When you know that you are really in this world for a brief moment, and that your conscience is merely a play of molecules. When you are aware that some drugs can change your mood, while some diseases damage your intelligence(like Alzheimer). When you understand that you are totally limited by your human incapabilities(horrible memory, contr-productive emotions), how can your perception of life remain “normal”?
If our lives are so meaningless why to bother to achieve petty goals?
Perhaps except great scientists like Ainshtein who really made some fantastic discoveries, every other goal in the world is useless.
I now study computer science, but in last months I can’t stop thinking about how meaningless it is all. Even if I’ll be a CEO of an innovative high-tech company, I wouldn’t feel that I achieved something. Not only it is useless for me, because I will be disintegrated into small particles after some 50-60 years, but it is also useless for humanity because humanity is as meaningless as each and every human.
I think this is the first time for me, ever making the first reply. So here goes and judge-free.
What gives life meaning is when one has a duty.
This duty is often found when one has become an independent houshold life. Either he has become a father, and not must serve his family by going to work, that will give the individual meaning. He well tell his stories to his kids.
Next, the duty of the individual who has not yet become a father, either he aims for fame and invent or to discover, or he aims at honor for his parents.
Lastly, if you haven’t find your duty then you remain ignorant, following the majority chasing what they believe and pleasure .
the end.
Sure you can create a goal for yourself, but for me, its like being religious. You blindly follow a goal, as useless as it is, just for the sake of satisfaction when completing it.
Why spend your energy and most of your precious and short time you have in your life, on a career or to benefit other people?
Is your goal to be remembered and loved? What use there is in that?
There are almost 7 billion people on earth, what difference does it make if 5 people love you, or another thousand use a software product you created?
Although my pessimistic approach to life helps many times when the need to put depressing things as death or rejection, into proportion arises.
But on the other hand it interferes with life enjoyments, since every achievement or pleasure is nullified when seen through a more global perspective.
You l;ook at other monkeys and cant help noticing how easy and carefree their lives look , and how they dont seem to need philosophy , or religion , but their havin a fantastic time , with the odd horific incident thrown in , very like us . I think we have to resemble these monkeys more , we came from them after all and so we are monkeys . Maybe its best we dont complicate our lives with meaningless questions and just enjoy sex , food and everything else
It is your pessimistic view of life which is meaningless.
human life and the universe are always in a process of creation,every one of us is a part in this process of creation.what we should do with our life is just to obey what nature tells us to do,for our life are designed by nature in the process of creation.At the precent it is out of the ability of humans to understand the purpose of this creation,so you needn’t to bother about the meaning of your life but to follow nature’s indications ,and then all will be ok.
I don’t think you know what you’re asking for. The all too well-known fundamental question in philosophy about the meaning of life is not something a human can ask. For one, to comprehend the universe, the complete and objective knowledge and purpose of the entire entity of existence would require some kind of empirical relativity, not a mere consciousness. You are part of what you try to understand, ergo what you try to understand won’t make sense on any level because you yourself are part of the problem you’re trying to solve. Instead of asking the illogical glass-half-empty question of ‘why?’ try asking ‘why not?’. Answer that, and then go pessimistic.
And I understand that even contemplating the relativity of you in contrast to the universe is scary, I really do. There is even a very interesting device in the book Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a killing machine that forces the human brain to contemplate the insignificance of itself in contrast to the Universe - the result of which is instant death. So I guess the prospect of the understanding of Existence would be alittle…intimidating.
In any case, try to lighten up. There are many reasons to keep on going, reasons well justified and satisfying…even for titanic minds as ours.
how is there 2 different Dans in here? i think that for the respect of one truth you should seperate the information allowing each one to say from another
If that is what you enjoy in life, then its good for you. I just don’t see it as a general purpose.
Asking why not
Senator of Trapezus will have to further explain this, because I don’t understand it.
Live carefree
Thats an interesting point of view. Its just that humans have this burning desire to live for something, and it is not in their nature to be carefree as the monkeys. We always have this thought, perhaps later in life:
What did I acheive, was my life full and meaningful?
Find a substitute
Thats like the previous suggestion, but it takes into consideration that humans must have purpose in their life. One substitute can be a career for example.
Unfortunately, in this case, when I’ll look back at my life I would probably think that I lived in vain. it is like being the best in a computer game. So I kick ass in “Quake3”, so what? Can that be life’s acheivement? Now, how career is a better goal?
Sorry Dan, I don’t beleive in the supernatural
Understand the universe
Its an idea I have, I don’t know how good it is tho. Given that you can’t change the universe in a meaningful way, you can instead try to study it. Just knowing that you understand the cosmos, even to some degree, makes a good purpose in life, I think. It is some kind of a religious seclusion - treating the University as a monastery.
listen miss body, you seem to me not being able to enjoy anything else than pleasure flesh, dont be afraid of death and go entertain yourself you still have a nice looking body ahead enjoy it before it last, because soon miss nobody will rule and you are not on the list to stay
I don’t live in a religious country.
70% of the jews in Israel are atheists.
Its funny actually what nonsense people think of Israel. In some post here someone said that we have some kind of a military education, its just ridicilous.
Israel excells in free, undisciplined schools, which is really quite bad.
Anyway, Israel is just a regular western, mediterrenian country(like Spain or Portugal).
My advice, essentially, was not to simply ask ‘why not’ although that would be a more constructive way to view life. (Why not? As in: why not live life and go about our meaningless goals?)
However, what I really meant to say, was that you shouldn’t bother about asking such an impossible question, because you don’t even understand it. Instead a more subjective meaning should be sought and thereby accepted. I refer of course to the other kind philosopher’s advices in here; duty, as in duty to Love, Society and Family. These things are important, because we make them important. Do not forget that.
You and I are very much alike; about 1 year ago i had exactly the same ideeas.
How old are you ?
The issue you raise is a deeply problematic one for any atheist but at least we don’t lie to ourselves.
I would very much like to discuss this topic.
I’ve been an atheist since i was 12~13; i’ve been dragged into church and taught religion but soon i saw many holes in it.
I don;t want to turn this into a religion thread though so i’ll change the perspective.
Being an atheist is not easy, although we say it is. Why ? Well because there’s a critical moment in which all atheists realise there’s really no reason to exist and that our lives are meaningless. A tragedy unfolding in a corner of the universe about which nobody cares.
Now, some think that is in itself exhaulting, some even like the ideea, including myself.
I’ve been depressed over this issue for a very long time in the past and i’ve contemplated suicide alot of times. At some point the only reason i didn’t do it was because my parents invested too much time, money and love in me and i didn’t want to dissapoint them.
Not only because i care for them, but because they would not understand why i’d want to kill myself when everything was going so well.
They (my parents) don’t have these philosophical ideeas so they would have thought it was their fault if i was to take my own life.
Yes, thats how depressed i was over matters such as this.
What finally got me up again was Philosophy. At first i read Nietzshe and the “will to power” concepts of his were to my liking.
I used to repeat those words, “will to power”, everytime i wanted to achive something and my determination grew.
So what i’m trying to say is that i overcame the depression induced by the lack of meaning for my existance through philosophy.
I keep setting short term goals in my life and always tell myself “Let’s do great things”.
I’ve stoped thinking about suicide (although my point of view hasn’t changed) because since i will eventually die anyway there’s no reason for me not to experience existance.
I’ve tested the water and it seems inviting… so i’m going in for a swim.
