How many think the purpose of life is this?

[red933]

I dont want to be the bad guy, and while its nice to think about and hear all of the creative ideas coming from all of you, give it up. The fact is, we will probably never know what our purpose is and not to mention, I dont care. I would much rather live and be happy, playing the lottery, and hoping my kids wont be a broke loser like me. But, thats probably what our "creator" has planned out. Still, keep the ideas rollin' out, its good to finally hear some intelligent philosophys.

[Twizted_3KGT]

Live and be happy? For what? What will it matter when you're dead whether you were happy or not, from your point of view? I can never understand how someone can live without even thinking about whats next, seems delusional.

[PWRDbyUNCLEbens]

Since a lot of philosophies about the meaning of life have to revolve around the base idea that you have a soul (ex. Heaven or passing your soul on to the next life) then you first have to believe in a soul.

In my opnion everyone's thought process is all biological, and has nothing to do with a soul. For instance If the exact same person was born into two different enviroments, and grew up in each enviroment then I could guarantee you that they wouldn't have the same thought process.

In that respect I think humans put limits on the idea of a soul. For example we think a person with a "good" soul will make good choices, and do good things. If a persons thought process is all biological though then a soul is just another wordly concept.

Another idea to take into account is do other animals have souls. As twizted_3kgt said earlier humans are certainly not THE supreme being. If something with a limited knowledge can have a soul then why not any other living thing?

To finally get to a point, I would say that all living things have a soul. So the purpose of life "if there is one" would have to be the same for all souls. Reproduction comes to mind, but that seems awful blunt. Or perhaps it seems like the perfect meaning of life. Reproduction is everlasting so that would mean there is no definite "meaning" to life.

The idea of finding a meaning is to find a conlusion or end. Once again humans put limits ont he idea of life by trying to find an end for it. It's the very idea of a beginning, and end that prevents us from finding answers to lots of philosophical questions.

If your confused after reading this you should be. I really didn't have a response at first, but once I thought of something my mind started to expand each idea. I tried my best not to make a blog of my thoughts. Sorry if you have to read it a few times to get any grasp of what I was thinking.

[Xenostalgia]

You mean the meaning of your life, it isn't given to you.

You create the path you walk, there are no stones laid out for you.

You mend your own life, one is never handed to you.

[thrasher]

Originally Posted by Moppie

The meaning of life is to have sex then die.
Anything else you happen to accomplish just fills in the gaps.

One of the best posts I've seen in the philosophizing forum in a long, long time. Short, succinct, and absolutely correct in every way...nothing more, nothing less. And I would have to agree 100%. Our purpose is to pass on our genes, that's it.

[Twizted_3KGT]

Originally Posted by PWRDbyUNCLEbens

Since a lot of philosophies about the meaning of life have to revolve around the base idea that you have a soul (ex. Heaven or passing your soul on to the next life) then you first have to believe in a soul.

In my opnion everyone's thought process is all biological, and has nothing to do with a soul. For instance If the exact same person was born into two different enviroments, and grew up in each enviroment then I could guarantee you that they wouldn't have the same thought process.

In that respect I think humans put limits on the idea of a soul. For example we think a person with a "good" soul will make good choices, and do good things. If a persons thought process is all biological though then a soul is just another wordly concept.

Another idea to take into account is do other animals have souls. As twizted_3kgt said earlier humans are certainly not THE supreme being. If something with a limited knowledge can have a soul then why not any other living thing?

To finally get to a point, I would say that all living things have a soul. So the purpose of life "if there is one" would have to be the same for all souls. Reproduction comes to mind, but that seems awful blunt. Or perhaps it seems like the perfect meaning of life. Reproduction is everlasting so that would mean there is no definite "meaning" to life.

The idea of finding a meaning is to find a conlusion or end. Once again humans put limits ont he idea of life by trying to find an end for it. It's the very idea of a beginning, and end that prevents us from finding answers to lots of philosophical questions.

If your confused after reading this you should be. I really didn't have a response at first, but once I thought of something my mind started to expand each idea. I tried my best not to make a blog of my thoughts. Sorry if you have to read it a few times to get any grasp of what I was thinking.

I, for one, think a soul is what seperates us humans from animals and all other living things...so I can't agree with you past that point. If I did, then you would have a respectable theory. I can't see myself as being a body, just a super-advanced machine basically, with no soul and nothing after this life...just doesn't "feel" like it I guess is my only backing for that...just feels like this consciousness will always be, despite the body growing old and dying.

[red933]

I suppose nothing will matter when I'm dead, thats why I dont care about what happens when I die. We have know idea whats going to happen. All we really know is our bodys rot away. I'll worry about whats going to happen when it happens. Sure I've given death some thought, but why not worry more about being alive and HAPPY? Thats all that really matters right now. Plus, death seems like it might suck.

[2.2 Straight six]

i believe the purpose of life is to reproduce to continue the evolution and existence of the human race.

[blakscorpion21]

Originally Posted by Twizted_3KGT

I, for one, think a soul is what seperates us humans from animals and all other living things...so I can't agree with you past that point. If I did, then you would have a respectable theory. I can't see myself as being a body, just a super-advanced machine basically, with no soul and nothing after this life...just doesn't "feel" like it I guess is my only backing for that...just feels like this consciousness will always be, despite the body growing old and dying.

people invented the soul because they didnt know how the brain and thoughts worked but really tthoughts are just connections between the neurons in our brain, and we have billions of them. you cant imagine not existing so consequently you need a failsafe like an eternal soul. how can you be something that your imagination cannot perceive? you think your counciousness will always be because you cant perceive it not being. many animals have thought processes very advanced like great apes, whales, dolphins and so on. their thoughts are not as advanced as ours but still advanced enough.

and its so true the reproduce and die purpose, look at bacteria. they live only a matter of minutes in some cases and look how succesful they are. the point is to keep ur dna alive by adding it to your offspring, essentially living forever, in a sense. or until ur speceis dies out.

[MBTN]

This is a nice topic
The physical purpose of life is simply to reproduce. Every species of every living organism does this. If it doesn't, well then it goes extinct.

If you're thinking in more of a mental reason what the purpose of life is, I think it's simply to LIVE and do as much as you possibly can before you draw your last breath.

[Twizted_3KGT]

Originally Posted by blakscorpion21

people invented the soul because they didnt know how the brain and thoughts worked but really tthoughts are just connections between the neurons in our brain, and we have billions of them. you cant imagine not existing so consequently you need a failsafe like an eternal soul. how can you be something that your imagination cannot perceive? you think your counciousness will always be because you cant perceive it not being. many animals have thought processes very advanced like great apes, whales, dolphins and so on. their thoughts are not as advanced as ours but still advanced enough.

and its so true the reproduce and die purpose, look at bacteria. they live only a matter of minutes in some cases and look how succesful they are. the point is to keep ur dna alive by adding it to your offspring, essentially living forever, in a sense. or until ur speceis dies out.

people invented that theory so they wouldn't have to follow any rules or feel obligated to believe something they don't understand, do you know how the neurons in your brain work? No, you can just watch electrical activity going on. I could say the same, it's still just opinion. That's why we can't just go denying each others beliefs because neither side has enough facts to prove their case. If one side does have enough facts to prove it's theory i'd be more than happy to side with it. You can't just pick a random organism and compare it's purpose to ours...what about ants or bees, most of them never reproduce...whats their purpose? To work and help out, does that mean that's our purpose? no.

[PWRDbyUNCLEbens]

The only thing I could imagine that sets humans apart is there importance or lack of importance to the enviroment. No other species is anywhere near as destructive as humans. Maybe the meaning of our life is to end everything elses life. lol.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by PWRDbyUNCLEbens

The only thing I could imagine that sets humans apart is there importance or lack of importance to the enviroment. No other species is anywhere near as destructive as humans. Maybe the meaning of our life is to end everything elses life. lol.

Not necessarily true. Male lions, for example, often kill their own cubs. While this can be argued as being for the long term benefit of the population we have to remember evolution has no goal. This behavior would not be immediatly benificial to endangered species because of their already limited population.

Life, with exception of us, does not have a sense of "for the good of the species". We occasionally do but that is because we have the capibility to think. That doesn't mean we do things for the good of the species or enviroment though. The opposite tends to be more common.

[PWRDbyUNCLEbens]

The point is we are destructive to EVERYTHING not just our own species.

[blakscorpion21]

Originally Posted by Twizted_3KGT

people invented that theory so they wouldn't have to follow any rules or feel obligated to believe something they don't understand, do you know how the neurons in your brain work? No, you can just watch electrical activity going on. I could say the same, it's still just opinion. That's why we can't just go denying each others beliefs because neither side has enough facts to prove their case. If one side does have enough facts to prove it's theory i'd be more than happy to side with it. You can't just pick a random organism and compare it's purpose to ours...what about ants or bees, most of them never reproduce...whats their purpose? To work and help out, does that mean that's our purpose? no.

i understand completeley the concept of a soul. its so simple when compared to the complexities of the brain. yes i do know how neurons in the brain work. diffrent neurons make connections to others, and when the exact right connection is made, like a combination, a thought occours. that is why if you get into the brain and electrically stimulate a certain part the person will get a certain thought or feeling.

and ants and bees dont reproduce?????? ants and bees reproduce so rapidly you dont even know. thats why they are so succesful. why would you get the idea that an animal dont reproduce??? if they didnt they would be extinct. every organism on this planet reproduces, whether sexually or asexually.