isolated socially or feel our social connections are not bringing quality or meaning to our life?

Well it is easy to believe we are just individuals and forget about everything else but we are all connected, we are all one unit, not just now in the present but the whole of humanity, past, present, and future is one species with its own lifespan.

As individuals we also are not simply who we are this very moment. We are more like a chain of paper dolls, each connected, each holding hands, and the first one would be us as a child, the last one would be us right before we die, to truly know someone, to truly know yourself, you have to take all those 'yous' and put them together. We are merely a composite of something greater, both as individuals and as components of a species.

[dougeaton]

What fact did I present that is not a fact?

What kind of overriding intelligence did I bring in?

I think if you took some time not being angry you would see that we agree on more points than we do not. I also am bitter towards many atheists because of the exact reasons you mentioned but that does not making me go around accusing people of being atheists and it does not make me generalize them. You would probably be very interested in the topic I am doing for my senior paper.

I saw that you did take the time to check out my stuff and I knew someone of your, shall we say, “life experience” would go for the low blow with my age. That is a totally invalid point that you somehow know more than I do or there are things I am yet to learn because my age. Age is only a number. I do value life experience but age has nothing to do with it. You read my stuff. I have lived in other countries, I have been on deployments, I worked mortuary and broke fingers of troops with no heads to get finger prints. I was on the Honor Guard and preformed funeral ceremonies for a large variety of troops. I am married with a child. I am taking 20 credits, taking care of my son, working, have a pregnant wife, and just bought a house. I am not some punk sitting on a computer that lives at home with his parents. I have quite a bit of life experience. I have more life experience than one who has spent their entire life living in the same town. For all I know you have never left the town you were born in. Apparently there is just nothing for us to talk about because I am just a young padawan and you are the almighty Yoda. I guess I will attempt to reach the intellectual superiority of my elders such as my dad (who is in his 60s and believes in aliens,) Richard Dawkins, George Bush, and Pat Robertson…

LOL, your right, I am sorry. I did react, well a bit overmuch. However, I don't think science is meant to give us some kind of meaning for our lives, though without it we would be up the creek. Being so young is wonderful, I am old enough to be your grand father, so I can get well, cranky.

doug

[Rlyeh]

And whats the point of passing on your genes? For what purpose? The only thing you need to worry about is yourself.

The only problem with that logic is the genes that made up you came from your ancestors, they contributed to your survival.

In the short term its about you, but long term its the survival of a population.

[SereneScene]

While I do belive most of what I said in my post I was a bit depressed at that moment so yea...

With that being said I think that we as humans want to belive that we are meant for something greator or that we have some ultimate destiny, I think this comes from our ability to think about things, specificlly about life, perhaps its our ego getting the best of us? Our ego makes us think that we are special and there "has" to more to life.

Im open to anything though, god, aliens, ghosts, I do belive that there is a LOT we dont understand and in the end we probably wont ever know what we all want to know about life and its meaning, best we can do is survive and be happy no matter how hard or easy we have it.