in the end, what is our purpose and how is it defined?

The problem is not even about selfishness...a smart selfish person will help others out of is own long term interest...we don´t need a Christian credo for goodness only logic !

I would consider that a form of barter. You do it to collect items, if not items then an "IOU" for future favors or items or for influence, either way you getting something out of it. Would that type of person help a random stranger when they know they would never see them again? The answer would be no, they would have to get something out of it and wouldn't be interested othersise...which is also a negative trait, a smart one, but still negative.

Aldous Huxley once wrote, "People are good given half a chance." It's the lack of that chance, our moral intellectual environment, that produces so many selfish, unappreciative lives. It suggests to me that revolutionary revolutions must occur in our educational lives (one without administrators, school boards, research grants and boards of regents). Perhaps the rise of computers--where we can all have access to each others' bits of wisdom--will contribute to that.

We must build a world where it is easier to be good.

<still waiting for that whole Rapture thing to reveal our purpose>

LOL!

I have also had my share of service related jobs, and if there is one thing I have learned it is that alot of people seem to think money grants them the right to be demanding and arrogant a-holes. But they are luckily few and far between.
I understand how you think about this, and it is as good as any take I guess. But I think that in a world where we have modeled our economy after the brutal rules of evolution, we are not exactly encouraged to act selflessly.

Yes, JL, I like to think that the increased free flow of information is contributing to this educational revolution. I believe that it is happening now, and I have the impression that more and more people are beginning to question the way we lead our lives.

An economic system that doesn't demand the failure of one for the success of another would be a grand start.

It's not money that makes people that way, that may be a factor, but that's not the main cause. I think it's just the nature of our being, our instinct drives us to our own survival which leads us to care about ourselves first and formost. I'm not saying that we're born evil, just that it's natural to think about our concerns over those of another in an innocent fashion. Good is just a manufactered idea or experience and the factories aren't puttin out. If you don't believe me, then name any good that's been done and I guarantee that I can find that it was either some level of selfishness, or manufactered somehow.

In the End, the purpose is to discover the Beginning.

The philosopher said that the purpose of life is to search for the truth. The poet said that the purpose of life is to live. The preacher said that the purpose of this life is to prepare one for the next life. And the gravedigger said that the purpose of life is, in the end, to keep him in business.

thats a good one!

our , Humanity , purpose is to survive for as long as possible with atonamy

if we would just look beyond our planet , we have no idea what threats exist towards ourselves , its time to see the bigger picture , not just our planet , but the Universe its self

What is meant by "purpose" here, a plan for me held by someone or something else, or my plan for my own life? I have many plans for my own life, different ones are given emphasis at different times, but there is no master plan that I'm aware of.

What is meant by "purpose" here, a plan for me held by someone or something else, or my plan for my own life? I have many plans for my own life, different ones are given emphasis at different times, but there is no master plan that I'm aware of.

What is meant by "purpose" here, a plan for me held by someone or something else, or my plan for my own life? I have many plans for my own life, different ones are given emphasis at different times, but there is no master plan that I'm aware of.

im kind of with the bible on this one...

Favorite section-would you like to share? Do, enlighten us!

favorite section overall, or just to answer the discussion?