The purpose of life

42.



http://www.google.com/search?source...he+universe+and+everything&btnG=Google+Search

 

Best bet is to assume there isn't one and decide what you want to do about that. Setting your own goals is kinda tricky. Drifting works equally well. And if you're not that attached to your life in terms of the direction it takes, you can just try social experiments to keep yourself amused. Try doing whatever you're told for a week, that kind of thing. Think of your life as a toy, or make it more like a movie.

Killing yourself is stupid because, no matter how bad your experience of life is, it's probably the only chance you're going to get. Analogy: If I knew a movie was only ever going to be shown once, ever, I'd probably watch it rather than not, even if I thought it was probably going to be shit. Worst case scenario, they show it again and then you can avoid it/kill yourself. Avoid it/kill yourself first time around and you'll never know what you missed.

And being a "slave to society" is fun. I don't mean that in a glib way; I've had a lot more fun in my life since I started giving a shit what other people think of me. Not because it's opening doors or anything like that, but simply because it's more of a challenge than attempting to "drop out" just to be whatever I think "myself" is at that point. Again, it's an experience. You might as well do as much as you can with it if it's all you're going to get. You're right that it's artificial, but so what? Some pretty good things are artificial. It's not like romance or porn or slush puppies exist in nature, but they're pretty okay.

Long rant, but the upshot is: existence is probably meaningless, but the upside of that is that it makes it very hard to waste your life, because you can't do the wrong thing. Then it just comes down to what you want to do, how you'll be remembered, or really just whether you can go to the grave knowing you didn't fuck up everything you ever did.

In fact, there you go, there's your purpose in life: AVOIDING REGRET.

 

i have thought about the meaning of life and have found the answer. No meaning to life.

 

To put a purpose on life is to experience it as something other than what it is, this is like imagination, a fantasy, an illusion. Experience is reliable, simply experience, don't grasp. Accept, embrace and feel life and you will know who you are

 

The meaning is just one thing. Only you can find that out for yourself...nothing matters, but one thing. It is a called passion. Find it, and you wont care about a true meaning because you will be satisfied. I promise.

 

then find a life with meaning Orjamicman knows!

 

if society disturbs you, then first find out what particular area of behaviour makes you cringe the most, for me it is child abuse, then you can work out from there where and how changes can occur.
But be careful of bulldozing, like you say people don't like change, ego is clever, so find spirit first, meditate or whatever, to guide you.

 

to fight the good fight

 

what does that mean to you manticore? what is the good fight to you? cuz 'good' is rather subjective in a way. i'd interpret your statement as follow your own dreams, believe in your own dreams and stuff like that, which I actually can agree with

 

Thing is, it's human nature to see patterns in things. Physiologically, we're shit for gathering objective information - our senses are unreliable, we get distracted and have a capacity for boredom that machines don't have - but we're pretty damn good at subjective information processing, at seeing patterns and making educated guesses at where those patterns will subsequently take us. I don't really see any reason to fight that, which seems a lot like what you're describing here - the avoidance of drawing any conclusions from our experiences.

 

yea follow your dreams cos only the happy can spread happiness
and speaking out against injstice anythin bad that sorta thing

 

It's not necessary to draw any conclusions from our experiences in order to exist. In fact, through the experiences that I have gone through it ultimately turned out counter productive by grasping constantly and trying to explain an experience that was beyond words. To live a life of suffering, constant questioning and placing happiness on changing factors is like being in a dream.A really bad dream. People seek purpose and happiness through money, through possessions and through their identity, all of those things change, and so does the purpose. Therefore, the happiness is never constant. This is the dream, and it's within the ability of everyone to wake up from it.

Please disregard everything i've just said.

 

I think purpose is important in anyone's life, but I don't know if it is important to find the purpose of life. some direction, something to work toward will aid you in your quest for happiness, but figuring out the point of existance might be more trouble than it's worth. I think xexon is right, enjoy life while you have it. it really is just a ride, an adventure.

 

I just think it's absurd to try to live moment to moment, calm as Hindu cows. I mean, fine if you can do it without having to try, but if you're censoring your own thoughts, I have a problem with that.

You're right that happiness isn't constant, that's why we have a separate word for contentment. I think the ideal situation is to have a good balance of the two, to know contentment but not allow yourself to become bored by taking it for granted. Excitement and discovery, but with a home, a safe space to go back to.

But then, I'm not seeking enlightenment or transcendence. I'd rather make this so-called unbearable life better than write it off completely and hope that by thinking about it really hard a perfect state of existence will find me.

I hate to constantly harp on about how awesome a TV show is in a serious discussion, but there's a lovely little speech in an X-Files episode - a very postmodern and slightly silly one about a genie of all things - which sums it up: that if our lives have a purpose, it's to achieve a better world, and that trying to circumvent that process would defeat the object of living. I found it interesting as it's basically a retelling of a very old fashioned parable, but presented in a way that is very distinct from the old fashioned "three wishes" story - at the end of the three wishes, nothing material is gained, the status quo is reaffirmed, but the wisher is wiser for the experience.

 

Hello

It's not really about 'trying' to do anything. Nor is it about censoring thoughts. It's more about recognising who we are. I did have a tendency to constantly think about the things we weren't ,therefore I wasn't connecting properly, but I've since realised this error.

I realised that the ego can never be fully dissolved because it's a part of us, another part that allows us to be here. Rather than thinking of the ego as someting soley separate and counter productive to our progress it's something that we can embrace and neutralise by accepting that it's always with us, just another part that allows us to be, and gives us a voice. It's where we assume that the ego is all we are in relation to the material world that the dream kicks in and things start to go wrong.


I always had a motto 'stop thinking, start doing' I never really knew where it came from, but it popped up everytime I started thinking for lengthy periods of time, and I had an urge to get up and act upon it. I never did, because I felt restrained by my physical surroundings and my own identity, since the time that I realised who I was though, I've begun to start 'doing.' By 'doing' though, one might assume that I was revelling in materiality, however, now that I know that nothing defines I, I feel an absolute freedom to act in whatever manner I choose. Yes! It just came to me right now, the ego, it's a tool that we can use to express ourselves! The 'self', it's whatever we choose it to be, because it cannot define us!

I feel very calm inside.

 

I've just always learned through experience that inevitably, if you're a negative person, you will attract negativity. Life is far too important to be taken seriously. Smile and be happy; decide that you're going to have a good day.

 

manticore
you bastard
who is the lady in your pic... damn... some guys get all the hot girls.

 

Control

My god man dont say stuff like that. if everyone started doing then corporations would not make a profit.
The idea that people can actually DO.. Is anethma to those that want a 'market'

example
I can fix my toaster, shoot the fucker.. if the idea that people can fix things gets out. well , wheres the profit in it.?

Occam

 

follow your own path. Don't let others tell you what is right or wrong. Don't trust organized religions, especially any that claim to be the one r=true way, or say that love is wrong.

 

exaclty

Occam