What is the meaning of life? (other than 42)

soccerfreaks

Doug_B said:

Purpose vs Meaning
Hi Phillip,

Great question. Perhaps a comparison would be a good place to start.

What is the purpose for living? As human beings, we live to create. Take a look around. Anything that was not created by nature (us included) was at one time a thought in someones mind that materialized into substance. From the first widget to the most updated widget, improvement is an ongoing creation. Science is forever proving and disproving theories. It doesn't stop. One hundred years from now we will be living in a completely different world, a world created by mankinds thoughts and actions.

What is the meaning of life? Thats a little harder to define because we can't reach out and put our hands on it. Before cancer my definition was to fulfill my duties and expectations to the best of my ability in an ethical manner. After my enlightening experience with cancer, my definition was abruptly changed. I live to serve and return all the goodness that was shown me in some of my darkest hours. If I can help one other human being find the proper frame of mind to face adversity and better themselves in the process, my understanding of the meaning of life has been defined. It is an ongoing process that reinforces itself as our actions and time passes. We have to make a conscious willful effort and be aware that our actions do impact other peoples lives thus giving us a meaning to life.

By the way, a cigar is not always just a cigar. It is a conduit to an experience that becomes a memory.

Hope my two cents shed a little light on the subject. Wait a minute, make that a buck.

Godspeed and Good Health,

Doug

Your distinction between purpose and meaning is an interesting one. And your reference to a cigar not always being a cigar brings to mind the work of Magritte ("Ce n'est pas une pipe"), whether intended or not a reminder of the self-referential nature of the question and any answers provided.

I like the idea that the purpose of life is to create, but I would say that narrowing the definition to an examination of 'widgets' reduces the lives of most who have lived, most who are living, and most who will live, to nothingness.

I would say instead, that biologically-speaking our clear purpose is to create, to procreate, that is, and also to evolve. I would say that that evolution in our case includes the ability to create not only widgets but art, ideas, and emotional value.

Which is to say that I would not limit our purpose to creation but would certainly include evolution as well.

In this regard, if that is all of the purpose that there is, then we are little (if at all) different from any other species: all are designed to create and evolve, or so it appears -- we just happen to be in the gifted program.

The meaning aspect of your dichotomy, I suggest, makes for the distinction between our species and others (if there is one, and I believe that there is). This is where things get personal, where they get, perhaps, spiritual, where they dissolve into a morass of existential angst, where they blossom into the lightness of being.

Or not.

Take care,

Joe

Balentine

soccerfreaks said:

Your distinction between purpose and meaning is an interesting one. And your reference to a cigar not always being a cigar brings to mind the work of Magritte ("Ce n'est pas une pipe"), whether intended or not a reminder of the self-referential nature of the question and any answers provided.

I like the idea that the purpose of life is to create, but I would say that narrowing the definition to an examination of 'widgets' reduces the lives of most who have lived, most who are living, and most who will live, to nothingness.

I would say instead, that biologically-speaking our clear purpose is to create, to procreate, that is, and also to evolve. I would say that that evolution in our case includes the ability to create not only widgets but art, ideas, and emotional value.

Which is to say that I would not limit our purpose to creation but would certainly include evolution as well.

In this regard, if that is all of the purpose that there is, then we are little (if at all) different from any other species: all are designed to create and evolve, or so it appears -- we just happen to be in the gifted program.

The meaning aspect of your dichotomy, I suggest, makes for the distinction between our species and others (if there is one, and I believe that there is). This is where things get personal, where they get, perhaps, spiritual, where they dissolve into a morass of existential angst, where they blossom into the lightness of being.

Or not.

Take care,

Joe

To Praise God
I believe our purpose or meaning in life is to praise and glorify God in all that we think, say and do. To offer our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him. Our purpose is simple....to allow the life of Christ to flow through us to others. God makes things very simple....it is us who make it complicated.
Lorrie

mariam_11_09

To remove all obstacles and

To remove all obstacles and obscurations between ourselves and God. To stand naked in the presence of Allah.

To be honest, dunno really, but the above seems to make sense to me. There is nothing more important that being in the presence of God.

PhillieG

Balentine said:

To Praise God
I believe our purpose or meaning in life is to praise and glorify God in all that we think, say and do. To offer our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him. Our purpose is simple....to allow the life of Christ to flow through us to others. God makes things very simple....it is us who make it complicated.
Lorrie

Glad to see you're enjoying this Forum Lorrie
Welcome Lorrie,
It's a good place to express our views on all things spiritual and/or religious. It's sort of like you wouldn't post a thyroid cancer question in a forum that is about colon cancer. It keeps medical questions where they can be easily searched and then "Bigger Life Questions" are kept here for discussion or just for expression.

I posted this earlier but I like it so I will post it again.
I think that Joseph Campbell put it best:
"Life is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it. The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be. Being alive is the meaning." I like this much better. I think it is up to each of us to determine what our purpose is, if any, and to try to get there. I personally do not think that I am here on a mission of great importance at all. There have been times where I've felt the meaning or my purpose in life is to help people deal with their cancer so maybe that is the importance.

I've glad you found the meaning in your life. I think it's healthy to have however it comes out for each of us.
-phil

Balentine

mariam_11_09 said:

To remove all obstacles and

To remove all obstacles and obscurations between ourselves and God. To stand naked in the presence of Allah.

To be honest, dunno really, but the above seems to make sense to me. There is nothing more important that being in the presence of God.

Thanks
Thanks Phil for the welcome. I appreciate it. Does not seem to be too many people coming here....hopefully that will change soon. God bless and Let God Be Magnified!
Lorrie