Axiom_e

Not that I have read many differnt philsophical text or treatise on existence, but I have come to some conclusions about the meaning of existence.

Given that the universe is infinite and that infinite possiblities exist it is quite possible for this planet to have sprung life randomly and evolved this way to create the phenomenon we call consiousness.

This random happening theory removes (for some) the specialness that is life. It makes one consider the possiblity that there isn't a higher calling or a higher power who know what they are doing and is going to save you from yourself.

I , however, believe that this makes life more worth living because you are in charge of your own choices and can follow your own path.

How do you give meaning to your existence?

__________________
Life is meaningless.
How awesome is that?
Rock On! Now I can do whatever the hell I want
and give my own life meaning to myself.

Seeker

I purely give meaning to my existance by questioning, exploring and experiencing.

I think that everyone to some extent likes to find a meaning for their existance. This struggle for meaning or purpose seems to be inherent in humankind. I think we all feel a need to validate ourselves, even when that validation means nothing more than to comfort ourselves in relation to our existance.

A lot of our search for meaning has resulted in the creation of many, if not all moral and ethical principles or guidlines. There are many examples of people wanting to give meaning to life. This results in the many beliefs about why we are here and how we should be doing it. The biggest struggle I see are political and religious battles, for instance religion v's religion and religion v's science. Political debate is an extention of this as well.. More personal expressions of finding meaning and purpose come in the form of how we perceive relationships and what we expect from each other. What do we expect from a stranger, aquaintance, friend, lover or partner?

We take beliefs, ideals and principles and build a vision of life based on what we each think is the 'best' view, and this becomes our map of reality. It gives us meaning and purpose and we will defend it any way we can.

I will question, explore and experience but I think I tend to try not giving a meaning to my life. I think it helps me to be a little more objective about things.

__________________
To those who wander but who are not lost...

~ Knowledge is not something you acquire, it is something you open yourself to.

Hektore

For a class at school I had to write an essay about evolution's impact on the value of human life. Naturally it's saved on the drive there so I won't have access to it again until this fall. Anyway, I talked about this in the paper and basically said the opposite of what people usually say(what you said) is true.

An all knowing, all powerful God that created us(humanity) specifically destroys our place as something special, and evolution grants it. The things in our lives that hold the most value are the things which we have the most difficulty coming by, or rather the thing which could very easily not be in our lives. The same can be said for life itself, life is valuable because of the ease with which it could have not been.

When you talk about evolution it says if you start the ball rolling all over again, its almost certain you won't get us, in other words it is very easy that we could have not been, and therefore we are valuable and can obtain meaning from this value as rare beings. But when you bring God into it, you make it so we have to be, there is no other way it could have been, our existence is an absolute, and that destoys the meaning we have as unique beings.

I'm sure I explained it better in my 10 pages than I did in these two paragraphs, but that is the gist of it. I'll see if I can get ahold of it off my drive at school somehow, if anyone is interested in seeing the whole thing.

__________________
The advantage law is the best law in rugby, because it lets you ignore all the others for the good of the game.

Mantus

The only way to find meaning is to give it to oneself. You won't find it in the stars, cold logic or from some deity. You obtain it by saying "my purpose in life is thus..." and there is no-one in the universe that can refute your claim.

Robaggio

The answer is pretty much whatever lets you sleep at night.

For me, I'm content knowing that there is no meaning to existence. While some would question why I would bother to live, I'd just as well say, why not? If there is no meaning, then there can be no contrameaning. Thus, contrary to what most people would understand, lack of a meaningful existence doesn't justify a reason to end it. I think it's silly to end things for no good reason.

I think that our need need for a meaningful existence stems from how our brians are structured. We think in terms of labels. When something is incapable of receiving a label, not just becuase it can't be understood, but because it truly isn't capable of being labeled, our brains short circuit.

I'm very tired right now and at a loss for how I want to finish this train of thought. But before I go I'll say that Douglass Adams, the author of the Hichhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, does a wonderful job at poking fun at the insignificance of life and the search for it's meaning. The subject itself is rather unapproachable since it deals with, well, things that can't be dealt with. If you can't label something you very well can't say much about it. However, Adams is able to indirectly shed light on such things through humor and parody. I'd recommend finding some of his interviews on the net where he talks about his stance on Aetheism- he's probably my favorite Aethiest in the entire world.

Johnny Rotten

But the universe isn't limitless. Even if it had previous incarnations, or will continue to be reborn, those aren't infinite systems because they come to an end. The stars and planets didn't just pop into the sky--they were created in the Big Bang, an event that may be divine or a purely physical event. As everything has an origin, it must have an end or rebirth.

__________________
"The idea that money doesn't buy you happiness is a lie put about by the rich, to stop the poor from killing them." -- Michael Caine

d*d

It's not a given there is a finite limit to our universe. I'm not sure how high the probabilities on life existing are or further than that - the chances of life becoming conscious of itself in an abstract way. I personally don't feel that we have been placed here for any special purpose, although my mind is open to suggestions.
I find that I get satisfaction from creating and learning, so they are what give my live meaning. I think it's important to understand just how insignificant we are in the universe, you'll waste your time searching for some justification for existence, your alive - enjoy it

Axiom_e

Seeker,

This is exactly the meaning I try to give to my life, but I can't always keep it forward in my mind and soon get crushed by the weight of existing.

Hektore,
I would really like to read that paper. I like the train of thought you are using.

Mantus,
I agree, but what do you use to make your meaning true to yourself? How do you decide? How did you decide?

Robaggio,
The search for labels makes us try and label everything. When in tuth existence and the meaning can't be labeled. Is this what you are trying to say? Oh by the way I loved the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy series.

Johnny Rotten,

I disagree just because most things have an end doesn't mean that all things have an end. There can be existence without a begining or an end.

d*d,
INMO an excelent way to live.


Experiences are the only thing that gives my life meaning. However, I still have a desire for more. Where does this desire come from and I have to follow it because deny a desire would be to deny my self.

__________________
Life is meaningless.
How awesome is that?
Rock On! Now I can do whatever the hell I want
and give my own life meaning to myself.

Seeker

Experience being probably the only thing that we can truely 'get' out of life, do you have an idea of what your desire for more is? Is it knowledge, comfort, happiness, or something along those lines, or do you perhaps desire something like a different world perspective or to know 'for sure' about what it is we are meant to be doing? Another aspect could be more material wealth, or physical experiences?

There are many possiblities, and a 'desire for more' is a bit difficult or to subjective to approach.. it may be a good question to focus on if you don't really understand what your 'more' is.

__________________
To those who wander but who are not lost...

~ Knowledge is not something you acquire, it is something you open yourself to.

eMOTIONal20

Unfortunately, I never put any sort of meaning to my life until I got out of high school; however, I still to this day question what purpose I even have here. I think I have found an answer, but pursuing a meaningful existence in such a way that would “help me sleep at night” or even bring me happiness is going to be difficult. I don’t want to settle for what I think I can do either. This would not create any sort of meaning if I did not push myself to do better every time.

I realized about a year ago that I had been unhappy for much too long (about 6 years). I found that the only thing that ever made me happy was helping out others in need. I mean helping people on an emotional and mental level-- to gain the confidence and solutions needed so that they themselves can find happiness and a purpose for being here.

So, I would say that first must come my own happiness, that way I can teach others to feel in such away. I want to actualize my potential by learning as much as I can (unfortunately I’ve missed out on a lot of learning), improving my way of living, and always putting myself out there for people to come to in their time of need.

I find that if I can not help other people, I am not happy and I feel useless; and therefore, do not feel as though I am experiencing an existence that has any meaning to it.

I want to be a therapist.

__________________
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi

loganmule

Good question, and one that each of us should reflect upon. My own experience has led me to conclude that the meaning for our existence must be individual and subjective, beginning with whether we decide that there even is any meaning. One person's answer generally won't work exactly right for anyone else. For me, it means to try to live in the present moment, fully realizing the experience of being alive...the ultimate rush.

Two final observations...as I look back on my life so far, it looks like a coherent journey, implying some purpose or meaning, as opposed to the series of random events which seemed to be the case as they occurred. Admittedly, this may be mere coincidence, but I find it curious nontheless. Also, my successes and failures mean less to me than what I did and how I felt about them, which again makes me think that experiencing life is the key, and not any result of that experience. To use an old phrase, the journey is the destination.

CandleInTheDark

The finite nature of life gives it meaning. Wether your life means something is up to you.

__________________
Where there is doubt there is freedom.

Axiom_e

I have realized one of the problem I have with stay with my meaning.

I had decided when I was younger that I would only depend on myself because I knew that as long as I had myself then I would exist.

However, recently I been waiting for someone to help me stand up, to find me, but I haven't even asked for help. I am only waiting for something to happen and even if I need help I have to seek it.

This loss of focus began in january(that is when I started living for myself again instead of another person) and I didn't realize how much I had strayed.

__________________
Life is meaningless.
How awesome is that?
Rock On! Now I can do whatever the hell I want
and give my own life meaning to myself.

irateplatypus

the problem i have with the "life must have a higher meaning/order because it's a one in tricucamungamillion chance that intelligent life would evolve by itself" defense is that we'd never know that was true unless we were the realization of that ridiculously remote possibility.

is it that obvious? am i missing something there?

__________________
If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.

~ Winston Churchill

xddga

in other way to put it: "the reward isn't in the end of the journey, but the journey itself".

I've spent most of my life trying to find the answer to the meaning of life, and as far away now as I was when I began. I've come to realize that the answer to that question isn't important. what really is important (to me at least) is everything that came from trying to find that answer: all my theories that I either have now or tossed away/improved on, and even my way of life.

I'm not even sure I'd want to know the meaning of life either... I think it'd take all the fun out of it. be like knowing the lottery numbers everytime. *shrugs* I'm happy just chasing after the answer I may never find.