See what I meant. 
Itlog is obviously depressed, and yet all you can say to him is that his attitude is ridiculous… 
But if life is suffering, then maybe, death is a way of “winning” the game? Since the suffering ends…
So what you are saying Ity is that - let’s say you play chess. If you knew that the end result would be that you would lose the game, you would choose not to play that game?
Can you even consider what more you can learn about yourself, the chess game, your opponent by playing that game, win or lose?
We are not “losers” by losing - we are losers by choosing to walk away from the game before it has even been played.
If we never lost in the game of life, if we never made any mistakes in this game, how truly boring it could be, don’t you think and how truly boring we would be. And how innocent we would be? Do you think that it is the innocent people who are the happiest Ity?
I think it is those who have lost and lost in the game of life and have learned from it who are the most enriched.
So, don’t stop playing…play the game to win or to lose…Ity. Yes, the end result is important but it is the game that is the most fun and that can teach us about ourselves. 
And how do you propose to “Tear this game up”? Ending your own life? wouldn’t that just make you lose faster? The only way you can come close to winning is if you die happy. So, get happy 
Hello Fabiano.
It is unfortunate that you can be an expert at depression, solitude and suicidal thoughts. But ever heard of group therapy? It might be BS for you, but don’t discard the possibility that it may work on others. As an expert you should recognize that these are cries for help. It is no accident that Itlog chose a public venue to vent his frustration with what he sees as a pointless game.
As for the quality of the advice, only the poster can know what effect all this has on him. But I think that he was searching for reactions and reactions, and attention, is what he has received, so I don’t see this entire process as a waste of time, other than on the part of the respondents, because in the end you cannot “recommend” life to a person.
We, I think, should ask the question rather answer it for him/her. It has to come from him/herself for the answer to have power over his depression, otherwise it is just another entity out of his control, like death.
Blah. Life is pointless is an adolescent sentiment. It is where you begin not where you conclude. How long have you been at first base for?
Now I responded to someone else before but it is because I don’t have much to give you.
The author of Ecclesiastes stated that all is meaningless, wealth, wisdom, virtue, because in fact you end up in the same place as the poor, the stupid and the wicked. He said that there is nothing better therefore than to drink and be merry…much like everyone here has told you. The problem is ancient and the proposed solution is also ancient.
But is the game won by immortality? Is that the purpose of striving? Does defeat really come at the loss of life or prior to it? Are there not those that live as if they were dead? Living dead?
While I see how to lose the game I don’t understand how you hope to win it. How would you change the rules of the game, as you understand them now? Obviously to die is to lose the game, but if you do not die then what do you really possess? Victory? All I see is just time, more time in your hands, but the question is “to do what”?
Fabi,
I think that for some, exposing one’s personal feelings even in here can be a catharsis. Not exposing them can feel like a death.
In life, Fabiano, it doesn’t take much for one to be misunderstood or ridiculed but perhaps for some, the risk of that that someone takes is far less than the risk of keeping one’s personal feelings in.
And if you would take a look at your posts, my dear, you will find how in many ways and instances you have shown your personal feelings in here.
If someone is comfortable enough to expose their personal feelings in here – as i have at times, not out of need so much but simply out of a desire to be 'known" (call that a need if youw will) than what harm can that be, fabiano? For someone who perhaps exposes their feelings here out of a need - to me at least - that could take great courage. Do you even see all of the masks that people wear in here. To unmask one’s self in this way is both healthy and honest. So I would applaud anyone who can risk it.
I don’t recall anyone mentioning his attitude is ridiculous. Its more less the pointing out of his illogical thought. If you can’t reason with the guy then what can you do.
Yes, I did choose to just vent here. Arctie is correct, and so did that other poster who said I was posting for attention. Yes, just expressing your feelings is cathartic, and every little bit of that helps. I am in a position in real life where I cannot show frustration and disappointment. Hence, other outlets suffice. Especially free and easily accessible ones.
I think this is one of the rare moments where you appear less cool in your online persona than in your real one.
Yet no matter what you do, life remains pointless nonetheless. But it takes a lot of exasperation (as itlog must know by now) for you to realize this sad truth…
It was pointless for a moment. Until I remembered the point. Back to business as usual.
Good to know that you’re feeling…better(?), but you should know that what you said in the op remains valid even so…
Though the other guys here are right: we must find a way to forget about life’s pointlessness, in one way or another…
It’s a leap to go from ‘I’ll die one day’ to ‘the whole time I was alive I was engaged in pointless things.’ This aside, you still have to show that there’s a necessary connection between the realization that I’ll die some day and the devaluing the moment; or, if not a necessary connection, then an obligation to be depressed or kill oneself, or for that matter an obligation to any sort of reaction. IMO, I don’t think the realization that you will die implies or necessitates anything. I think it’s just an after the fact excuse of depressed and suicidal people who might want to give intellectual reasons for the low dopamine levels in their brains.
Fabi, only speaking for myself this is certainly not what i said.
If you can shift over a little and perhaps see that life is not pointless, indeed you will see that life is not a losing game.
As someone said, can’t remember who, if you change the way you look at life, your life will change.
Even atoms when observed CHANGE.
Why is it Fabiano that you would choose to see life in the way in which you do. It isn’t even about seeking happiness - it’s more in line with seeing reality. You probably feel that i don’t view life in a realistic way but then neither do you.
It all comes down to how you want to see life…and you can train your self and your brain to change that. 
Never said that the realization that we’ll die sooner or later forces us to do anything, and as far as I can remember, I didn’t advocate suicide in this thread.
What I said is that the op was valid, even though itlog has changed his mind about it. Life is pointless even though we may choose to live it. It’s pointless even though we may feel comfortable with it. It’s pointless even though we may think sometimes that we can change reality, and everything, with a set of beautiful words…
A reaction like the one demonstrated by everybody who has posted in this thread so far (except for me and omar) just confirms my view. Nobody has refuted Itlog’s op, but many people have implied that he should forget about this kind of thing once and for all in order to go on with his life…
Once again, who am I to judge you? Am I not here, posting at ILP as if it could make any difference?
Still the same naïve belief in the power of words and beautiful concepts.
Still the same appeal to imagination and to an ‘uplifting’ posture in order to deal with life’s dreadful aspects…
But I do not blame you, once again. I just don’t share this…peculiar view of yours.
About a year ago I was convinced, for a time, that life was pointless. Now I’m not so sure. I think that we, as humans, are just temporary witnesses to the greatness of the Universe. Life may seem pointless in the big scheme of things, but being a witness to the reality that we are is a big deal. Someone here posted that what we do as humans effects everything around us, and that seemed logical to me.
I think if you have a positive impact on one person’s life then that gives your life meaning. I remember one summer, seven years ago, I was taking summer classes at a college in Florida. I went for the summer and I was EXTREMELY lonely and home sick. I was walking around town, feeling horrible, and went into a book store. As I was walking out a random girl smiled at me. I should’ve approached her and started a conversation, but was too shy to do so. Perhaps we can suffer for years and years and have one great moment of happiness and that makes it all worth while.
You just NEVER know what you can do for someone else that will make a huge difference in their day or life. You NEVER know how doing something nice for a “stranger” can change their lives for the better. And that’s exciting…
And this was beautiful and gave me the chills…
And the thing about it is…when you’ve done for that person they might turn around and do for another person and on and on and on.
Can you imagine the state of the universe then…You just never know.
YOU JUST NEVER KNOW … there is such possibility and mystery within those words.
We are like a very long string of pearls that goes on and on…
You seem very set in this belief. Why should the question regarding the point of life be significant to you? Aren’t you believing in the power of words just the same?
How can you value “life” as a whole negatively, when you’re still living it. Are you able to view and value life for the outside, and comparing it to some objective standard? Isn’t your valuation of life just your particular view…
… and also a peculiar view? Because maybe the question is, does this view do you any good.
I’ve heard Dawkins “Unweaving the Rainbow” is a pretty good book to pick up…though I’ve never read it.
The leap that you’re taking is that death somehow equates to losing. I’m going to take an equally valid leap: that we’ve already won because we’re alive.
Think about the odds of being born as a human being in this vast universe, instead of an insect, polar bear, etc. The odds of you ever coming into being as a human consciousness, and an American, where you’re most likely not starving to death, at war with your neighbor, etc., are astronomically small.
On a side note, though, I never would have thought this way 6 months ago when I was flipping out bipolar style, before I got on the right medication. So I realize that my viewpoint wouldn’t be valid with certain twists on reality, which I believe to be caused by genetics.