What does Life Mean?

[KoolHndLuke]

 I recently had a near death experience. I had hours to ponder my life while I waited for what might have been my end and had no way to stop it- and I was scared. I am scared of death because no one knows what happens when we die. I must be getting old, because this sort of thing never used to bother me. It is one thing to see or hear of others dying, but completely and utterly different when it is our turn. I don't really ever want to leave this world even though I know I must. It would be easier I think if I believed that there is something on the other side and to maybe see friends and loved ones again. And please, this is not a religious debate. It is the philosophical question we all ask ourselves when faced with the inevitable. If my life ends tomorrow then what did it all mean- if anything? Sorry if this is a very sobering question.

[SimpleSpectre]

The only meaning there is to it is what we assign to life itself. Everyone is fearful of the end at one time or another and to varying degrees. Led many to create constructs of what may lie beyond our mortal existence as a sense of comfort. Terrified of the finite, and their limited time. Can't say I believe any of it, eternity would drag on to a miserable boredom or complete insanity after a time. I myself would rather slip into that dreamless sleep than the alternative, however I am still fearful of it. But that will only be temporary.

[foreveraloneguy]

If you're lucky, you have friends and family that love you. Beyond that, there really isn't any meaning to life except what you give it, so the meaning of life is literally whatever you make it. I know you were probably hoping for some deep philosophical enlightenment, or some comforting words, but it's better to accept reality for what it is. And besides, worrying about this won't make it better, so don't. Your time will come when it comes, as it will for all of us. And rarely can we know when that time will be. So until then, live the best life you can so that others will remember you fondly. And in this way, we live on past our time here on this little rock.

For me personally, I actually take comfort in my belief that when I die I will just be dead. The idea of spending eternity stuck with the types of people that call themselves Christians would be far worse than anything else I can imagine. Besides, I was fine with being dead before I was born. I expect I will be fine with it after I'm gone.

 

So the difference between you and I is that I don't fear death. What I fear is dying itself. It's frequently messy and painful, so I hope that mine is fairly quick and relatively painless.

 

Beyond that, I got nothing. I hope you can find an acceptance of the one thing all of humanity shares, and not let our inevitable fate weigh on you. Personally, I'm too busy living to spend much time worrying and/or thinking about dying. That might seem odd to some given that I have far fewer years ahead of me than I have behind me, but it is what it is, and it's not anything I can change. And like I said, worrying about it won't make it better, so onward through this great adventure I go.

[Kaldor Draigo]

there is nothing on the other side just blackness i myself and scared of dying but then i accept it but other then that there is nothing on the other side no heaven no hell no 70 virgins no nothing just nothing but blackness

[dharvinia]

Death is not the greatest loss in life.  The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.

  I personally do not fear death so much as I fear its prologues:

• loneliness
• decrepitude
• pain
• debilitation
• depression
• senility

After a few years of those, I imagine death would be as welcome as a holiday at the beach.

 

The main fear of death often comes from a fear of life. A person who fully lives their life is prepared to die at any time.

 

Don't be afraid of death so much as an inadequate life.

[Kakabishan]

Life means finding out what Life means only to die knowing that it meant very little in the grand scheme of things.

[Aria]

I had several near death experiences myself, in one i actually could see my body lying on the floor while floating above it...there is definitely something beyond our physical body.

Also have you ever experienced at night the feeling of your body suddenly jumping or making a fast movement like you hit something? Been getting these alot.

In another experience i was pulled into space and could see the whole earth, there was some odd scar over its surface which started to pull me into it and thats what brought me back.

I know it all sounds pretty bs, could been i was just halucinating but it felt so real..though experiencing all of that i cant say im head over heels to find out the meaning of existence.

 

All you can really do is to live your life till the end and then experience it firsthand, like everyone else before and after you

[RomeoZero]

This question is not so simple to answer actually, it is a matter of perspective,as we are continually watching at night skies and ask "why are we here ,we are so differ from any life here with consciousness and what's the purpose ? " I'll pass the religion purpose of it.

 

As a human being it is the same as for any living creature - to breed and prosper as a species. As a person - evolution made our brains so, that every human considered to be as an "Individual " and the experience of life is made out of our achievements in it.

Thus,  every person ask this question to himself every time : '' Hmm, have I lived my life to its fullest, did I left my mark on the history for humanity ?..'' 

Its a shame we do not preserve life for the opportunity of working together to learn and reaching out to other galaxies for new discovery's.

[KoolHndLuke]

Well, I don't just sit around thinking about it. As I said, normally I wouldn't even get that scared. Iv'e been close to death several times in my life. The difference here is that I had plenty of time to think about it and had no way to stop it. When everything just happens real fast- like in an accident- your adrenaline is pumping and you just react. Then you walk away and brush yourself off thinking "Wow! That was close!" and smile because you just dodged a bullet. I guess I am saying that when it happens for me- I hope it is quick. Dying while trying to help someone else would be a bonus. Reincarnation is an interesting concept that many believe in. But how would you know anyway? I have heard of people dying and coming back. That has got to be life-changing. I agree , though, that you try to make the most of what time you have and face the end when it presents itself. Thank you all for your input.

[ISNAN]

There really is no purpose to life. We are just creatures living on a biosphere that just so happens to have the conditions necessary for life to evolve. 

 

I know that sounds depressing, but it really doesn't need to be. In fact, knowing this could actually give a person a better appreciation for life itself. We are made up of the universe, literally. The only way for our universe to have the elements that make up our body, stars needed to explode which casted the heavier elements all through out the universe. So, quite literally we are the universe looking back at itself and are able to contemplate it because of our complex minds which creates a consciousness. This allows us to have a "sense of self". This sense of self is what we are afraid of losing when we die. But the fact remains that nobody ever experiences death. One may know they are "dying", but they will never be able to experience what it means to be dead because in order to do so, one must be able to compare the "death" to that of being "alive". Sense our brains rot along with our body, there is no reason to believe that we carry our memories and emotions in an "after life". Our brains creates these sensations and calls upon memories. In order for us to "live", we need our brains. To expect life after death, it would be like expecting an operating system to run without a central processor and harddrive.

 

It would better for people to focus on the life they have now instead of preparing for some after life that may or may not exist. It amazes me how often people will put off things they could experience today, all because of some religious dogma or rational that denies them from the afterlife simply because it's not allowed. They are wasting the one and only life they have here, in hopes of having one that is "better" later on. The reason these cling to the afterlife is because of that "fear of death". Why fear it if you will never know it happened?

 

It's a hard notion to shallow because some people NEED that sense of security or a meaningful purpose. That is why some people will stay religious when they don't actually practice the faith, or they look at other things that give them spirituality. It's understandable, but if that spirituality limits you from having a full life experience, then it's actually working against you. It would be better to understand what science has to say and creating something spiritual out of that. Like for instance the Many Worlds Theory. Which states that every decision a person makes, both outcomes actually happens. Basically your whole life is out there in a sea of probability, and the choices you make in life, steers you down a certain path or "fork in the road". Where you wind up over time is the "life" you created, but in actuality, every possible outcome gets played out. So you have MANY lives. Some of those you died in and your family and friends in that reality sees it as such, but your "sense of self" is in a different reality where no death happened. It's a fascinating theory that sounds new agey or in the realm of pseudo science, but it has actual facts to back it up, because it fits neatly in quantum mechanics. It explains the "double slit experiment", the "Shrodinger's Cat paradox", and may help broaden the Copenhagen Interpretation. 

 

For me, that gives me a sense of piece of mind about death, so that I don't have to think about it, which helps me live my life to the fullest. It could be wrong, but what ever happens, at least I can say I lived my life to the fullest enjoyment. 

 

[~Fallen64]

 I recently had a near death experience. I had hours to ponder my life while I waited for what might have been my end and had no way to stop it- and I was scared. I am scared of death because no one knows what happens when we die. I must be getting old, because this sort of thing never used to bother me. It is one thing to see or hear of others dying, but completely and utterly different when it is our turn. I don't really ever want to leave this world even though I know I must. It would be easier I think if I believed that there is something on the other side and to maybe see friends and loved ones again. And please, this is not a religious debate. It is the philosophical question we all ask ourselves when faced with the inevitable. If my life ends tomorrow then what did it all mean- if anything? Sorry if this is a very sobering question.

42

[Shizune]

Life is not that complicated. You get up, you go to work, eat three meals, you take one good shit and you go back to bed.

[Aria]

Life is not that complicated. You get up, you go to work, eat three meals, you take one good shit and you go back to bed.

Thats not life, thats modern slavery.

[SimpleSpectre]

 

Life is not that complicated. You get up, you go to work, eat three meals, you take one good shit and you go back to bed.

Thats not life, thats modern slavery.

 

 

That's a fact of life if you are a "contributing member of society". No escaping it if you wish to earn what we've always been told is an honest wage. Could always beg on the street, You'd be free but most likely live in a putrid squalor.

[27X]

It only means what context you give it.

 

No more, no less.

 

Humanity has a very very good chance of joining the other 98.7% species that have gone extinct, because we can't understand long term issues or anything that doesn't directly affect us now, so what time you're given is neither guaranteed nor anointed, contrary to ego and narcissism.

 

Whatever effort you put in is all you're going to get, period, and even that is limited by your set of circumstances, so you should probably enjoy what you do have and can get.

[scivirus]

 

[Aria]

 

 

Life is not that complicated. You get up, you go to work, eat three meals, you take one good shit and you go back to bed.

Thats not life, thats modern slavery.

 

 

That's a fact of life if you are a "contributing member of society". No escaping it if you wish to earn what we've always been told is an honest wage. Could always beg on the street, You'd be free but most likely live in a putrid squalor.

 

Indeed, thats what we have been conditioned to, work your ass off for a "honest wage", while the people above swim in money made by your honest work.

But im getting offtopic.

 

[GimmeBACON]

Nothing. We live, we die, we do stuff in-between. The only reason we question things like that is because people are neurotic by nature.

 

Do you think your pet is dealing with an existential crisis? No, it's to busy living.

[Roggvir]

I think it doesn't make any sense to fear death.

As far as we know, everyone will die eventually, there is no way around that, therefore it is useless to fear it.

 

I believe most people, when they say they fear death, are mistaking the state of being dead with the emotions accompanying the loss of something they like (which is not even their life, but some feelings/inputs the life provides for them - for example, the joyfull company of someone they love, or whatever else it is).

Of course the idea of painfull death is not so hot, but thats the act of dying - that can be unpleasant, depending on situation, and it make sense to fear the pain and suffering.

But the state of being dead is not scary at all - once your brain stops functioning, your conscience is no more, the tools allowing you to feel the world around us and to measure it or analyze it, its all gone, you are gone.

How did you feel during the last time you were sleeping without remembering any dreams - was it bad? was it good? was it scary? nope, its like it never happened.

Even better - ask yourself, how did you feel 1000 years ago before you were born? was that unpleasant? is that something to be feared?

Fear of death is irrational.

 

At some point this whole planet will be gone, probably the whole universe we know, and there will be noone to even remember any of it, and we wont give a fuck, because we wont BE - is that scary? i just dont think so.

[Bazinga]

I think ours is a fairly tragic fate. When I look into the eyes of my dog I never see any sign of him realizing that there could be anything more to life than the very moment he lives in. No matter if he is happy, content, anxious, afraid, hungry, playful, tired or whatever goes through his thick little skull, he never seems to think past that moment.

I'd say that's a blessing, even though it makes him a piss poor long term planner. He isn't one of those overbred dogs that eat until they drop dead but he would still eat much more than needed if allowed to.

 

And most creatures in this world are like that, it's only us humans that deviate from that thought pattern. Seems like that vastly increased intelligence nature gifted us as an evolutionary advantage has some unexpected side effects. Like asking pointless questions about what comes after we go back to being worm fodder instead of just following protocol and reproducing like we are supposed to. So we are sort of broken in our programming, we would function much better with some lower level of intelligence that still gives us an edge but doesn't allow us to reflect too much on our situation.

Tragic really, but as long as we don't overthink it and are able to enjoy our time here it can still be a fascinating journey. So I think we should just keep building this grand civilization, somehow get rid of all the small minded people (no Nazi methods though, just keep them at bay somehow or educate them) that think in races and religions and other divisive crap and conquer the stars. This would give us some much needed goal and our intellect the kind of purpose it deserves.

Sadly today most people seem to flock to defeatist ideologies like the global warming hysteria ("set back the clocks! technology is evil!") or isolationism which inevitably leads to regression.

It's really a shame, utopian dreams are not en vogue any more.

 

42

Now you just need to figure out the question answered by this and you can close this thread.

[Jazzman]

Living for the day is hardly the purpose of life, to find a place to stay and make it comfortable and safe is. That means we're genetically focused on ourselves, the partner, the family, the clan, the friends, all those we know by face and name, those that matter. That's our little world we we're born into, the only one we can truly grasp and that will put us in the ground and mourn when the time has come. We haven't changed much since we've left the clan cave to live uprooted in big town where the city is the family that doesn't care much about us anymore, the artificial ID card nation that is sold as imaginary clan to make us believe that the empire is the true tribe we'd belong to. When we return home in a plastic bag from just another war in foreign lands father might mutter 'long time no see, child'. Brave new world, the dark world of political man that has lured us away from home in Piet Piper fashion with his bitter-sweet propaganda melody of the ideology of hate, farther and father away until home becomes a mere faint memory and we a foolish tool for selfish, lying wizards of destruction hidden behind the curtain of distraction just as in the Land of Oz.

[Guest]

I dont buy into the "meaning is subjectie" shtick. Though it is important to find what you enjoy in life. In the end, death IS what makes life valuable. It wouldnt be very special if we all had unlimited of it. Just like how light cannot exist without dark. As for meaning, the meaning of life is the one and only moment you will ever experience anything, one you will miss if you dont live to the fullest. Fullest doesnt mean extreme, a humble life can be just as full, as long as you are being good to society, the people you love, and yourself.

 

After-life is a fallback, because obviously no one knows what it is or what happens when you get there, because it doesnt exist. After-life has a subjective meaning, because it doesnt have an objective one. This is why we assume if an after-life does exist that it would be to our liking. Maybe the after-life is just you floating in the eterntal torment of boredom, maybe the Greek gods were the correct ones, and we all go to the underworld. The after-life could be scarier than real death, but since its not real people can picture it as this perfect place all they like. 

 

All good things come to an end. Death is scary, delusion is scarier. 

[KoolHndLuke]

Death does not define Life. Death is a transition from one state to another. Much like the cells that make up every living organism, each person's life is a contribution to the whole of Humanity. Some will contribute to the living experiment more than others. But our purpose is to contribute something. I don't mean picking up trash in your community or running for local office either. We are both the focus and involuntary participants. We are contributing unwittingly through any and all of our actions. Ultimately this must mean that life is defined by our very existence. You, me, they, those, the others, those that aren't yet, those that have been are life. We are life and the definition of it all rolled into one giant consciousness that will continue to learn and grow until the last living thing is no more. Now my "meaning" is clear to me and I need not stress over it anymore. Still, I would like to have more life, because I am just greedy that way.

[A Bitter Doggo]

I cannot believe that there is some otherworldly entity governing our lives, but what I do believe in is that there is more to life than just be born, eat, drink, shit, work, fuck, die. And thus I cannot either believe in the idea that when we actually do die that's the end of the line. If that was the case then mankind is the answer to "what is the world's shittiest invention ever made"? No. I believe that mankind is meant for some greater purpose (for better or for worse), it's just that we ourselves do not have the mental capability to understand said purpose. Maybe because we weren't handed the instruction manual for life properly, or maybe we are already fulfilling our purpose even as we speak, without even knowing it. How can anyone tell really? And would we really want to know the answer? What if mankind is actually a cancer slowly devouring Earth, because it is our programmed purpose to destroy it? Would that be a satisfying answer? Not to mention for exactly what purpose would we destroy it? Existential questions like these are what keeps me up at night, but at the same time I realise that the more I think about it, the more it scares me, and in the end I am just content with not knowing. Better to just go on with the classic "ignorance is bliss" and then come to the realisation that maybe, just maybe, some sort of explanation will come after death. But until that moment, I'd recommend to go on living by whatever definition of living you hold dear. Pondering upon questions of mankind's importance or insignificance in the bigger picture of the universe isn't healthy for the psyche. I should know.

 

"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of the infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far." ― H.P. Lovecraft

[formanfred]

while on this plane of existence,we should live life to the full and keep singing that monty python song Allways look on the bright side of life