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Fri 6 Jan, 2006 02:53 pm
I didn't know if this should be under general or spirituality or philosophy....but...
I often wonder what the purpose of life is and why we are even here.
Here are the two scenarios:
-- If we believe in heaven, when we die we go there. But if it's so great, why do we have to endure suffereing here on earth?
-- If you don't believe in heaven, when we die, we just die. So, what's our point of ever even living?
This whole thing really bothers me sometimes. I think to myself, why should I even bother with anything? Everything I do here means nothing in the end because I, along with everyone else, will still be dead.
And then it makes me sad because no matter how much money you make, or how successful you are or how well you take care of yourself...you are still going to die.
The Flaming Lips said it best:
"Do You Realize - that happiness makes you cry?
Do You Realize - that everyone you know someday will die?"
Bella Dea - It is not the destination, but the journey, that makes life worthwhile!
Phoenix32890 wrote:Bella Dea - It is not the destination, but the journey, that makes life worthwhile!
What's the point of the journey though?
I mean, really why pay our bills or taxes or find cures for things. It doesn't matter in the end. Not one bit.
I can't understand why people can't accept that life--like sh!t--happens, and needs no justification.
What's the point of creating another generation? So they can go and die too? Where is man headed? No where. Every person after us is going to die, just like we did. No matter what we do.
Phoenix, you are just too darn optimistic for me today!
Setanta wrote:I can't understand why people can't accept that life--like sh!t--happens, and needs no justification.
I have no choice but to accept it because I was born and can't go back and not be born.
But it doesn't make it suck any less that we have no clue as to what the fcuk we are doing here.
The purpose of living is to become a serene creature and to learn to have patience, tolerance, understanding, goodwill towards others, to try to be the best that we can be and then pass some of my information on to someone else.
I was given an opportunity at life and can do as I please with it...good or bad, happy or sad...my choice. Perhaps Earth is really the often mentioned Purgatory and depending on how things go here we end up going to a good place or a bad place or maybe even coming back around for another try at life.
Maybe Earth is a great big experimental petri dish and aliens from all the galaxies and universes send the souls of the dead here to do what they should do...some become humans, some cows, some dogs, some frogs, some ducks, some pelicans and so on and so forth. There is something going on out there I just am not too sure what it is and quite frankly that's good enough for me...knowing there is a powerful force of some sort out there and that I am but a mere wee part of it with the sole responsibility of being the best me I can be.
Phoenix32890 wrote:Bella Dea - It is not the destination, but the journey, that makes life worthwhile!
You've obviously never driven from Lubbock TX. to Brownsville TX.
Sturgis wrote: The purpose of living is to become a serene creature and to learn to have patience, tolerance, understanding, goodwill towards others, to try to be the best that we can be and then pass some of my information on to someone else.
For what though? What's the purpose of continuing on the human race? So we can do all that over again and die? There is either no "big prize" at the end or there is and I wonder why we have to suffer first.
Sturgis wrote:
I was given an opportunity at life and can do as I please with it...good or bad, happy or sad...my choice. Perhaps Earth is really the often mentioned Purgatory and depending on how things go here we end up going to a good place or a bad place or maybe even coming back around for another try at life.
By why?
Sturgis wrote:
Maybe Earth is a great big experimental petri dish and aliens from all the galaxies and universes send the souls of the dead here to do what they should do...some become humans, some cows, some dogs, some frogs, some ducks, some pelicans and so on and so forth. There is something going on out there I just am not too sure what it is and quite frankly that's good enough for me...knowing there is a powerful force of some sort out there and that I am but a mere wee part of it with the sole responsibility of being the best me I can be.
Now THIS is an explaination. The only logical one I can think of so far as to the pointlessness of life.
Bella, I struggled with the same question/concern when I was a teen. It's the big, "What is the meaning of life?" question. I laid awake night after night struggling with what ifs and what fors. At the time I prayed for a faith to come over me so that I could put the concerns aside and be able to say, "It's in the hands of God." No such faith ever washed over me so, in my adolescent way, I eventually shrugged and decided The Big Question was too big for little me to worry about any longer and I set it aside.
Accepting that I wasn't able to answer the question, I took a leaning more towards what Phoenix describes. Live this life to it's fullest, do as little harm to the planet or to others as possible, find rewarding work that helps the world be a better place (in some small way) than it was before I was born, teach my children to do the same and hope they teach their children similar values, and maybe someday The Big Question will be answered.
J_B wrote:Bella, I struggled with the same question/concern when I was a teen. It's the big, "What is the meaning of life?" question. I laid awake night after night struggling with what ifs and what fors. At the time I prayed for a faith to come over me so that I could put the concerns aside and be able to say, "It's in the hands of God." No such faith ever washed over me so, in my adolescent way, I eventually shrugged and decided The Big Question was too big for little me to worry about any longer and I set it aside.
Accepting that I wasn't able to answer the question, I took a leaning more towards what Phoenix describes. Live this life to it's fullest, do as little harm to the planet or to others as possible, find rewarding work that helps the world be a better place (in some small way) than it was before I was born, teach my children to do the same and hope they teach their children similar values, and maybe someday The Big Question will be answered.
I do all these things. I believe in god. I believe in reincarnation and karma.
I have no desire to die, which is what pisses me off. I have no choice. No control. I don't want to have to die. I don't want those I love to have to die. It pisses me off royally to think that someone or something did this to me and now I have to die...no choice. I must die.
Questioner wrote:Phoenix32890 wrote:Bella Dea - It is not the destination, but the journey, that makes life worthwhile!
You've obviously never driven from Lubbock TX. to Brownsville TX.
oh my, i know that drive all too well....
Sometimes I just feel like I'm in a really bad B horror movie....
i have always thought that the 'big question' , if there IS an answer, will be given after death.
and im in no rush to learn it.
I have found a bit of comfort , when those questions bombard my mind, in knowing that ... if there truly was a reason or an answer that we are supposed to understand ..... we would.
We as a race have been here thousands of years.
Someone , some where would have discovered it BY NOW.. at least.. one would hope.
Only the arrogance of the human species makes it think it's so special. We're here ... let's have fun while we're here, enjoy every moment, and get the most out of life before it's over!!
Anon
J_B wrote:Bella, I struggled with the same question/concern when I was a teen. It's the big, "What is the meaning of life?" question. I laid awake night after night struggling with what ifs and what fors. At the time I prayed for a faith to come over me so that I could put the concerns aside and be able to say, "It's in the hands of God." No such faith ever washed over me so, in my adolescent way, I eventually shrugged and decided The Big Question was too big for little me to worry about any longer and I set it aside.
Accepting that I wasn't able to answer the question, I took a leaning more towards what Phoenix describes. Live this life to it's fullest, do as little harm to the planet or to others as possible, find rewarding work that helps the world be a better place (in some small way) than it was before I was born, teach my children to do the same and hope they teach their children similar values, and maybe someday The Big Question will be answered.
The meaning of life is to find our individual happiness.
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