Well, I used to ask myself this kind of questions, but I've sorta overgrown it by the age of about 17-18. Basically, there's no some universal truth about purpose of life (except for 42, of course), there's no higher power that's created us because it was bored or something, there's no afterlife for us just because we're more developed than our pets or our food, but yes, there are biological imperatives (these are admittedly somewhat more controllable thanks to our psyche that's also coincidentally responsible for our misery). Still, we've got a considerable perk: we can create our own purposes, so it's not so bad after all, I guess.
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Interesting perspective. People usually think mine is a bit weird as well: I do believe in a higher power but not because of a religious text or because of how I was raised. Instead, during college while immersing myself heavily in the sciences, I became increasing dissatisfied with the idea that everything arose from chaos and settled into current states. I think it was while studying physics, chemistry, and biology simultaneously and seeing the insane amount of complexity and interconnectedness of micro, macro, cosmic, anatomical and ecological systems that the idea of a higher power became more and more agreeable to me.
Not trying to sway anyone else, just noting that we each arrive at our own conclusions in our own ways. I don't encounter many that seem to think as I do since more often folks seem to be either of traditional religious views or start out similar to myself but diverge towards atheism (I have good friends in both camps but don't really know of any others that believe in a higher power because of science lol). But I think Frost said something about a road less traveled having made all the difference. And whatever path you follow, I think you are right about being able to create our own purposes.
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I don't believe that there is a the meaning of life, so much as your meaning of life. Start small: explore and think about every single square millimeter of your bedroom. EVERYTHING, right down to inspecting each speck of dust. Think of how large that really is. Then your house. Then your property. Then your block. Then your town/village/city/borough/whatever. Your country. Continent. Landmass. World. Solar system. Galaxy. The universe is UNFATHOMABLY large, and as a result, we are too small for anything we ever do to have any kind of meaning in the grand scheme of things. You could save the entire galaxy, but Andromeda's not going to care or even know about it. Everything's just too big; we aren't even a drop in the ocean of it all.
You could be lazy and use this to justify living only for yourself, because nihilism! That, or you could decide what's important to you. There are so many worthy causes that you can pick and choose, really, and not be wrong. Think animals are cute? Fight animal cruelty! Think humans have enough problems without worrying about other species? Champion human rights! If there's no one purpose, you get to say what's important to you, rather than have someone else tell you how to think and feel.
Either way, if you're looking for a one true meaning of life, you won't find it on a message board; nobody here has died and lived through it to say what's on the other side, so there's no point in insisting that you know. Even if you think that you do, knowledge is just what we've been convinced is the truth. Even if you just look at the evolution of science, there are many things that it has known, but later realized to be false when new information came into the conversation. Even empirical evidence isn't necessarily truth; I have congenital anosmia, which is a fancy way of saying that I was born with no sense of smell. Therefore, in the many years I have lived, I have never smelled anything, and that is empirical evidence that smell doesn't exist. But of course it exists; I simply lack the ability to perceive it, and there is no way of knowing just what is out there that we lack the ability to perceive. You can know that there is a god, just as you can know that there isn't one, but neither of those things are necessarily truth, because if there is a god, we cannot perceive it. Hell, there are people there in this day and age who know that the earth is flat, even though the Ancient Greeks proved that to be false. They can convince others with their "wake up sheeple" mentality, but that still wouldn't make it true.
What you may find in a place like this is like-minded individuals who will reaffirm what you already believe. And you should be careful of that; it's very easy to assume truth in the resonance of an idea, even if it's not really there. Confidence can be one of the most dangerous things for a person to have, because if you never question yourself, then you may wind up on a bad path without ever realizing it. I don't think there's a single person here who hasn't had a sure thing blow up right in their face. Allow others to challenge your beliefs; if they're true enough, then they'll be able to weather that criticism, and if they're not, well then they're worth abandoning, aren't they? No sense holding onto a lie when you know it to be so.
tl;dr the meaning of life isn't the right question to ask, because there are much more important and also much more interesting things to explore.
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your comment is the most beautifull one i ever read in my life . i knew i will never find my answer here in the first place but ! it was a question for me do the people ask these questions of themselves or not because its so important wanted to see the people reactions and saw many comments here was either jokes or theire opinions some folks really think about these things but i think most of the people dont ! even care they live in the moment but again thats the diffrence between me and others i plan for future i want to be sure of what will happen in the future i cant live only in the moment and leave the future to come i should be prepared for it anyway i can .. thanks again for your nice and beautifull opinions clearly you do have a gift of convincing people talking to them giving em comfort and i`m much appreciated for the time you gave me thanks
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Love. Connecting to each other. Making yourself and others around you happy.
Doesn't have to go any deeper than that.
Sure, we can pretend we'll change the world in our lifetime but very few actually will so it's not worth being bitter about it, right?
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If love was the reason, there wouldn't be any (hate-spreading and war-causing) politicians in this world. There wouldn't be any taxes and the world would be a place without need of money. Everybody without exception would do good things for one another without any consideration.
Heck, all human would have so been so intermingled in the world that the skin color, financial differences, classes and religions would have disappeared in entirety.
Utopia of love may exist in digital world and/or fictional world, but in the real-world filled with politicians, it is an impossibility.
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I assumed the OP was asking for a personal opinion but you are right, the prevalence of hatred and the politics of fear make this world a shit-hole in many many ways.
Still, I find, personally speaking, that spreading love and joy around you, treating strangers with respect and learning about others instead of going around with pre-packaged opinions, makes one feel lighter than going around weighted by hate and fear so it may not change the world but it changes life.
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The purpose of your life is to be a slave to a class of corrupt people (i.e, the government) and to earn something as worthless as money (which the governments 'can and will' print all the want) so that they will take away the lion's share from your earning (at any percent they want) so as to support them to make all sorts of rules to make your life miserable (but you cannot expect them to follow the rules they make).
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I believe there is no purpose in life and there is no afterlife.
We are born in a lottery of a chance no matter whether we want it or not, and have to go through life regardless of the happiness or suffering. Since we are already here, we should make full use of it and define our own meaning.
A lot of people do not fulfill their potential or enjoy their time through the ups and downs because they are just wasting their life away waiting for the promised afterlife. It is fine to believe that there is an afterlife, but do not take the limited time (~80 years) as a waiting game for death to the afterlife. Try to do whatever you want in this life and enjoy whatever life has to offer, no matter whether it is good or bad.
Life is like a tornado and we are in the center of it, everything is chaotic and the moments we have here is brief, so just enjoy whatever we have and do things we want.
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This is a funny thought I had a long time ago.
It's like how We all like being different characters in games to experience multiple things.
Well our afterlife MAIN being makes these different "Characters" (You right now is one of many) to experience and learn multiple things. Then next life You will choose or be chosen to be someone else to experience and learn more and Your main being is just getting smarter and overall more advanced.
I always feel like some people are forced a life so Your main being can learn from previous life. Couple of examples, A person can never find love cause that person broken many hearts in their previous life or a person is always poor cause they were some disrespectful rude rich snob in previous life.
Plus I remember reading about a kid that surprisingly He knew a lot about ww2 airplanes as if He was a ww2 pilot in previous life, Just somehow His knowledge carried over to His "New Character".
God is the "developer" and We are the players wanting to play and enjoy this awesome "Video Game".
I don't 100% live by this logic but just like to think that's what it is like.
I think that's why We love to create cause God created. Imagine God is a big mirror then shatter that mirror and all those little pieces is us, God is a part of us and We are part of God.
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Since you do not know English well, I will try to use simple language.
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You seem to be confused. Since you challenged my assertion, I will answer you.
Evil exists in the world not because God created it that way, but rather because mankind chooses to commit it. Human beings have free will, and they choose to do good or evil. As for Justice, those among mankind who strive for good attempt to establish justice in this life, but our knowledge and understanding is limited, and there are forces arrayed against us. Absolute, perfect Justice comes on the Day of Judgement. Until then, we can only try our best.
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1- that does not matter what people want to see if its not true ... i mean its not like we accept what people say unless we find some logic in it
2- well im trying to find those who worked hard to understand it maybe i find someone here who knows
3- i dont believe in that theory what if those instructions or those facts also comes from god so if neither of us can prove nor deny it this idea is not true if youve ever read the bible so if the god is the absoulute will everything is hes
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there is no evidence that says god is not exist nor hes existense so if we see it as theory wich cannot be proven nor denied those fact theories is all the same and cannot be proven because god may exist ! and those are hes wills or may not its all linked to each other
edit : what if ! those facts given by god ? can you deny or prove it no ?
logic can prove god exisense ? no but that does not mean he dont exist !!! just because we`re not able to see it that does not bring logic here maybe its an another mystery needs to be proven and now these are some excuses given by those who dont know it yet ! thats why i dont accept those facts because there are some big answers wich is not revealed yet to complete what logic means here
you cannot bring logic to an topic when you dont know all the answers yet ! maybe logic changes in future there are only maybes not proves i accept those facts only when someone proves that god does not exist
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exept the last part wich mentioned about women . i agree :D i dont show mercy to my enemy :D thats why they never win
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wellcome to this topic guys there are some questions wich makes us to think atleast some of us ask this question over and over from ourselves
what is the purpose of life ? shouldnt we ask ourselves ? does it worth the thinking ? (are you satisfied with what youve found in your life rather than only living having a job getting married grow old and die ) should we consider after that ? do we have souls ? whats the point of living if we`re going to die just like animals !! can you even imagine to be dead for ever i cant describe nor find a right answer for it
now i think humans have soul and there is an after life im not satisfied by this living and dying without a purpose i mean there should be a big one otherwise whats the diffrent between us and animals dont forget that we have the capability to think and our will is absoulute wich no other species have i believe in god and somehow i do want to believe there is an afterlife cause i dont find a point in it if there is non ! these are questions i`ve asked like thousands times in years after some incidents wich made my mind clear that i was looking for a wrong purpose
how many people believe in god ? how many of you looks for an answer do you even care ??
sorry for poor english
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