Judgment

Why are we on this planet? The base cause for our existence is to learn, to move forward.

Something to consider. First, we are not necessarily master of ourselves, until we know ourselves very well. This is not necessarily a given. People (not you in particular) frequently have drives or motives of which they are only dimly aware - subconscious and unconscious drives and wishes which they are often not fully aware of. I think self-mastery requires self-knowledge, and this is said to be a hard thing to come by.

We never are masters of ourselves to any extent...

That is not what my sex education teacher said.

We never are masters of ourselves to any extent... At best we can push ourselves in a positive, one we can consider as positive direction given our level of self knowledge, and this is the proof we have of will... We will never be more than pushed around by the events of our lives, by our nature, by nature in general, by human nature as a general fact...Yet; greater knowledge means more choices made better, and that is why we learn...

You begin your question with a presumption upon our purpose...That is what you must prove, and not by a circular logic...

Why are we on this planet? The base cause for our existence is to learn, to move forward.

Why are we on this planet? The base cause for our existence is to learn, to move forward.

i believe we are in this universe to manage it, to rule it, to use it, to protect it, to become a god, to attain its perfection, the perfect life, a godly life.

What path takes us to all of those things? Learning.

we are on this planet because the conditions are right for life on this planet

nothing more , nothing less

So you are insinuating that the purpose of mankind is to breed???

---------- Post added 04-22-2010 at 02:06 PM ----------

I have no reason to think that mankind has a purpose. Have you? In any case, I was answering the question, how did I get on this planet. Don't you know about the birds, the bees, and the flowers?

I have no reason to think that mankind has a purpose.

searching has shown me evidence that the core of our existence is to become understanding (no pun intended) of the world around us... and through that understanding we are empowered to affect change in our world.

Creatures enact their purpose, which is to survive and procreate, with great intensity and determination. It is somewhat ironic that only humans, who unlike creatures are capable of reflecting on the nature of purpose, entertain the idea that there might not be one.



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Please speak for yourself. There is nothing more important than what the ancient Greeks called, "sophrosene" or self-mastery. Their myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus went to rescue his wife from the underworld, and was allowed to lead his wife to the upper-world only on condition that he not look at her before they arrived. But, as they were climbing back, Orpheus could not resist looking back to see whether Eurydice was following him. And, for lack of self-control, he lost her forever.

So you are insinuating that the purpose of mankind is to breed???

---------- Post added 04-22-2010 at 02:06 PM ----------

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A bleak outlook IMO. If we are not the masters of ourselves... what/who is? The idea of merely being "pushed around" by the events of our lives seems to be a belief that we are victims of our existence. You are welcome to believe whatever you choose. I agree that we don't control the events that happen throughout our lives, but we do choose how we respond to those events.

Also, I prefer seeking understanding rather than knowledge. I see understanding being a contemplative paradigm... we understand the value and see the evidence that supports whatever idea is in question. This leaves open the possibility to continue learning in that area. Knowledge, on the other hand, suggests that you have made your decision and no longer contemplate other options (except perhaps to look for the proof you KNOW is there to support said "knowledge").

---------- Post added 04-22-2010 at 02:36 PM ----------

I just read a book about a man with true power in his own time: Bismark...He manipulated everyone, played the game of realpolitic, used his Kaisar, cheated royalty with the same hand that cheated working men of their rights, and fed the reactionary press as thoughh feeding crumbs to pigeons...What is the long and short of it; of his wars, or his abuse of people left and right, without his breaking off law or making it at will, of his feeding of reaction??? Without him for an example there would have been no Hitler... Without his making the Prussian state into a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut and leaving it in the hands of royal idiots the first world war would not have been possible...It is the mad desire to control people and events that makes men monsters... Only when we empower each other in our own lives, to have peace and justice in equal measure can we expect the general situation to improve... It was once said that who the gods would destroy they first make mad...The forms of madness vary, but madness is everywhere, and all we can do is react until we see our way clear to act...

The absolute best any person can manage is self control, and before we even realize it, even as children we are swept up into the currents of our time, taking sides, reacting and not acting... We are never free; but unless we can break free at some point, and see the whole of the situation as if from the clouds, then we cannot stand a chance to free our whole people from manipulation and abuse

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Thank you for pointing that out. I get quite excited when explaining a new understanding, and occasionally skip some steps.

If you say the purpose of life is to serve one or many Gods then you must look at how such a thing is accomplished. In order to do so you must learn the concept "God." Next you learn the things that please/displease the diety. You begin to learn about yourself, learn about which parts of your nature are out of alignment with that diety, learn ways to correct those attributes, etc.

Learning underlies everything we do whether it be mating, waging war, or providing for a family. The key, in my oppinion, is what it is we are seeking to learn... what we seek to understand.

Life is our purpose, and the first purpose of survival plays into the second part, which is passing on our genes so our life in us is passed to another generation...We have this in common with the rats, but they have to advantage in not having to think twice about it...

Wouldn't that be considered our nature rather than purpose?

Nature is destiny, and if destiny is not purpose it is because we let brains get in the way of what comes natural.. Take a lesson from the weeds...The clock is running...You have time to grow, flower, breed and seed, and then your time is up...Put your effort into the first three, and give your life if necessary for the last...