Is Life Futile? And How Can We Know if it is?

Forums: Religion, Philosophy, Life, Death, Meaning
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I don't mean this to be a depressing topic, but it seems unavoidable.

Why do we live or stay alive?

What stops us from committing suicide?

If you believe there is a purpose to life then I can understand your reason for wanting to stay.

But for those that believe life has no purpose, or better yet, that it is something that is filled with continually suffering. Why continue?

If life is like the Greek myth of Sisyphus where he is sentenced to continually push a boulder up a hill only to do so repetitively with no purpose and no end goal, then why do it at all?

What is it that we believe we need to live?

Please accept the comment that answers your question.

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Type: Question • Score: 5 • Views: 6,563 • Replies: 43

@saw038,

It would be futile if easy. Futile without loss sacrifice or work...Value is highly dependent on frailty ! Life is fine as it is.

1 Reply

@Fil Albuquerque,

Life is fine may be something many can ascribe to, but some people live in constant fear, agony and turmoil. Those are the ones I speak of, and if you did or didn't believe in an afterlife, it might be a responsible presumption that this life is not worth living because there is nothing to gain from it; or, if you believe in an afterlife there is everything to gain from it.

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@saw038,

The gain is right here right now specially because you are finite and mortal. Eternity would render existence truly worthless.

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@Fil Albuquerque,

Why would eternity render existence worthless?

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@saw038,

Because risk loss pain and death are the very things that render your finite time here rare unique and special. Looking for eternity is not only an ilusion but also extremely selfish. The world needs constant renewal. The old shall give its place to the new and be happy with its fair share of time to experience life. Looking for infinity is greedy and results in a bad contract with the "devil" if it could be achieved...

...if people could not die they would spend eternity trying to invent a method of dying...

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@Fil Albuquerque,

Let me ad the cheesy bit because I love this music:

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@Fil Albuquerque,

That's a really interesting perspective which I have never thought about before!

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@saw038,

Quote:

Is Life Futile?

Not until we can see such beautiful flowers..

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@saw038,

saw038 wrote:

I don't mean this to be a depressing topic, but it seems unavoidable.

Why do we live or stay alive?

What stops us from committing suicide?

If you believe there is a purpose to life then I can understand your reason for wanting to stay.

But for those that believe life has no purpose, or better yet, that it is something that is filled with continually suffering. Why continue?

If life is like the Greek myth of Sisyphus where he is sentenced to continually push a boulder up a hill only to do so repetitively with no purpose and no end goal, then why do it at all?

What is it that we believe we need to live?

Please accept the comment that answers your question.

On a basic, physiological level, what keeps the vast majority of us from committing suicide is the instinct for self-preservation. For those that consider living as being something negative, there is something going on in their brain physiology, e.g. the way in which certain neurotransmitters like serotonin are processed, that compels these points of view and their responses to life experiences, especially trying ones, tend to reinforce these points of view.

1 Reply

@InfraBlue,

"For those that consider living as being something negative, there is something going on in their brain physiology."

It may have a physiological basis that can be pinpointed, but that doesn't exclude that it is being originated from something outside the individual.

If someone is continually abused and believes they cannot do anything to stop the abuse, they may develop learned helplessness and their neurotransmitters will surely reflect this, but the physiological side effect would be secondary - a symptom - as opposed to a cause in and of itself.

2 Replies

@saw038,

saw038 wrote:

"For those that consider living as being something negative, there is something going on in their brain physiology."

It may have a physiological basis that can be pinpointed, but that doesn't exclude that it is being originated from something outside the individual.

If someone is continually abused and believes they cannot do anything to stop the abuse, they may develop learned helplessness and their neurotransmitters will surely reflect this, but the physiological side effect would be secondary - a symptom - as opposed to a cause in and of itself.

Absolutely, the individual may develop learned helplessness, but it is entirely the individual's response. Other individuals given the same conditions of abuse may respond very differently.

1 Reply

@InfraBlue,

True, but their genetics may predispose them to certain physiological responses.

1 Reply

@saw038,

The genetics predispose them to certain physiological processes which in turn affect the individual's personal/psychological responses.

0 Replies

@saw038,

I suppose Saw that it depends on your def of "futility"

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Why do we live or stay alive?

Don't know about you but I credit exotic foreign brews, a No. 2 Son with whom I taste test and a BH who keeps score. Having pretty good health figures in

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What stops us from committing suicide?

Hope I guess

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If you believe there is a purpose to life...

Can't see how this matters at all

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Why continue?

With Mike's next visit we might taste a new beer

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continually ... repetitively with no purpose ... why do it at all?

I suppose if one is susceptible he should stay away from big rocks

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What is it that we believe we need to live?

Wouldn't this depend a lot on the individual

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comment that answers your question.

What q, Saw

1 Reply

@dalehileman,

1.Futility has a rather concrete definition; it is one of pointlessness; meaningless.
2. Hope is something that is double-edged sword because it depends upon what you are hoping.
3. Believing in a meaning to life is the thesis of this question so it matters a lot. If one believes there to be some meaning to this life, then they would not see it as futile and quite the contrary.
4. I mean, yes, rocks are big (depending on the rock), but I was using that Greek Myth as an example; it was purely literary.
5. Of course, this depends on the individual! That is I am asking an array of individuals to give their opinion to see if there is some kind of common ground.
6. That last line I really don't know why it is there! I made some mistake somehow, but this website wouldn't let me edit it after I had posted it; so, if you have any advice on that I would greatly appreciate it. I just signed up about 2 days ago.

1 Reply

@saw038,

Quote:

but this website wouldn't let me edit it after I had posted it; so, if you have any advice on that

One of my biggest gripes

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@saw038,

It's not only physiological. Many lose hope or do not wish to become a burden to others.
I recently learned about South Korea where the suicide rate is one of the highest in the world. It seems there are several major reasons. One is hopelessness, and another is becoming a burden to others.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/03/opinion/south-koreas-struggle-with-suicide.html

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I believe that pre-universe is life's reason. God wasn't able to justify its own existence, and life in the universe needs to resolve that problem.

1 Reply

@Thomas33,

God discovering itself?

4 Replies

Is Life Futile? And How Can We Know if it is?

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