What gives your life meaning?

[Qchan]

The question is what gives your life meaning.

If your life has no meaning, go ahead and die.

My life has meaning because i am working on something no one else has done, a hard skinned 7 foot boat that can be backpacked.
helping my terminally ill wife enjoy what is left of her life.
Enjoying the lives of my children and grandchildren as they grow and change.
Enjoying the outdoors and nature when I go camping.
Riding my mountain bike when camping, and on the nature trails not far from where I live.

This provides meaning and purpose to my life.
Writing, photography, writing a journal for my grandkids, all these thing can serve as a legacy to them.
Writing and producing a journal of my father's experience in WW1 from his diary, and my mother's life growing up on the first farms in Idaho, telling the stories to pass on to other generations.

As I said, it has exactly as much meaning as you give it.

The question was what gives your life meaning, not the meaning of life; a semantic difference.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buqtdpuZxvk

And when your wife dies, then what? What would've been the purpose of her life? After you and your grand children die, she won't be remembered, and her existence on this planet would be long forgotten. So, what meaning does she have?

Same with you. When you die, all the accomplishments you've made and everything you stood for would mean nothing. Generations from now, no one will remember you, and it'll be as if you've never existed. You say the projects you're doing gives your life meaning. Your projects are no more important than a bird's project to build its nest. No more important than a beaver's project to build its dam.

Contemplating on the meaning of life is pointless and silly, don't you agree?

[stromboli]

I don't contemplate, I do. Life is dynamic or static. If you want to sit around and bemoan your eventual or imminent death, be my guest. I'm doing things to make life purposeful to myself and others.

Glacier National Park is almost without glaciers. I went there and recorded what remained on film and am leaving books with pictures of their beauty for my children and grandchildren, so they can see how beautiful it was and work to regain the beauty that was lost. Perhaps pointless, but there is purpose to doing it.

And the statement in the OP is what gives meaning to your life, not what is the meaning of life. Life might be ultimately meaningless, but you can still pursue projects and be creative and enjoy what you can before you die.

Ever hear of Terry Pratchett? One of my favorite writers. He died a few days ago. But he leaves behind him a wealth of literature and millions of readers who have been changed and elevated by his work. He had Alzheimer's. He was even contemplating his own suicide. Yet he continued to the end, and we are all enriched by his efforts.

If he had decided his life was purposeless and never written a word, we would not have been enriched and enlightened by it. My own motto is the only direction that matters is forward, because I have seen many people give up on life and simply stop caring, and allowing themselves to die. I refuse to do that.

So go drink yourself into oblivion or whatever and feel sorry for yourself because your life is ultimately purposeless. Like I've said about 3 times, life has exactly as much purpose as you give it. You give it no purpose it has none.

[Mike Cl]

[quote author=Qchan link=topic=7288.msg1064749#msg1064749 date=1426562027

Same with you. When you die, all the accomplishments you've made and everything you stood for would mean nothing. Generations from now, no one will remember you, and it'll be as if you've never existed. You say the projects you're doing gives your life meaning. Your projects are no more important than a bird's project to build its nest. No more important than a beaver's project to build its dam.

Contemplating on the meaning of life is pointless and silly, don't you agree?
[/quote]

When anyone dies, the meaning that life gave them will die with that person.  Their projects or accomplishments may live on for awhile, but they will not give their life meaning because they don't have a life--they're dead.  And  will be dead for generations to come.  So what?  The meaning I find in my life is for right here and right now.  I could give a rats ass if that meaning lives on or not.  And I may find a different meaning tomorrow.  I don't live my life for tomorrow, but for right now.   Contemplating on the meaning of life is not either pointless or silly.  I find it rather amusing.  But contemplating on the meaning of life does not give my life meaning.  I do.  Or not.  It's up to me. 

[PickelledEggs]

Life has meaning. It means "not dead".

Seriously

[GSOgymrat]

And when your wife dies, then what? What would've been the purpose of her life? After you and your grand children die, she won't be remembered, and her existence on this planet would be long forgotten. So, what meaning does she have?

Same with you. When you die, all the accomplishments you've made and everything you stood for would mean nothing. Generations from now, no one will remember you, and it'll be as if you've never existed. You say the projects you're doing gives your life meaning. Your projects are no more important than a bird's project to build its nest. No more important than a beaver's project to build its dam.

Contemplating on the meaning of life is pointless and silly, don't you agree?

No, I don't. Just because life doesn't endure doesn't mean it is pointless.  Humans try to make sense of the universe around them by looking for patterns and trying to affect change. We question, wonder and explore. You may not appreciate being alive but I definitely do and I often think about how to make the best of the time I have.

[Qchan]

No, I don't. Just because life doesn't endure doesn't mean it is pointless.  Humans try to make sense of the universe around them by looking for patterns and trying to affect change. We question, wonder and explore. You may not appreciate being alive but I definitely do and I often think about how to make the best of the time I have.

Seems like you're trying to find a greater purpose that isn't there. What makes you any different than a busy bird, or a busy beaver, or a busy mouse? You're trying to find a purpose to your life that's stamped right on your forehead.

[GSOgymrat]

Seems like you're trying to find a greater purpose that isn't there. What makes you any different than a busy bird, or a busy beaver, or a busy mouse? You're trying to find a purpose to your life that's stamped right on your forehead.

I am not saying there is a "greater purpose." You seem to be saying that life has no meaning because it is finite where I believe the fact life is short makes it more special and meaningful to humans, not less. You are correct that my life isn't any more meaningful than an animal's life, except that it is more important to me and people who care about me.

[Shiranu]

Same with you. When you die, all the accomplishments you've made and everything you stood for would mean nothing.

How is this even remotely true? If they meant something now, that is what is important. If I make someone smile today, that happiness has existed. Just because they might be put down later, or forget about it a week or two from now... does that mean they weren't happy in the present? No. If an act meant something at the time it was done, then it is engraved into the book of time and will be important for the rest of eternity.

It's only if you view time as only the present, with no past or future, that our actions become meaningless when we die. I don't view time as being so linear.

[Mike Cl]

Seems like you're trying to find a greater purpose that isn't there. What makes you any different than a busy bird, or a busy beaver, or a busy mouse? You're trying to find a purpose to your life that's stamped right on your forehead.

So far, Q, you have just questioned.  You have offered nothing in the way of what you think.  You have not taken the time to introduce yourself to the forum.  Who the fuck are you????

[aitm]

  Who the fuck are you????

I think that answer is readily available in his nick.

[Mike Cl]

I think that answer is readily available in his nick.

Oh!  The guy from Star Trek????

[stromboli]

I think that answer is readily available in his nick.

Right. still hasn't figured out the difference between giving life meaning Vs the meaning of life. Q indeed. All yours, Big Dog. Wave your magic wand/ ban hammer as you see fit. I got shit to do in my purposeful life.

And happy St. Patrick's Day. don't drive drunk.

[Qchan]

How is this even remotely true? If they meant something now, that is what is important. If I make someone smile today, that happiness has existed. Just because they might be put down later, or forget about it a week or two from now... does that mean they weren't happy in the present? No. If an act meant something at the time it was done, then it is engraved into the book of time and will be important for the rest of eternity.

It's only if you view time as only the present, with no past or future, that our actions become meaningless when we die. I don't view time as being so linear.

What you're saying sounds nice. However, it's simply not logical to many people. Not everyone has a legacy to leave behind that would benefit the world. That's just the truth behind it all.

According to evolution, it was by luck that our kind are even here. Now, we have people trying to find the purpose for being when there's no logical purpose for humans. Everyone knows that if humans did not exist, the planet would probably be better off. Our air would be cleaner and the Earth would be more bountiful. We have nothing to offer this planet while other creatures do. Dare I say, other animals are far more useful to this planet than we are. So, tell me. What is the purpose of human existence? What do we contribute to this planet that makes logical sense to you?

[Qchan]

So far, Q, you have just questioned.  You have offered nothing in the way of what you think.  You have not taken the time to introduce yourself to the forum.  Who the fuck are you????

Why must I introduce myself for you to know who I am? I'll do what you're asking, but it doesn't make any logical sense to me.

[stromboli]

Why must I introduce myself for you to know who I am? I'll do what you're asking, but it doesn't make any logical sense to me.

Or you can just go away.