Watch the videos from Jordan Peterson on the meaning of life. I found myself agreeing with him on the understanding that the meaning of life is the responsibilities you take on. Don't remember in which video he said: "You're useless! You're very fragile, you easily die, why should you live?" "Well, you can at least move this burden from here to there, so that's why you're not completely useless" Doing something for the sake of (taking responsability for) yourself, your family and friends, and possibly for humankind, I think that might be what gives life meaning in a good way. But you can always try becoming an evil overlord.
Whatever it was in my childhood, I'm sure that I don't remember what it was anymore.... Fore now, I guess....something? Yeah, I don't have one for now. Just do my daily routine like a robot without any meaning.
putting a "meaning" on life seems meaningless to me. I'm here, i'm reading some novels, later i might eat
I've only lived 20 odd years in this world. What do i know about life when i haven't fully lived yet. I'll get back to you when i'm around 60, hopefully. At that time i would have most of the answer ready.
Well... You can go the Babylon 5 way. The universe is a living being. And a sentient and living being it wants to understand itself so what can it do to do that? You can fragment yourself and slowly figure yourself out piece by piece. You are a fragment of the universe and what you learn and experience you take back to the whole when you die. Or something like that...
I live to outlive my enemies!!! But on a serious note life is meaningless for me. You can give your own meaning ( like pancakes) or just live because you are alive. Upto you.
Er..... my purpose in life..... let's see........ to find and read interesting romance or comedy novel/manga....... play video games...... and play with as many cats as possbile....... Edit: and i realy wish that i could live till the day mankind start a nuclear warfare
I am a materialistic epicurean who is also jobless and broke. I like to get a cheap cup of chocolate ice-cream every now and then. A few cheap trinkets to collect and maybe some exotic plants. I like reading, from philosophy to web-novels. I like home made food that my mom makes, i also like the street food around here. I like learning new stuff and getting new hobbies. To be more concise, life to me is like a free mmorpg. I will find quests, level up my character and just have random fun doing whatever i feel like is fun before it's game over. Life is too short anyway.
Not much reason. Just try enjoy the enjoyable things, while minimising the unpleasant things. Keep on living because there's a chance something really enjoyable might happen, and the thoughts and process up to dying would be very unpleasant, meaning I want to avoid it.
I am a simple guy I just want to be the best I can be and experience all good things this life has to offer.
@Eithne is not asking for THE meaning of life, because that would imply there is ONE answer. He's asking what meaning do YOU give to life, and whether you found a purpose. Which may also be a flawed/pointless question with tons of unnecessary implications. (1) Because there doesn't HAVE to be meaning and/or purpose to our lives. Most people may feel a desire for meaning (according to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs ... which actually isn't a hierarchy), but it's not an absolute need (unlike food/shelter/etc). Let's take the example that some previous posters mentioned. Enjoyment. Just because they like enjoyment, doesn't necessarily mean that they consciously set enjoyment as the meaning/purpose/goal to their lives. It just turned out that way. Some other people find value in carrying responsibility, others to family. In all cases they derive some form of satisfaction from it. But it's not as if without it they'd be dead. (2) You actually need to define "meaning" and "purpose" first. According to the MPP theory, Merriam-Webster and several other Google sources: - Meaning is the symbolic value of something (in this instance you're pointing to "life"). It requires you to understanding meaningful vs meaningless, and important vs unimportant. http://www.drpaulwong.com/differentiating-between-meaning-and-purpose-and-why-it-matters/ - Purpose is what you DO to attempt to achieve your desired meaning. This is something you define on your own, and may/may not actually help you achieve your desired meaning. Some guys want to be rich (purpose) because they think it makes them happy (meaning). Obviously doesn't always work. So you see a bunch of rich guys in their later years turning to philanthropy in an attempt to give their lives more purpose and subsequently derive more meaning. Human society attached a "meaning" to life because some smart-ass/prophet/philosopher/religious nut said there was some lofty value in doing so, or blindly attributed it to intelligent design. While lofty goals may indeed inspire humans to strive forward and be "the best they can be", it's typically humans with an excess of time and/or wealth who can think about this. Otherwise they'd be too busy just trying to work 3 jobs, raise their kids and survive (again, Maslow's "hierarchy" of needs). Not everyone can aspire to be a certain historical/mythical figures (Buddha, Jesus or whatever you want to believe) to undergo suffering/starvation/torture and reach enlightenment for the masses.