What is -your- meaning of life?

[ShadowTiger]

Whenever anyone asks "Dude, what do you think the meaning of life is?" there are going to be countless interpretations of both the question and the answer.

So, the simplest thing to ask, is "What is your meaning of life?" Even "What is the meaning of your life?"

Two different questions. Really. The meaning of life in general as interpreted by a single individual being asked the question, and then the purpose for the existence of the individual being questioned regardless of the intent of the continuing existence of all of humanity as a whole.


Yep, two very fun questions.

[Chris Miller]

Short answer, 42.

.....

There are seven billion people in the world, and seven billion answers to the question.
For my part, I expect to find out from the man upstairs someday. The answer, I suspect, is something that would literally blow my mind as a human being.

[Tim]

I say it's 43... Because the meaning of life is to go further...

But in all pseudo-seriousness:

I believe it is a test to see how one race comes up to the top and slowly makes its fall from grace. There is no hope for the human race in the distant future...

[SUCCESSOR]

The meaning of life is to find meaning in life. Which is to say that life is meaningless but we humans have a knack for conjuring meaning out of nothingness.

[Glenn the Great]

The meaning of life for me is to maximize my health, wealth, and leisure time.

Existence is but the sum of my experiences, and there is nothing beyond the grave that will be impressed either way by my intentions. I have to make the most I can of this random life that has happen-chanced unto me.

[Zim]

According to the family dictionary, which is allegedly 3X older than I, the definition of 'alive' is truly "anything that exists," therefor, an alternate translation of 'life' would be "Universe," or "God."
Life as defined by the Holy Bible mentioned such things as 'God is love,' 'God is blue,' and 'God is light.'
By the prior definition, however, any other color or configuration of what actually exists, i.g. Not lies, deception, or false definition, albeit that those words actually exist too, though are not by definition coming into fruition or manifested in any real terms, but all things that do have fruition, have come into or been made manifest, are, in fact, 'life.'

My own aspiration for my individual self would be, then, to live with God.

[Mercy]

Terri Schiavo... the opposite of that.

[SUCCESSOR]

Terri Schiavo... the opposite of that.

So, you want the Bush family to stay out of your End of Life affairs?

[Zim]

Yikes.

[Tim]

Terri Schiavo...

Still more facial expressions than Kristen Stewart.

[Mercy]

Still more facial expressions than Kristen Stewart.
I thought the question was about life, not eternal damnation.

Life defines itself. Its only purpose is to be. Anything else we attribute to it is our own biases towards our perceived reality.

[SUCCESSOR]

Anything else we attribute to it is our own biases towards our perceived reality.

Don't think you can out-existential me! I will Kierkegaard your ass!

[WindStrike]

My meaning of life is simple - have fun. If life isn't fun overall, then there's no point in living it. There are many things in this world, and countless ideas within each person. To go out and experience those things, learn new things, and enjoy as much of it as possible is all I can ask for. Even through despair, I'll always try to find something to keep my spirits up. Not just because it's a distraction, but because, even if it's at the smallest level, it brings some amount of meaning to my life. I act as I want, regardless of how I'm viewed in society, and allows me to remain unique not just in my perspective but by others. I like being different, and perhaps, that's another meaning of life that I strive towards.


In general, I'd say I have many meanings of life that I could define, but overall.. it's best to enjoy it all, and even when it's not something to enjoy (remorse, sadness, pain, etc.), it's something to look back on and learn from.

[rock_nog]

There are two meanings of life to me. Personally, the meaning to my life is just happiness. Soak it up while you can, because life itself is just such an amazing thing and you get so little of it. On the grander scale, I think the purpose of life in general is just a drive towards greater and greater complexity. I mean, looking back at the history of the universe, at first, it was just an endless see of subatomic particles. Then atoms started to appear. Then galaxies. Then stars. Then planets. Then life, first microbial, then multicellular, eventually developing to the point where the brain was complex enough that it could actually question its own existence. And I think that's the point. I think it was Carl Sagan who basically said that in creating the human brain, the universe found a way to examine itself. Maybe it's arrogance to assume that our existence somehow matters in the grand scheme of things, but I think at least on some level, we exist so that we can appreciate and understand this universe, this complex arrangement of rules and laws that has created everything we know. I don't necessarily believe in any sort of deity, but it seems to me that something went to a lot of effort to create a universe where such complex and amazing things as life could happen, and it'd be a shame if all that effort were spent with no one to appreciate it.

[Nightmare]

Personally, I think life is misery and misery loves company. Anything and everything will go wrong. Hopefully you are a good enough person that you will be rewarded in the eternal afterlife.

-James

[SUCCESSOR]

Personally, I think life is misery and misery loves company. Anything and everything will go wrong. Hopefully you are a good enough person that you will be rewarded in the eternal afterlife.

-James

Don't get me Sartred on religious mumbo jumbo.

[Mercy]

Don't think you can out-existential me! I will Kierkegaard your ass!
Oh my, I have not seen this side of you before, SUCCESSOR. Colour me authentically impressed. I thought I was the only one into such absurd sartre things. We sure have camus a long way from a bunch of strangers and rebels. We should start another thread to discuss whether or not nihilism is its own philosophy or merely a nietzsche of existentialism.

Nerd puns, the Other form of humour.

[SUCCESSOR]

Oh my, I have not seen this side of you before, SUCCESSOR. Colour me authentically impressed. I thought I was the only one into such absurd sartre things. We sure have camus a long way from a bunch of strangers and rebels. We should start another thread to discuss whether or not nihilism is its own philosophy or merely a nietzsche of existentialism.

Nerd puns, the Other form of humour.


I can't Heidegger my enthusiasm.

Seriously though the fact that you spelled color with a u ruins it for me.

[Mercy]

Seriously though the fact that you spelled color with a u ruins it for me.
I suppose that is my bad, being the second sex and all.

I really wanted to respond to rock_nog... something about all things leading to entropy, but there is nothing funny about that.

[Binx]

What's wrong with spelling color with a "u"? Americans are like the only English speakers in the world who don't. Same thing with humor and honor.

For me, I think we think too much about the meaning of life. For me, the meaning of life is just to live, and not worry about the purpose of it all. I don't know if there's a god, or an afterlife, or a flying spaghetti monster, because those things can't be proven. BUt what I DO know is that we all have THIS life, and if we were all more concerned with how we live THIS life, then I don't think the next one will be an issue. I believe the meaning of life is to live and let live, to pursue your own happiness, as long as you don't hurt others along the way.

[Din]

My personal definition pretty much boils down to "don't be an asshole".

[Zim]

What's wrong with spelling color with a "u"? Americans are like the only English speakers in the world who don't. Same thing with humor and honor.

For me, I think we think too much about the meaning of life. For me, the meaning of life is just to live, and not worry about the purpose of it all. I don't know if there's a god, or an afterlife, or a flying spaghetti monster, because those things can't be proven. BUt what I DO know is that we all have THIS life, and if we were all more concerned with how we live THIS life, then I don't think the next one will be an issue. I believe the meaning of life is to live and let live, to pursue your own happiness, as long as you don't hurt others along the way.


America is also the only English speaking country that can't spell or pronounce the word Zim correctly, although it's only three letters.
Just kidding, America isn't a country, silly.

[Binx]

Well, I dunno how it would be so hard to spell, but I always just assumed it rhymed with "him", like the title character from "Invader Zim"

[Zim]

Well, I dunno how it would be so hard to spell, but I always just assumed it rhymed with "him", like the title character from "Invader Zim"

I've got, "What, Zeb? Zach? Zem? Zin? Zel? Zeep? Beep? What?"
I walked into a hospital and walked out with a certificate with the wrong name on it.

To keep this on track with topic though, for now I'll just be grateful that the meaning of life for me doesn't appear to be other people's pronunciation or spelling practices.

[Majora]

The meaning of life is either "To preserve your genes" if you ask a biologist or "to create your own meaning/purpose" if you ask anyone who is philosophically inclined.

As for me, well I wanted to be an astronaut but then I found out I'm too short, I need to be in the millitary beforehand, and I use glasses. So that dream was shot dead pretty quick.

Honestly I have no clue otherwise what the meaning of MY life is. Trashing the cherished beliefs of christians and other assorted nutjobs has thus far been fairly satisfying, though, so so far that seems to be it.

Oh! And I guess to create a video game (or games) that doesn't suck. Even though not quite as impossible as the astronaut bit, still massively, massively annoying and a pain in the arse.

[Glenn the Great]

The meaning of life is either "To preserve your genes" if you ask a biologist

The whole importance placed on preserving your genes (procreation) is certainly how we got to be where we are. On the planets where that wasn't the goal, life never got past the proto-bacteria stage.

As far as meaning of life is concerned, I'm only here because my parents decided they'd rather raise a baby human for a change instead of getting another kitty.
As awesome and as intelligent as I am, the world could have managed well enough without me.

I imagine that if I were a kindergarten teacher I would look at my new set of 30 students each year and think "Wow, most of these children are accidents. The result of many a bored, drunken night at the trailer park. The result of a woman who threatened her husband, who only wanted sex, with divorce if they couldn't start a family together. But they're in this world now, and they're helpless if we don't educate them."

Sometimes when I'm out driving on the interstate I look out at all the thousands of passengers sitting in hundreds of cars, and then I look at myself sitting in my car, and I wonder if all these people think their lives are really all that special and unique.
Surely many of them think that they have a purpose in this world, a specific thing they were sent here to do, and an expectation to be selfless and help others.

You have to put yourself first. In the end it is all you've got. All you will take from this world are your own experiences. You didn't decide to be here, so you don't owe anyone anything. Make the most of your life, you might as well.

[ctrl-alt-delete]

The meaning of life is pwning noobs.

[Phazite]

I don't know about any "meaning" to my life, or life in general. I don't know of any "purpose" either, other than what we create. I find many aspects of this universe to be wonderful and others terrible. I wish I could have the same positive outlook on life that Carl Sagan did, but sometime I just can't. While I'm here, I hope to do my best to improve the quality of life of others and try to find happiness for myself, since that is what feels good to me. Ultimately though, I wish I never even existed in the first place.


The meaning of life is pwning noobs.
If one wants to truly pwn, one must pwn in all games.