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What is the purpose behind our existence? I find it empty and generally difficult and painful.

I find no meaning in it.

What do you find? What do you believe?

(42 is the meaning to life, universe and everything, smartasses, I'm limiting it to one of those 3. Which I guess is 14 depending on how you do your math.)

I learned about life from watching my dog. If you can't eat it or hump it, piss on it.

You know I am not really sure, I have often wondered this very thing myself.

I would love to be able to have some beautiful/sentimental reason to list but I don't. I think the main thing that keeps me going is the fact that I want to find that reason/meaning for my life. I don't want my life to have no meaning so I have the purpose of living and striving to find that special reason/meaning that finally makes my life worth living.

stienman said:

Men are, that they might have joy.

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I'm not sure how I feel about this. My friend has a comparable belief stemming from his own religious convictions. It begs "what is joy" and calls into question various religious restrictions, which I would posit restrict joy, though others would argue steer us from misery: that difference in reasoning is possibly unresolvable, but also neither here nor there.

What is meaning: to have joy. So, what is joy? I mean, yes, maybe it's turtles all the way down, but then it all seems a bit... abyssy

My life philosophy is to spend as much time doing exactly what I want to as possible

That confirms some suspicions.

I don't think there is some galactic force that gives you a purpose in life. You make your life what you want to make of it. Find your own purpose.


And try not to hurt too many other people...

sixpackshaker said:

I don't think there is some galactic force that gives you a purpose in life. You make your life what you want to make of it. Find your own purpose.


And try not to hurt too many other people...

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Unless that IS your purpose.

Then kill them all, and you're a GOD.

sixpackshaker said:

I don't think there is some galactic force that gives you a purpose in life. You make your life what you want to make of it. Find your own purpose.


And try not to hurt too many other people...

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See, I also take issue with this. If my purpose is my own design or discovery, and I find that journey difficult or fruitless, what ought to propel me to keep going? I guess I'm supposed to have an inherent or evolutionary attachment to life, but, practically, if there's no objective purpose, then I don't want to just manufacture one, and live out for some lie. If life were enjoyable for me, I could consider perhaps just riding it out, but I don't really... like it.

I appreciate how dreary this sounds, but lately my sounding boards for this type of philosophising have been unavailable, so now I subject the forum to my grim view of existence.

As many answers as there are people who have thought about it.
Personally, I end up somewhere with the hedonists - which is ironic considering my lifestyle (boring job, simply happy together thing with my girlfriend, lots of mental issues, a distinct lack of fun).
I'm not at all convinced there's an actual, higher, defined "meaning" for life. That is, I don't know if there's reason someone decided that hey, let's have (human) life! Seems like a good way to achieve [goal]. If the Earth is one big computer, I haven't realized it yet from in here.
Some people find hope/faith in religion. I envy them. Some find real and deep meaning in trying to raise their offspring as good as possible. Some see the reason for life as making the world a better place for others.
All of those are nice and sound good, but convincing yourself can be hard if they aren't what you feel inside, yourself.As far as I can make out, as I said, it's pretty hedonistic (in the original sense): our purpose, as self-aware life, is to have the greatest amount of happiness. Everyone needs to define that for themselves, though, and I don't necessarily mean it in the way "hedonistic" is usually interpreted - booze and whore your life away for there is nothing more. Perhaps on the contrary, as most people find pure pursuits of personal enjoyment ultimately unfulfilling. If you can find joy in raising children, there it is. If you can find contentment in spending your time giving to the community in a soup kitchen, there you go. If you find you feel you achieve the most you can through climbing Mount Everest, that may be where you find meaning.

Unfortunately, I find myself in the situation that I don't know how or where I could feel like I achieve something special, or how I can feel fulfilled with what I have done so far; I haven't yet found what fills me with joy of the real kind. Quite the opposite, this makes me feel like I'm sort of wasting my time here, sitting around on the couch after work, just wasting time watching tv and doing absolutely nothing of worth, while I could, potentially, if only I knew how, be doing something to make a difference.
It isn't helped by me being both lazy and supplied with a body that can feel like a jail at times. So, err, you may want to follow someone else's advice if you're looking for a way out of your slump.

However, if you do know what it is that gives you pleasure in life and makes you feel fulfilled, you should definitely pursue it and feel good about doing it, no matter how trivial it may seem to some. One man's crumb is another man's feast and all that, and you never know what you may achieve through seemingly insignificant things.

And no, this isn't some sort of solipsistic/egoistical thing - because behaving properly towards others (such as "not deserting your spouse to go and have that threesome you always wanted" or whatever sort of "it'll make me feel good so let's do it" crazy you might want to think up) can, in and of itself, be a reason to feel good or proud about yourself.

Why does there have to be a purpose? And why should it just be provided for you?

GasBandit said:

Why does there have to be a purpose? And why should it just be provided for you?

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There doesn't have to be, but if there isn't one, I'm finding it very difficult to rationalise why I get up in the mornings.

There is also no reason it "should" just be provided for me, but since I seem incapable of finding it, and that is among the things that make me quite miserable, I guess I'd appreciate it being provided. I guess assuming there is a meaning but it is concealed from me just seems deleterious to my mental welfare, and kind of like a practical joke I don't have the good humour to take in stride. "There is meaning... buuuuuut we're not telling you what that is." Oh. Okay.

That sucks.

For me, anyway. I mean, people seem fine with all sorts of things. The certainty of religious beliefs, the uncertainty and mystery of the universe, the hope of a better world, the optimism of future generations. I do not have or share these things. I see life as basically empty, with lots of internal suffering that I am simply exhausted by, and moments of fun and joy that are insufficient encouragements to endure the former.

42.

(C'mon, SOMEONE had to go there.)

jwhouk said:

42.

(C'mon, SOMEONE had to go there.)

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From the OP:

Chad Sexington said:

(42 is the meaning to life, universe and everything, smartasses, I'm limiting it to one of those 3. Which I guess is 14 depending on how you do your math.)

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What keeps me going is seeing what happens next.

Just shut up and drive.

To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.

(Had to.)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I always kinda took comfort in there not being a meaning. It's liberating to just live for myself instead of a higher purpose.

I don't need to spread some religion because my all loving god is going to hate me if I don't. I don't need to have shitty little kids to help keep an overly populated species going. I just have to do what makes me happy.

Life is what you make of it.
That's it.

To advance the species. This can be genetically, but it may be more important to do so in other ways (scientifically, technologically, etc.) Why advancement? We don't know our purpose until we advance. It is the answer rather than the reason; The answer to the meaning of our lives is in the distant future and you or I will likely never know it. It may be that it was all pointless happenstance. Discovery is the only way to find out for sure. So for the time being, the purpose for you and I, the answer is: Progress. Improve our lot.

"...to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8, NLT)

I truly find it fascinating that everyone seems to have (a variety of) beliefs that encourage them to live, while I struggle to see any real incentive to continue my existence. It makes me very curious about how you can draw those conclusions, while I seem unable to, and not for lack of exploration.

Chad Sexington said:

I truly find it fascinating that everyone seems to have (a variety of) beliefs that encourage them to live, while I struggle to see any real incentive to continue my existence. It makes me very curious about how you can draw those conclusions, while I seem unable to, and not for lack of exploration.

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Well, in case you missed it, at the very least, you're not alone

Except... I do feel very alone. haha.

What hobbies do you have? What do you like doing?

I can't find it now, but at one point I had a list of several things that typically motivate people. Curiosity, authority, connection, receiving admiration from others, etc.

For instance, if I didn't have other things I wanted to do more, I could simply sit in front of a computer and learn new things all day, all week, all month, all year. I would have enjoyed being a perpetual student. Curiosity distracts me from almost everything else.

I do know that if I let myself remain idle for any length of time, my thoughts do tend toward depression. I have to keep my mind, and often hands, engaged in something constructive, curious, thoughtful, etc.

I don't know what you might find interesting. Some people enjoy comics/anime/etc. Movies, reading, etc. these are acts of consumption and feed curiosity.

Others might get into model railroads, programming, web design, construction, etc. acts of creativity and construction can feed a variety of needs. Some people need to show off their works to gain admiration of others, while some merely need to create, the only reward being that they got something out of their head into the real world.

Some thrive on activism and politics. Being able to make a point that is heard, agreed upon,and promoted by others brings a great deal of satisfaction to the person who started it. A modification of this motivation would be arguing, and there are several examples on is forum of people who can argue either side of an issue and find pleasure in being able to fight with others using words, thoughts, etc.

Most people have one or two main motivators, but can derive pleasure and happiness from most of them. Motivation may change throughout ones life, which is why you find some people doing one thing for years, then suddenly realizing they've lost the motivation and love they used to have for it, and have been doing it recently merely because its what they've always done.

Now here's an interesting thing about human nature: the opposite can also happen.

If you start doing something which is now meaningless to you, simply going through the motions, you may develop a love or motivation for it, particularly if you expand on it in directions that tickle your fancy.

I suspect that choosing an activity which can result in many motivations being filled would be good. It may not be the physical activity of track layout that makes you happy about model railroading, but the reactions you get from others when you post your track layout online. Or perusing the many technologies surrounding the hobby. Or being creative and designing and building your own set pieces that are accurate for the obscure town you're recreating. Or working with others online to develop the next generation of track controls, or having a live video feed of your train online that always has a few dozen interested viewers. Or the podcast/blog/video blog that you make discussing your foray into the hobby.

Lastly, one thing that I find that almost always helps (not fixes or erases) for loneliness and depression is serving others. Not only are you helping them, but you're also helping yourself feel useful and wanted, which is something that can be hard to see when you are focusing on your problems and loneliness. You are needed, you can help others. It may seem like a lot of work for no reward, but you might be surprised at how the heartfelt gratitude of others makes you feel, and right now you're really battling with your own feelings.

Have you tried Sex, Drugs and/or Rock and Roll?

Never one to back down from an existential crisis, I've found that my meaning of life is tautological; my meaning of life is to search for a meaning. And I find the hints of that meaning as I progress through life; relationships, travel, doing good deeds. All play a part in creating a larger meaning.

After sleeplessness, panic attacks, and bouts with nihilism, I feel like my mind is protecting me from the fear and confusion that this question causes. One morning I woke up and was content to go about my routine and enjoy the day to day with family and friends without searching for anything more. Maybe that's just what I need right now, or maybe it's what I'll continue to live for. I live every day trying to help, not harm and find new things to learn and enjoy. It's really surprising how easily this decision came to me. Sometimes I feel lazy for not "searching" anymore, I guess, but I feel healthier and happier. Maybe it's okay to make peace with not knowing.

Chad Sexington said:

I truly find it fascinating that everyone seems to have (a variety of) beliefs that encourage them to live, while I struggle to see any real incentive to continue my existence. It makes me very curious about how you can draw those conclusions, while I seem unable to, and not for lack of exploration.

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Because they are after-the-fact justifications, not motivations in their own right. There are no truths spoken in this thread. You won't find any answers, only some options to talk yourself into believing as plausible.

MindDetective said:

There are no truths spoken in this thread.

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I'm not looking for truth -or, I am, but I do not expect it here- but I am looking to see how other people cope with the big questions.

I despair; I am good at despair. Each day gets a little harder to see how any answer could be satisfying enough to make this pain worthwhile. Each day the surreal silent din of oblivion tempts me more. But instead I wake up, go off to work, do a good job, and make an income to support an existence I feel resentful of.

I guess it's extraordinarily difficult for me to see things from the points of view of any of you. I don't mean to proselytize my depression, as though this awful twisted and cold reality is the one you too should see. I am sometimes stressed that I feel poorly understood and that I understand other people so poorly.

I appreciate all feedback to this, though. I asked the question in earnest. I really do wonder what people understand meaning to be, and how to derive meaning in life. I appreciate everyone's thoughts, everyone's feedback, everyone's counter-questions.

My father drunkenly told me and a group of my friends it was 'pussy, even if you're a woman! still pussy!' when I was like 11.

Been mulling over this for over a decade.

I've battled depression for most of my life as well. I've tried to find truth or meaning to why I'm here in everything from science to religion. I often get to feeling like it's a big joke as well, but I'm too cowardly to attempt suicide. I just find myself trudging along, hoping that someday I might find an answer to my purpose. In the end, I just have to come terms with the fact that "I am". Even though I'm often an emotional wreck, I put on a smile and help when I can. I try to be as decent of a person as I can be, because nobody else seems to be trying to be, so I might as well be one of the few that is. It's tough, it feels unfair, and I've shed enough tears to last several lifetimes. But for some reason I hold on to that glimmer of hope that things will get better, that karma does exist, and that I'll eventually find out why "I am". And it gives me a small amount of comfort.

No answer, found anywhere, offered by anyone, even discovered for yourself, is going to sound satisfying or real if you're suffering from depression, because when you're suffering from depression, everything sucks. There isn't room for being neutral on questions like this--everything about it going to look sucky through the eyes of depression. Finding a purpose cannot cure depression, but working through depression can free the mind so that it can find purpose.

Many people who've never actually suffered from depression don't realize how debilitating it can be. I remember specifically the reactions to a picture that was posted in one of the threads with a noose and the inside of the noose being all bright and sunny. That picture really spoke to me on a deep level because that's exactly how I've felt in the throes of depression. It doesn't mean that it was an encouragement of suicide, but rather what it feels like for a person who is actually suffering from depression.

I was highly offended by that image.

Think I stopped stressing about the meaning of life, the universe and everything about the time I joined the Corps. I'm sure there is doubtless some smart-ass response to that from some libtard out there, but honestly, when my life was broken down to the simplest of tasks and pushing myself harder than I ever had before in my life, my soul was at peace.

Now, this has obviously been adjusted as I've gotten into law enforcement and had to deal with the seedier side of humanity, but I found peace from my depression and over-active mind in service. Service to my country, service to my community. I strive to be a good example to my junior officers, to show the people around me that not all cops are corrupt, power-abusing, innocent-beating doughnut-scroungers. At the same time, I try and show that we're not all so dedicated to enforcing the law that we become soulless robots.

I work hard to protect the law-abiding without succumbing to the temptations inherent in this job, and I am content with my lot, for the most part. (I'd rather be back in the military, all things considered, but that's something else).

I'm not saying that a life of service is for everyone, but it can be pretty fulfilling, if you're looking for a direction. If nothing else, it can expose you to elements that you wouldn't normally associate with - broadens your horizons.

One of the things I always think when I read about like in service (which was not an option for me, but I could have definitely befitted from) is that it sounds like the push and strain really leads to awareness. At the risk of spouting hippy-type platitudes, I've found that existential crisis is often thwarted by simply being aware of what you're doing and focusing on the actual world as opposed to living inside my head all of the time. It's one of the ways I deal with my own depression, which in my twenties was crippling but now is just something I deal with.

Matthew Inman (of TheOatmeal fame) just took a stab at answering this very question.
His results look promising, but we need to see if they can be replicated by independent researchers.

Volunteers?

--Patrick

Oh man, I was dying at the "Vanity" page!

Officer_Charon said:

Think I stopped stressing about the meaning of life, the universe and everything about the time I joined the Corps. I'm sure there is doubtless some smart-ass response to that from some libtard out there...

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I've been told I resemble a libtard, but here's my response: I don't feel your comment is out of place at all.
I firmly believe* a person can't achieve satisfaction/enlightenment/purpose/whatever until he** dedicates himself to something he sees as larger than himself. What it is does not matter. Gangs, religion, brand identity, political party, or TV series devotee. What does matter is that he believe in it fully*.

--Patrick
*As a tenet. A Truth. A maxim. A thing which repels argument by sheer force of veracity.
**Substitute with pronouns that are genderless if you so require it.

I'm kind of dissapointed in OC's use of the term "libtard", but I agree with PatrThom's assessment.

Bowielee said:

I'm kind of dissapointed in OC's use of the term "libtard"

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Insensitivity transcends all demographics. No one is immune.

--Patrick

My bike has sat in the shed since we moved to the new house... in 2006.
I never replaced any of the gear that burned in 2005.
I bought running shoes while in the in-between house. The box is in my closet, still unopened.

I had a heart attack in 2008. I'm scared of what could happen if I start running again. How much is too much at the start?

I COULD DO 10Ks IN UNDER AN HOUR IN MY MID-30S, DAMMIT!! I want that back, or at least some of it.

Screw it. There's the rail trail downtown. It's flat, and marked with posts every mile.

As soon as I get home, I should get changed, go there, and jog to the first post and back.

And then a little faster the next day. And then a little faster. And so on.

Never fucking mind. The blergh wins. Everyone else wants their piece of my time, money, and energy.

I'm not fit to drive right now, so I'm just going to bed.

I have been literally typing and erasing answers for the last five minutes, here are the top four.

The meaning in life is the belief that life has meaning(yes that is from the Community Christmas special, it had a HUGE impact on me).

To exist, and keep on existing.

That no matter how small our action we will leave an impact on this world.

And this one applies specifically to me- to utterly confound, confuse, and bring chaos wherever I go all for the greater good. Also to fight the reptiloid armada, but that goes without saying.

The basic question has always confounded me in that it's vague enough to be "deep" but not specific enough that it is the same question for every person.

Operationally, what are our definitions of meaning?

We tend to throw around words assuming that we're all talking about the same thing, but my definition of meaning in terms of life, the universe and everything may differ from yours.

Yoshimickster said:

Also to fight the reptiloid armada, but that goes without saying.

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Today you have made an enemy!

Timmus said:

Today you have made an enemy!

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Than we shall fight in the stars! FREEDOM TO THE ZETAS!

Propagation of the species

Terrik said:

Propagation of the species

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End thread.

I feel a little cheated, actually. I spent a lot of time crafting what I believe to be the perfect definition of "success" (as I define it), but I don't have anything ready-made for "meaning of life."

--Patrick

Welp. Good thing I went to bed instead of doing... anything else. Because I got called into work at 5. That's like 2am to the rest of you. And I still have the Sunday overnight shift to go.

Friday's paycheck is gonna be sweeeet.

Bowielee said:

I'm kind of dissapointed in OC's use of the term "libtard", but I agree with PatrThom's assessment.

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There's Liberal, there's VERY Liberal, there's DANGEROUSLY liberal, and then there's Libtarded, somewhere about a mile left of Lenin.

Conservatism has the same sliding scale, IMO.

Officer_Charon said:

There's Liberal, there's VERY Liberal, there's DANGEROUSLY liberal, and then there's Libtarded, somewhere about a mile left of Lenin.

Conservatism has the same sliding scale, IMO.

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But on the other corners of the interwebs it means, anyone that agrees with anything Obama says.

Thanks, Obama...

While I absolutely agree there are libtards out there (some of them still seem to live on my facebook wall ), as the cute dog said - it's a derogatory term used so often and to imply such a large group of people, it's hard to see it as used correctly, even when used correctly. Much like "neocon" or "neolib", it's lost all meaning.

Apologies for unknowingly having given offense... didn't know that the term was so pejorative... thought it was a blanket term for the folks who were liberal to the point of losing common sense.

Replace use of "libtard" with "dumbass." *raises eyebrow*

It's only offensive to libtards.

Bowielee said:

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You asked for it!

I'm a left-wing bleeding heart liberal, but I know far too many people like that to not find most of them funny. As blown-up stereotypes for jokes, of course. Too bad some are really that bad in rela life, too

(note: some are more questionable, but let's be nice)

@Officer_Badass: not so much that it's such a pejorative term, but using it is like using the term "commie nazi" when referring to Obama, or "sheeple" when referring to the unwashed masses - it tends to undercut your trustworthiness/how serious you're taken, because it's a term mostly used exclusively by one extreme end ofthe spectrum to identify the whol other half of the spectrum. It can be used to only identify the other extreme, by people closer to the center, but it's rarely used like that these days.


*edit* Better comparison: the term "feminazi". On he one hand, even convinced feminists and female/minority/other rights activists have to acknowledge there *is* a very, very small group of people who fit this bill - the type of women who think the human race would be better off without men and just artificial insemination, that sort of thing. On the other hand, most people who use the term "feminazi" do so as a way to paint all feminists/equal rights activists with one big broad brush and equate anyone who thinks a female High Justice is a good idea, to one of the former - it's a way of trying to identify any and all of your opponents by their most extreme examples, thus making fighting them easier.

GB, could you maybe put that in quotes so at least you're not breaking the thread for people with slower connections?

Bowielee said:

GB, could you maybe put that in quotes so at least you're not breaking the thread for people with slower connections?

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An even better idea might be to put it in spoilers

Bowielee said:

GB, could you maybe put that in quotes so at least you're not breaking the thread for people with slower connections?

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Well, I'm not sure it helps, but I spoilered it. The reason I'm not sure it helps is because, as noted in the xenforo update thread, the new spoiler plugin is initially loading all spoilers as "open" and then closing them as soon as the page is loaded...

Besides, they're less than 7 megs total we post gifs bigger than that routinely.

Now go post it over there.

(can I have your stuff?)

1) Man, now that is a strategically placed bedsheet.

2) Oh man his face ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

GasBandit said:

1) Man, now that is a strategically placed bedsheet.

2) Oh man his face ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

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Actually resembles BananaHands, hahaha