The purpose of life

[Airyaman]

I wonder how long sentient beings have been pondering on this subject?

As a sentient being, I have figured out my purpose of life. It has been working for me. Therefore it is right (for me).

Without revealing what you feel is the purpose of life, do you believe you have discovered it personally? Or are you still searching?

I'm not. That is subject to change, but I don't foresee it. I am open to whatever comes but looking at history and what I see of the future (during my last years of existence), I am not convinced my conclusion will change.

[GratefulApe]

I think my purpose in life changes. So I don't look at life as having a fixed purpose. I don't worry about it too much. I take each day as it comes.

[kevin]

dunno if i've found it, per se, but i know what it is.

[Emma286]

I feel I've discovered certain things that relates to that. Some of them, at least, are goals likely to eventually change in the future though - if and when I achieve them..

[Kiahanie]

I don't know about "purpose": that sounds so teleological. Perhaps "goal"? but I'm more process-oriented than goal-oriented.

Words aside, I do know what I want from life and my contribution to life. The specifics may vary (and are in the process of course-correction even as I type), but the route is clear.

[davdi]

To be cursory about it, the purpose of life is to live it. 

We all have a bit of Neanderthal DNA in us, and I wouldn't be surprised if we also have a little bit of Denisovan DNA in us. 

But it isn't easy to answer such a deep philosophical question, so I just say, the purpose of life is to live it. 

[RegalSin]

The purpose of life is to live...........for me that was the good times spent with my family, videogames, internet, the school yard/after school, and other times as well. Live people live.

Way I see things it is like being inside a Zelda videogame only the A.I. is set to random.

[davdi]

This from NCIS! 

#livingrocks#. Abby Shuto (sp).       Living Rocks

[RegalSin]

Funny how life starts from two cells that are tiny and almost insignificant. However there must be something more to that when you think about it.

[none]

Yeah, and if evolution doesn't cover it abiogenesis does

[QuestionMark]

I wonder how long sentient beings have been pondering on this subject?

As a sentient being, I have figured out my purpose of life. It has been working for me. Therefore it is right (for me).

Without revealing what you feel is the purpose of life, do you believe you have discovered it personally? Or are you still searching?

I'm not. That is subject to change, but I don't foresee it. I am open to whatever comes but looking at history and what I see of the future (during my last years of existence), I am not convinced my conclusion will change.

Life has a purpose

- Purpose is knowable
-- Purpose can be known by what works
--- All lives have the same purpose
--- Every life has different purpose
---- Purpose can change during life
---- Purpose cannot change during life
-Purpose is not knowable

Life does not have a purpose

This question would be better asked 'why do you prefer living'? The OP asks nothing about purpose.

[Kiahanie]

^^^^Perhaps a good topic for a different thread.

[none]

It seems some people are so lost as to the meaning of their own life that they project that meaningless onto others without empathy as usual
And before we get started about truth let's consider that faith is an unreliable means to truth

[QuestionMark]

It seems some people are so lost as to the meaning of their own life that they project that meaningless onto others without empathy as usual
And before we get started about truth let's consider that faith is an unreliable means to truth

Faith in the right people is an extremely reliable means to truth. I use about 90 percent of the data patients give me to assist in their care, approaching 100 percent of the data doctors give me.

Good wisdom from my dad and grandma told me that you only need to believe about half of what you see and none of what you hear, but actionable intel has a lot lower threshold.

[none]

It seems some people are so lost as to the meaning of their own life that they project that meaningless onto others without empathy as usual
And before we get started about truth let's consider that faith is an unreliable means to truth

Faith in the right people is an extremely reliable means to truth. I use about 90 percent of the data patients give me to assist in their care, approaching 100 percent of the data doctors give me.

Good wisdom from my dad and grandma told me that you only need to believe about half of what you see and none of what you hear, but actionable intel has a lot lower threshold.

Pfft, "faith in the right people" ha
You just illustrated that faith isn't a universal means to truth
You could have faith in everyone but you'd be disappointed, because faith isn't reliable.
I don't care that you are trying to discern because of empiricism, faith is still unreliable because there is no limit as to what you could have faith in.
But you don't have faith in everyone because faith is not reliable and you understand this but don't want to admit it

[davdi]

Why is everyone so hung up on truth?   

Truth is relative, related to lies by its connection to Shawna! 

[8livesleft]

Most living things just want to live.

Humans have extremely complicated minds, and since the basics of survival have more or less been covered, our minds now have more time to create/fabricate all kinds of fiction just to keep itself preoccupied.

All that fictional junk, of course, tends to have repercussions. All the loose ends and plot-holes (if you have created enough of them) causes a bunch of mental issues like anxiety, bi-polar disorder etc etc....

So, generally speaking, what I believe people want, their sole purpose, is to have Peace of Mind.

Some have decided that religious beliefs give them peace, so they follow, some get peace from food, booze, cars, toys, studying, music, art, etc etc...the end goal is Peace of Mind.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[GratefulApe]

What I dislike about people finding purpose is some people make other people their purpose. This boarders on having a co-dependent issue. "I need you to need what I have" "you need to align your purpose to what my purpose is" just felt like saying that.

[Dexter]

The purpose of life is to die before your children do.

[GratefulApe]

The purpose of life is to die before your children do.

As sweet as that sounds it just doesn't feel right. Take care Dexter!

[Boots]

It seems some people are so lost as to the meaning of their own life that they project that meaningless onto others without empathy as usual
And before we get started about truth let's consider that faith is an unreliable means to truth

Faith in the right people is an extremely reliable means to truth. I use about 90 percent of the data patients give me to assist in their care, approaching 100 percent of the data doctors give me.

What you are describing here, QM, is "trust," not "faith."  Faith is the belief in something when you don't have a reason (or have reasons not to) believe.  You have learned over time that patients tend to be truthful about their conditions & history (despite what we learned from House!!); you thus trust that this trend will continue.  If you find a couple patients lie or unintentionally mislead, you will either adjust your level of trust, or grant trust provisionally, to the next patients.

But make no mistake...this is NOT repeat NOT faith.

[QuestionMark]

In the Bible, faith is trust.

What I am describing is faith.

[none]

Ok, now all you have to do is admit faith is an unreliable means to truth

[davdi]

Ok, now all you have to do is admit faith is an unreliable means to truth

And science is so much more reliable?

[none]

Ok, now all you have to do is admit faith is an unreliable means to truth

And science is so much more reliable?

However you want to package empiricism, it's up to you I guess

[Emma286]

It seems some people are so lost as to the meaning of their own life that they project that meaningless onto others without empathy as usual

I do think it's very sad when people start off with having a lot of empathy, but then bad things happen to them i.e severe abuse and psychological damage happens to them to the degree they lose the ability to feel much or any of it later in life. They really can't help it, anymore than say a psychopath can help being born without the ability to feel such a thing ever to start with. Am pretty sure that (at least some of the time) someone like that or psychopathic or sociopathic individuals do project (as you say) onto others when they can't discover any personal sense of meaning to their lives that works out well for them.

That said, this kind of thing (I'm sure) can and does apply to other people too. I have no reason to see that any human has perfect empathy. Some may have it much more than others, but even so. And not everybody finds it easy to discover a personal sense of meaning to life.

[Emma286]

What I dislike about people finding purpose is some people make other people their purpose. This boarders on having a co-dependent issue. "I need you to need what I have" "you need to align your purpose to what my purpose is" just felt like saying that.

I think I have this issue to a certain degree. This is a fairly recent discovery I never used to be aware of.

I can only speak for myself. But any annoyance/inconvenience I may have triggered in somebody else was never intentioned. I really believed I was doing the decent thing. Though I regularly do question what might be going on in my subconscious/examine this I'm not always successful at finding out answers and (sometimes) just plain don't have the time to do so.

Still, admittedly, making any one other person your whole life purpose really isn't healthy. And forcing unneeded assistance/help on anybody is never a good thing. I know I don't appreciate it much or at all when others try and do this to me.

I do think it's understandable that we include others, to some degree, in choosing life purposes at times though. After all we are a social species and dependent on another (to a point) to get through life/survive. It's just the right kind of healthy balance of it is needed - rather than going over the top with it or taking too much of the opposite attitude imo.

[davdi]

Ok, now all you have to do is admit faith is an unreliable means to truth

And science is so much more reliable?

However you want to package empiricism, it's up to you I guess

I had to look it up to make sure I knew. 

"Empiricism in the philosophy of science emphasizes evidence, especially as discovered in experiments. It is a fundamental part of the scientific method that all hypotheses and theories must be tested against observations of the natural world rather than resting solely on a priori reasoning, intuition, or revelation.

Empiricism, often used by natural scientists, says that "knowledge is based on experience" and that "knowledge is tentative and probabilistic, subject to continued revision and falsification."[4] One of the epistemological tenets is that sensory experience creates knowledge. Empirical research, including experiments and validated measurement tools, guides the scientific method."   


My comment on that would be that all knowledge then is subjective.   Objectivity is merely the accumulation of a series of subjective conclusions.   

But this also not "true" in the sense that I can "experience" the view point of others.   This is also why I say that truth is relative.   

[Boots]

In the Bible, faith is trust.

And in the Bible, there was a worldwide flood; the world is flat; sticks turn into snakes; there are numerous gods...

it was wrong about those, and it's wrong about faith=trust.

What I am describing is faith.

no you're not.  You're equivocating.  The Bible isn't a definitive source for language (or morals, or science...but I digress), so you don't get to pick the meanings of your English words based on what you think it says.

[davdi]

In the Bible, faith is trust.

And in the Bible, there was a worldwide flood; the world is flat; sticks turn into snakes; there are numerous gods...

it was wrong about those, and it's wrong about faith=trust.

What I am describing is faith.

no you're not.  You're equivocating.  The Bible isn't a definitive source for language (or morals, or science...but I digress), so you don't get to pick the meanings of your English words based on what you think it says.

Actually, Boots, you do.  Faith is a very personal thing.

About the flood, you call it Noah's flood, just one guestion, what happened to all that ice that covered Canada up to one mile high, the North Atlantic, Britain, Northern Europe, a good portion of Russia?   Well, whappened to it?   You can complain that the volume of water needed to cover the entire earth was not there, but now, what do you know about the history of the Black Sea? 

It's very easy to scoff at something out of ignorance, and many are good at it, but be careful, the truth may surprise you.