Existence: What is the point?

That sentence shows what occurs everyday to many, they try to discount or isolate what they cannot understand, at the moment.

gods were created based on the same kind of weakness


I am speaking in the first.

.

 

I'm always a bit puzzled by the origin of this question.

If it were simply a practical question (is there another existence after this one?), fine.

But usually it's asked as if to imply some lack.

Humans seem genetically predisposed to require a purpose. Which makes sense; we're smart, and get bored easily.

But I've never quite gotten why that purpose needs to be a "higher" one -- as if we're set here on Earth as part of some grand cosmic plan in which we play an integral part. That just seems like ego talking, or discontent with one's situation.

Because in a general sense, don't we already have wonder and purpose to spare?

For wonder, there's the simple fact of being alive; of being curious enough to ask big questions; of being surrounded by nature in a giant cosmos full of unknowns and surprises.

For purpose, we have endless outlets. There's the basics of love, family, and so on. But there is plenty of purpose in meaningful work, or in the pursuit of hobbies that feed our creative needs, or in helping others, or in building things that make a difference and last. We can find as much purpose as we care to in the world at hand.

Sure, maybe the way modern society is organized does not leave everyone with a good sense of purpose. Working at KFC to pay the rent isn't exactly soul-expanding.

But that's a human-caused problem specific to a particular person and point in a particular society, not a basic problem with existence.

So my answer ends up being, "the point is whatever you want to make it. Stop trying to find someone to give you a purpose, and make one for yourself. And along the way, stop to appreciate the sheer wonder and mysteries of the universe."

 

I like the clowns inquiry.

Self reflecting is often found in philosophic points of view.


Instinct is following the process of nature (existence itself).

Man is trying to learn this since becoming conscious. (aware of self)

The bug doesn't necessarily die, if procreating (ed). (cell-division) The 'life' itself, is still in process at cell division/procreation.

These are concepts, simple and pure that build a whole bunch of bridges

I love Carl, simply for the use of 'I (we) just don't know' so often.

But then I show up.

The one item of empathy for another is not necessarily of just being nice or compassion but as a requisite of survival.

just hold the rule

life: purposed to continue

To tap the surface of the pond, a wave will roll over the surface to observe. One point of view, is that a reduction will occur towards an equilibration while in reality, the wave still exist, and is entangling more mass. It is still there, in motion, upon mass, once it has begun.

same as the postulate, once started, the life, intends to continue and instinct is the simple proof yet mathematically, a paradigm shift as to energy/mass/time, is what enables the full comprehension to the letter of description.

In today's sciences, there is a huge conflict as to what energy itself is, how it is described and then thru to the chemical descriptions of physiology. It all comes together by comprehending what energy itself is, as the light (em) of the system.

Be certain, the change will be almost like a difference of Ptolemaic system and Copernicus, it will and does affect the understanding of nature as it is understood today.

nothing to doubt, I claim each line above in the first position and of fact.

.

 

It comes to the similar conclusion that we are just nature (existence itself), describing itself.

 

I suppose the meaning of our existence is up to individual interpretation. On a purely biological basis, the purpose of our existence is to procreate and carry on the genetic components of our species....and to ensure survival of the species..
one could then say survival is the underlying purpose of our existence, but not in the individual sense...in the collective sense of our species.

 

I should provide an addendum. One thing is for certain...
As biological beings....we will die one day. As a species, we will cease to exist. The Sun will die, the Universe will experience what is known as heat death...so the future as biological beings is somewhat bleak...if we stretch the clock out long enough into the future.

We are temporal beings in an eternal process, and as the band "The Police" so eloquently stated...

I believe there are eternal components to each and yes...every one of us...
A singularity created this Universe and there is no reason to think it's an isolated process....
I believe it's an eternal component to existence itself...

We have always been and we always be...we are both the Alpha and the Omega...
no beginning and no end...in the greater cosmic sense of things.


Now wrap your minds around that!

 

Each can, should and can learn the purpose of life, that is true and pure and equal truth, of existence (nature).

That is what mankind is capable of, with words. We can learn and teach our next generations, to understand what 'we' ourselves are just learning, far later in life.

ie..... I wish someone taught me the truth, on the first pass, when I was a child.

now becoming "basic common sense"

With such wisdom, you could hold down the soap box

 

we may not wake up and be capable of rolling another rock, by choice

But to procreation, that biology is still alive.

and to stretch the truth, you wrote about what is going to happen to the sun.

The life of our mass, is the light (em upon mass).

Being awake is not the only things 'alive'.

Darwin Won! He gave up bunches of his energy to learn and convey what he came to understand, into writing.

And as of today, he is spoken of (living), in minds all over the world.

What created, what? From what? and where?

That concept you posted is as speculative as the majority of genesis.

well at least you and I can concur, that neither of us, can witness or have an experience of either the beginning or ending, unless using words or math to even articulate the concept

But I will agree with the concept that we have been here the whole time.

I like the new point(s) of view

 

It's my best guess, as a non-physicist...and a little on the "new agey" side. I do not believe this is the only Universe that ever came into existence...I do believe it's an eternal process. Energy had no starting point, it was always here and will always be here...which defies our classical notion of entropy, but we're only observing one set of rules in one Universe...it could be an infinite process with infinite rules...but it is of course...speculation...the only known...is what we have before us to observe and study.

 

I think the search for meaning is pointless. There is none. We exist, that's it. Let me be clear that I'm referring to the issue of existence and meaning. Our conduct as social animals is not connected to any reason for existence, it simply helps us get along, more or less. As individuals we can find our own reason for existence but that is always, by definition, subjective because when we die we have no reason for existence, it dies with us. Obvious point I know but I'm making it to contrast the idea that as a species we have some sort of reason for being. We don't.

 

We believe what we believe because we are humans having human thoughts. It's impossible for humans to think thoughts other than the thoughts that we all think. In other words, we don't think whale thoughts or spider thoughts. It's impossible for us to do that. But all humans are capable of thinking the full range of human thoughts, unless they are mentally impaired.

 

I do not think that there has to be a point to it.

I think most of us at times hate it and at other times love it but most of the time we are all simply existing in the need of the moment. I am angry, I am hungry, I am happy, I am sad, and all of the deeper meaning is so much BS.

I do not think I have a better answer than any other poster here.

As others have said, life is short, find the joy you can.

 

but we cant escape from it everything we throw in that answers path just leads back to it when u ask what's the point or meaning it doesn't get any better then that and it understandable for that to cause agony

 

In Ecclesiastes Solomon said that there is no point other than to eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we will die. So enjoy your life the best that you can. You can work yourself to the bone but when you are dead and gone you will be forgotten and the things you worked so hard for will rot away. There's no way of knowing if your soul will go to heaven or to hell or even if such things exist. What is certain is that once you're dead you will be forgotten and have no influence on the affairs of the living.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-abandoned-New-York-north-eastern-states.html

Ecclesiastes chapters 1-11 = http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ecclesiastes%201-11&version=ERV;CEB;NKJV;KJV;MSG

 

http://www.fallacyfiles.org/adnature.html

It would be valid to say that we cannot die, but not that we should not die. To say so based on our nature/characteristics is fallacious.

 

It is not reflexes if we consider that the vast majority of people died out post Toba . Storing food and general planning for the future is not instinctive but a learnt behaviour . The way our brains are tuned excludes instincts at large , if you have ever see experiments including humans and chimps they all conclude that human children copy behaviour while chimps improvise , also because we are born in an earlier stage childhood and learning era is prolonged .
Apes are social animals who create complex societies the more complex those societies become the more reasoning we need to make alliances , acquire sexual partners , getting our hands on resources .

Because our brain never stops weaving not even when we sleep , it demands creativity service .
Humans are long distance runners, actually the longest distance runners and extremely energy efficient, we are not born to be lazy and it is not a surprise that those we consider lazy are sedating their energy with alcohol, drugs, tobacco , other chemicals.

 

So, you think animals have this same angst & search for meaning, but we just can't see it, because they can't talk? We only have this trait because of language?

Oh, we probably are mostly here reading these threads for entertainment & amusement.. i'm sure there are those who just want to preach their views, & there might be some learning on the side, but mostly people come on these forums to bicker & fight, it seems to me. There might be a social aspect to it, as well. I don't really worry about everyone's motivation to post on the forums.. i'm not sure why i do, or what i get out of it. Sometimes i think i must just be a glutton for punishment, or have a secret masochistic side & enjoy abuse..

Not sure of your point here.. other than some people just follow the herd, & trust 'really smart people' to tell them about reality. That is the point, it seems, of modern education.. NOT to think critically, or seek truth on your own, but it is propaganda.. brainwashing to indoctrinate.

..interesting that you know what everyone really knows..

Obviously, one of our 'purposes' is to die, as we are all going to go that route someday. But that is more of an inevitable event, rather than a 'purpose'. I had in the OP our main instinctive 'purposes', Survival, reproduction, play. I don't know if 'play' can really be called a purpose, but it is something we all do, so it is an instinctive drive, it seems to me.

But that still does not answer the original question:

Why do we look for, expect, or think there is more to life than these things?

Yes, philosophers, self-help gurus, wise men, & religions throughout the ages continually tell us to chill.. to not worry & accept your life as it is. They tell us to relax & be at peace. They tell us to 'trust god', or 'trust nature' or 'trust them'. They weave complex explanations to explain why we are alive. They use science, conjecture, philosophy, reason, & fantasy to conjure up unprovable models to explain our existence. And we human eat it up. We flit from one to another, hoping this one will satisfy our inquisitive minds.

Why? What inner motivation compels us to look for something so abstract?

Sure, you can brush it off, claiming it is stupid, & that YOU have arrived at understanding.. you have achieved Knowledge of the Universe. But philosophical crackpots like you are a dime a dozen. ALL of them claim insight into the 'real meaning of life'. Why should i buy what you're selling?

The very fact of people posting their 'wisdom' of life in these threads is evidence that there is a longing in people.. something that causes them to search for more. I have that longing, & it has driven my quest for truth all my life. Philosophical questions like this are extremely intriguing and always grip my attention. Is this just an aspect of 'play' for me? Is it just a mental exercise to amuse me? Obviously, people come to widely different conclusions about what this 'more' is. They fight & kill each other over their conclusions, too. So some people take it VERY seriously.. it is not just an intellectual amusement.

So why should i think your idea of life 'to get free of illusion' is anything more than just another deluded human who thinks he knows?

 

..interesting that you know what everyone really knows..

Not really. Some people pretend otherwise, but everyone knows.

 

That is certainly what we do, but where does this 'question' come from? You imply that this question is embedded in us.. along the lines of augustine (i think) who said 'there is a god sized hole in every man, that only he can fill', or something like that. It is obvious that we have these abstract questions & curiosity about things we can only imagine. But what is the reason for this trait in man? How did it originate?

It 'should'. But it isn't. We constantly need priests, gurus, psychologists, friends & family to tell us to 'relax & don't worry about it'. Or, 'trust god'. Or 'accept life for what it is'. Or 'don't worry, be happy'. THAT is observable reality about humans. Why are they not content to eat & drink, reproduce, & play?

I'm sure that is a main reason for 'the question'. The origin of this question puzzles me as well..

Imply? It seems to me to INDICATE some lack. It seems to be just as driving a force as eating, reproduction, & play. Yes, some people get tired of 'the question', & amuse themselves with busy things, or fill their minds with distractions or deflections. But it is still there.

Why do we get bored? Intelligence does this? Do dolphins get bored? Chimpanzees? Do they have angst for their existence? How & why did we get 'genetically predisposed to require a purpose'? It has no function in our survival, & if anything, can be argued that it distracts us from more important biological survival & adaptation activities. People who got this trait early on should have died off, & not propagated it to the rest of us.

I'm not suggesting a 'higher' purpose. That is a subjective call, & not really quantifiable. Unless you're arguing a deity put us here with a divine purpose, just dealing with basics is enough for me. The OP is not so much to answer 'the question', but to analyze why the question is there in the first place. Defining 'purpose' is beyond the scope of this thread..

 

Yes, that point was made in the OP.. survival, reproduction, & play being the driving instincts for us.. I do not see a 'collective' purpose for humans.. other than a herd instinct, how can there be a collective purpose?

Agreed. This world cannot continue indefinitely in the status quo.. it never has.

Interesting speculations. So what makes you think we are 'spiritual' beings that have always existed? I get that these are your beliefs, which you have arrived at through varying processes & reasonings. What makes you think 'We have always been and we always be'? I certainly don't 'remember' anything from before i was born. How could brain memory functions.. a biological event, be tied to an unseen 'soul?'

This is your belief. But humans for millennia have lived contrary to your conclusion. It may very well be pointless.. that is your conclusion after considering 'the question'. Your angst & search for truth have brought you to this point. IOW, you think you have answered 'the question!' You think you KNOW the meaning of life: 'I think the search for meaning is pointless.' Maybe this answer satisfies you, for now. Maybe you'll take it up again, later. Maybe others will be soothed by your discovery. Yet, 'the question' remains. It does not seem to care what we think or conclude. You'll eat, drink, f**k, hang out with family & friends, learn things, play, & amuse yourself, but at times 'the question' will return to haunt you. Why is that?

 

Existence: What is the point?

Survival is the only point.


Survival is the reason we bow to the Reality which is an absolute God over us.
"He" is a god who can punish us slowly as we do things opposed to survival and try to avoid adaptation to "his" environment.

We procreate in order to avoid the second death, extinction, and work for the survival of the species, i.e.; again the meaning of life, Survival.

 

Wow.

I point out instinct of animals and that mankind is the what is defining itself and you came up with that as an inquiry?

Are you a medical marijuana recipient?

So to you, most people are just nasty, bored or just have nothing to do?

wow

most have unanswered questions

has to be the dope. Stop using for a bit and give yourself a chance as understanding what you are as a life, within existence.

please, stay away from small children. We don't want them to be a waste of life, too!

No one should give up!

 

your getting better

life: purposed to continue

 

what play? Your last line, shares the returning question.

instinct.

All have the instinct to 'continue' (to live, survive)

and life has evolved within its environment, so the ever present change, is always occurring. ie....... mankind will migrate and perhaps one day, be vacationing in space.

My bucket list has 'sex in space' (weightless environment).

You just forget, that your initial life, is the sperm/egg/light of your parents. They are alive, in you, still.

ie....... your mind is not your life. One bump on the head and all that memory of your own experiences, could be gone, but the life is still 'alive'. (see alzheimers patients; some meet their children, each day)

because the knowledge had not evolved to complete the comprehension.

Basic



but guess who?




Boo






.

 

Thank you. I was looking for a copy of this, but couldn't get anything going via searches.