The age-old question of what we're actually striving for in our lives. Is it the same for all species on Earth, or just the same for humans, or is it different for each individual? I was discussing this with Jen and marauders today (and yesterday, spanning midnight :P) and thought, "What does everyone else think?" :razz:

A common answer is to pass on one's genes and ensure their survival but this doesn't explain the purpose of an animal that cannot procreate (through infertility/age). What I came up with after some musing was that, as humans at least, we are pursuing happiness, whether that comes from material possessions, family and friends, religion, power, success... it's different for each individual but the commonality is in it's pursuit.

So that's my opinion (at this precise moment in time, subject to change xD), what's yours? Also, please bring up any other philosophical ponderings that have been floating around your head! :p

my short answer first: the purpose of life is to figure out what the purpose of life is :P

my longer answer second: the purpose of life is to get the best out of life with the skills we have and gifts we're given.... as for what the "best" is..i was debating this with sparrowhead XD welll, talking bout it :) and happiness is probably what the best is....

the best thing in this world and that which gives us happiness probably varies depending on the person, but for me, its friends, love, family, a sense of comfort, all of that <3

happiness shouldnt just be in the end though...the purpose of life is also to experience happiness through the journey :)

/me hugs everyone :D

oh and another question, sometimes these questions arent meant to be asked to find a definite answer that'll fit everyone, the answers and theories vary, and maybe there arent definite answers...but we can only try our hardest and then leave the rest up to ...well....life

the meaning of life is meaning making.

Nice thread.
Funnily enough, I was talking about this sort of subject today at uni.

Short answer: The meaning of life is 42. :razz:

Serious answer: I believe that life happens for a reason. What that reason is, nobody knows. Whether an individual believes in the big bang and evolution or whether one thinks that religion plays a part in it, it is completely up to them.

When we try to understand something that cannot possibly be understood (yet?), we attach some sort of belief in that matter that has a circular meaning by trying to make a connection between belief and understanding.

The point I'm making is that where devising a definition is practically impossible, as is in this case, we tend to think that it is caused by something that we can control, which of course, the meaning of life is not in our control.

hmmm. thats probs like my answer for any philisophical question like this XD

some things arent meant to be understood...they just are as they are...we can only attempt to answer the questions to the best of our ability....but life is complicated... probs always will be :)
/me twirls around

I guess, as jen hinted in her first post, these questions aren't meant to have a definite answer...

"What is the purpose of life"? It's like (as you have tagged for this thread): ("What is the meaning of life?") "42". What exactly is the question?

Define purpose. Define life.

I think that scientifically and biologically speaking, the purpose of life is to procreate and evolve. Sparrow mentioned animals which can't procreate because of infertility/age - if an animal can't procreate because it's infertile (e.g. mules) then I guess biologically, it has no purpose. Obviously, I'm not saying that ever post-menopausal woman is a biological waste of space, or indeed, that every sterile man is biologically useless. They served their purpose once upon a time - or, are capable of serving a different purpose (i.e. ensuring the survival of the species in different ways - for humans, we need a whole variety of beings with different skill sets to keep us going because we depend on so much to survive - so everyone is capable of helping keep our species alive, if they make a positive contribution to our society). So basically, 'procreation'. I guess that would be my scientific/biological point of view on 'the purpose of life'.

If we're wading into philosophy and asking why we are on Earth, and what purpose we serve here, then frankly, I think there is no "ultimate purpose" that we all need to achieve. I do not believe we are here for a special reason.

I don't think 'happiness' is a goal that we need to achieve - in any shape or form. I think it's a nice goal or purpose to have - to find nirvana, or peace, or happiness, or whatever someone wants to call it, but I don't think it's what we all are "meant" to seek. I think some religious beliefs - e.g. Buddhism - suggest that we all need to reach the "final state of being" where we reach nirvana or are at peace with ourselves; I think it's a very noble idea and it's a good goal to work towards because it probably helps you be a better person in so many ways - it makes you think about other people, be more considerate, be more kind, etc., but I don't think it's the end -- because I don't believe there is an end. I don't mean that I believe in life after death (because I don't), I just mean I don't think we have a purpose.

I believe that, much like religion, having a purpose in life, gives you something that satisfies your curiousity, or gives you something to work towards. I think that some people like having an ultimate goal (e.g. happiness) they would like to reach, but I also think some people don't.

So I would suggest that the question is not, "what is the purpose of life?", but perhaps, "what is your purpose in life?"

Great post storm. When we were talking about it earlier we mainly made reference to religion.

A couple of years ago my goals in life changed be a good person, obey God, be nice to people, have a family of my own, don't be selfish, follow my religion so when I die I can go to heaven. (huge believer of God and what comes after death)

Thing is, I'm human like most of you and I make mistakes. Those mistakes change the way we live our lives and distracts us from our goals. But to me those are tests. Tests we fail and pass but they're supposed to affect us somehow.

I know loads of people who don't believe in God say "there's no point in life if we just die. There's no heaven or hell so what's the point?" But I see things differently because I do follow a religion and I do believe in a God. I couldn't really imagine living life with no particular goal and if I didn't believe in an after life stage I don't know where I'd be now.

I think everyone's opinion on their purpose of life will be very different throughout this thread. People on this forum and indeed, irl, come from different countries, cultures, backgrounds, faiths, races, schools of thought and we have different interests. This will continue to be an interesting thread :)

I believe our purpose in life is to 'make a difference'.

Some people have the capacity to make a difference to the world (eg through discoveries of global significance), some to their country, some to their local community, some to a small circle of people, and others only have the capacity to make a difference to just one person.

I think if you fulfill your own capacity, and make a difference to the extent you are able, then you can look back on your life at its end, and be satisfied that your existence has been worthwhile.

I had this discussion with a couple of Uni students I was doing group work with a few years ago - their response was 'to be happy'. That response didn't sit totally comfortably with me, as I think we need to strive to do something that goes beyond our own wants/needs. Having said that, 'being happy' and 'making a difference' can go hand-in-hand.

Storm basically said what I wanted to say!

I believe the purpose of life is to provide a continuation of that life. Stay alive, have kids, keep them alive etc. Life itself has only one purpose - re-creating itself.

Everything else is a distraction. Our brains evolved to be so big that we need to do other things to keep ourselves occupied. It also evolved to the extent that we feel the need to distinguish ourselves from other animals with a cloak of civilization.

Weirdly we live more for the distraction that we do for the purpose, now. Procreation is always there, in the background, but it's taken up by the trivial day-to-day distractions that we have created for ourselves.

My advice is - enjoy the distractions. They are fun.

This will continue to be an interesting thread :)

Yeah, indeed it will. As you said, everyone has a different opinion on this subject, for that's all we can really do, express our own opinions.

My advice is - enjoy the distractions. They are fun.

Hmm, does this mean that we should all play iSketch more often :razz:

Sparrow, were you watching 'I'm a Cyborg and it's ok.' last night too???

Anywayy I don't think there is a purpose to life, apart from the genetic one, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth living and trying to do your best and make a difference in the world... you make your own purpose! I'm just not sure what mine is yet >_>

I think that scientifically and biologically speaking, the purpose of life is to procreate and evolve. Sparrow mentioned animals which can't procreate because of infertility/age - if an animal can't procreate because it's infertile (e.g. mules) then I guess biologically, it has no purpose. Obviously, I'm not saying that ever post-menopausal woman is a biological waste of space, or indeed, that every sterile man is biologically useless. They served their purpose once upon a time - or, are capable of serving a different purpose (i.e. ensuring the survival of the species in different ways - for humans, we need a whole variety of beings with different skill sets to keep us going because we depend on so much to survive - so everyone is capable of helping keep our species alive, if they make a positive contribution to our society). So basically, 'procreation'. I guess that would be my scientific/biological point of view on 'the purpose of life'.
I don't think we can really separate a biological purpose from a philosophical one because philosophy would encompass everything (including biology). As storm mentioned, if an animal is infertile then biologically it has no purpose but if procreation and survival of one's genes are the purpose of life then what are these creatures living for? If they have no offspring to raise and ensure the survival of then their continuing existence suggests that the purpose is something other than procreation (if the purpose of all members of a species is the same). That is why, from a human standpoint at least, it seems to me that the pursuit of happiness is the goal that we strive to achieve. This can include having your own children and bringing them up if you derive pleasure from it and also following a religious practice if you believe that it will lead you, ultimately, to happiness or simply being content that you are doing the right thing.

I believe the purpose of life is to provide a continuation of that life. Stay alive, have kids, keep them alive etc. Life itself has only one purpose - re-creating itself.

Everything else is a distraction. Our brains evolved to be so big that we need to do other things to keep ourselves occupied.
Don't know if you meant that Vik but another possibility is to live simply to stay alive :p although that wouldn't cover the examples of self-sacrifice (such as a parent sacrificing themself to save their child).

Sparrow, were you watching 'I'm a Cyborg and it's ok.' last night too???
Ahh noo I wasn't... is it on BBC or ITV player?

Anywayy I don't think there is a purpose to life, apart from the genetic one, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth living and trying to do your best and make a difference in the world... you make your own purpose! I'm just not sure what mine is yet >_>
Quite possible that each individual's perceived purpose is different but there has to be at least a perceived purpose to justify still being alive.

What I really meant was to stay alive long enough to have kids and to help them to stay alive in the first few dependent years of their lives. Self-sacrifice to protect younger members of the species is efficient. It means that you are giving them a chance to procreate and continue the species.

Of course, my argument is very very basic. It also excuses polygamy, under-aged sex etc and is harsh towards those who use contraceptive, can't have kids, don't want to have kids etc.

It's amazing, really. By what I believe, we have ignored our most basic function in life and have adopted principles which not only go against, by actually condemn our function on this planet.

Cool, huh? Life's good.

The purpose of life. This is one question with no proper answer. As far as I am concerned, life is just basic survival, as so many of you have pointed above. Civilisation, morals, values, religion, law, rules, rights are all "part" of our lives now, that they give some visible purpose. But life in general, in my opinion, needs no such thing. A process creates a life, another sustains it, another ends it. A simple equation. However, as we humans really like to complicate things, we see too far.

Stupid as it may sound, I believe the greatest purpose of my life, will be the memory of it. For how long will I be remembered after I am gone? A week, a month, a year, or across millenia? That actually decides the purpose I served during my lifetime. The concept of "atman" or the immortal soul that my religion enforces, or those of the Afterlife, I only relate them to how people are remembered.

I don't think we can really separate a biological purpose from a philosophical one because philosophy would encompass everything (including biology).

I believe I can. As of now, I am not convinced there is a God (however, I am religious anyway, because I like having something or someone I can believe in and trust unconditionally (family serve that purpose too, but they are mortal)) - and therefore I am not inclined to connect science and philosophy together in this particular aspect. I believe that life is not a mystery - the big bang happened, some creatures evolved, we are one of the results, (and potentially) eventually the human species (as it is now) will become extinct as well, and so "life" - as I know it - will evolve (whether positively or whether we'll regress, I don't know).

I'm aware that I'm somewhat hypocritical in that I say that I believe in God, but not really :rolleyes: It's just how I roll though. I need to believe in something, but I also recognise that my belief is [currently] just a belief.

As storm mentioned, if an animal is infertile then biologically it has no purpose but if procreation and survival of one's genes are the purpose of life then what are these creatures living for?

Nothing - quite frankly - for non-human animals. I feel they are useless - they managed to be born and survive but they don't serve a natural 'purpose', as such (although I suppose they do eat and excrete, so they're fertilizing soil?).

If non-human animals are biologically infertile, they will - eventually - become extinct, therefore I think that evolution has answered that question itself.

If they have no offspring to raise and ensure the survival of then their continuing existence suggests that the purpose is something other than procreation (if the purpose of all members of a species is the same).

The continuing existance of infertile animals, I think, can be explained by human interference, or as an anomaly of nature.

With mules, for example, I think if humans didn't encourage horses and donkeys to mate, then this species would be extinct. I don't think we have a sufficient number of infertile animals to justify their existence as being something 'natural' or within normal parameters.

What kind of animals did you have in mind which produce infertile offspring regularly and naturally?

... Quite possible that each individual's perceived purpose is different but there has to be at least a perceived purpose to justify still being alive.

I still don't understand why there has to be a purpose. If that's your belief though, then I respect it.

The purpose of life. This is one question with no proper answer. As far as I am concerned, life is just basic survival, as so many of you have pointed above. Civilisation, morals, values, religion, law, rules, rights are all "part" of our lives now, that they give some visible purpose. But life in general, in my opinion, needs no such thing. A process creates a life, another sustains it, another ends it. A simple equation. However, as we humans really like to complicate things, we see too far....

I quite agree. I feel that just becasue we have the gift of foresight and introspection, it does not mean that we developed these abilities for some ulterior motive or reason, or that there is a "deep" explanation.


I love philosophy and pondering and whatnot, but I do truly believe that life is very simple and although humans are very complex (or complicated) beings, we are just another species in this long, long evolutionary process.

Read Richard Dawkin's "the selfish gene", a very entertaining perspective, one that will make you love and care for your children even more than you already do.

I see the purpose of life as be born, breed, ensure your offspring reach an age they can themselves breed, and die.

To ask the purpose of life really implies that it has a purpose, and I don't consider that to be true. (If you don't believe in God then where has the perceived purpose for ALL life come from??)

It's all well and good, like storm said, to have a personal "purpose" for being alive, but that's quite different to there being a purpose to life in general, and any such purposes seem silly to justify existence. For example, it does not make sense for a person to exist for that SAME person to be happy or whatever. Likewise, it does not make sense, as Saffron suggested, for life to exist in order that some people can make a difference to a community/country/anything that only exists because life exists in the first place.


On the infertile animal thing though, capt, you've made the mistake of thinking anything made with a purpose will be 100% efficient in carrying out that purpose.

I was going to suggest the Selfish Gene too, but 2.0 beat me, the fiend.

(Spam...possibly...lol)

... Of course, my argument is very very basic. It also excuses polygamy, under-aged sex etc and is harsh towards those who use contraceptive, can't have kids, don't want to have kids etc.

It's amazing, really. By what I believe, we have ignored our most basic function in life and have adopted principles which not only go against, by actually condemn our function on this planet.

I think it's fascinating how we've developed a set of morals and values in this society that actually goes against our "basic function", to use your phrase.

I've thought about this a bit before and I find it's so hard to reach an answer about why we have decided some things are immoral, when we are biologically capable of it (e.g. underage sex). Why on earth has nature allowed us to be capable of creating at child at 12 even though - it seems to me - that currently our species is not capable of executing parenthood to perfection at such a 'young' age.

OR are we capable of model parenthood at 12 years?

Is it just all this media/society/culture/greed that we have gained over the years that has us made less able in some basic aspects of human nature like caring, while making us more capable in other, more complex fields like developing and managing an economy?

Cool, huh? Life's good.

Very cool =)

Life was created so that in several millions of years there would be me. Everything else is just a by product of the process.

Some of you may know that in the last 5 months since my father died, ive been part of a meduimship/ spiritual movement.
We meet each thurs and monday to pray and be with each other to help people less fortunate and we also have a 45 minute meduim spot where local meduims come to give group readings.
I have learned so much in 5 months, so much so im going to be training shortly in meduimship and healing which i will get a reconised diploma at the end of.
As we all have the capability to be a meduim i dont see why i shouldent go for it, they asked me to do it and i jumped at it.
I wont go in to details here but ive had stuff happen to me in this 5 months that are truly amazingly wonderfull, but as some of you may laugh ill keep it to myself lol, although some of you do know.

Anyway to the thread topic, i belive the meaning of life to be a test.
That this life we live here is just a test to see how we cope with what life deals us, how we interact with other humans how we cope with anger death loss hunger ect.
I then belive that when our life on this earth plain ends we go home to where we first came from, to our spritual life once again.
I dont know all the in,s and outs course i dont but this is a tiny part of what ive been taught since october, so yes ive changed greatly in 5 months im a different person from the cherry you once knew and loathed lol.
God i belive gave us this life to see how we do in it, our bodies are like a cup that holds liquid its only a shell to carry our souls in life.
Ill always belive in the spiritworld as ive had proof its really there.
XXXX.

All these things that have been mentioned in this thread are noble goals, and in many cases nice to strive for. But they aren't the purpose of our life. I don't believe there is any purpose to our lives.

I mean, if you go all the way back, we come forth from micro-organisms. It's just matter evolving. That it has lead to a result that can think and talk is all fantastic, but in the end we're still just matter.

So, if you have no real purpose, what you do is make the best of it, and go for those goals that you people have set for yourselves as the meaning of your lives. And that's great, as long as you believe that it will lead to something good for you, and the ones you care about. All we can do is make it a wonderful place to be, so let's try to do that. It's a good goal -- but not our purpose.

I have no idea what the meaning of life is and I don't want to know. I am happy just living the best life I possibly can and hoping that, that is enough! :)

Off topic - Nay I totally LOVE your sig. That is great! :D

I'm not sure if it's how you meant it (and I don't know what your opinions on religion are), but to me that sounds as though you think an individual cannot believe in God as well as evolution/the big bang.

Ahh sorry, it's the way I worded it. I mean whether someone believes in evolution, creation, both or neither.

meh :( i am christian, but its still practically impossible for me to understand stuff.... thats why sometimes i dislike sermons and stuff, because half of them tend to focus more on things we shouldn't do as opposed to those things that help us believe and explain life........

but even with the views that i have learned? i still don't know a specific purpose in life for everyone....as someone said (i forget who..might've been stormy? :D..sry :( each person's purpose in life is different, thats what i've been told at church but even if u're not religious, u know it still has to be true :) our purposes in life differ depending....

(btw, note, i really dont like forcing my religion on anyone -_- so please dont think i am :) i believe that if u're gonna believe in a religion (any), should be by choice)

and im still really young :( so i doubt i'll be able to figure something like this out at this point in my lifeee.....

I agree that there need not be the grand purpose of life for all species or for all humans to live by from the outset but I do think that each individual human must have a subjective purpose of life (which may be different in each case) to continue to want to live.

I think I wasn't entirely clear on the infertile animals issue; I was thinking on more human lines than cross-bred species such as mules. For example, if a man or woman is infertile and they have no offspring to raise and thus know that there will be no continuation of their genes, AND the purpose of life is to procreate, pass on one's genes and ensure their survival, why would this man or woman continue to live? The answer I feel, for him/her at least, is that passing on one's genes is NOT the purpose of his/her life, but he/she has an alternative purpose.

From the answers here, it's clear that individuals have different beliefs on what the purpose of life is; to obey God and follow a religion, to pass on one's genes, to make a difference, to leave a lasting memory, to //Loviii-x-fy the universe, to believe there is no purpose. On the last point, some of you have said that there is no purpose but one should enjoy one's life and live it to the best that they can (a personal purpose as Nay called it) which begins my point of each person having at least a personal purpose to live for (otherwise why would they live?). This would be different for each person (and some would think it's the purpose of all humans and some would call it a personal purpose) but it would have the commonality of being that which we think is right and which we think will bring us happiness or contentedness in pursuing. Therefore I came to the conclusion that the common factor in each person's purpose for life, and the purpose of life (not necessarily by design but as a result of individual purposes), is the pursuit of happiness.

Hmm.. I didn't really want to post in here because I felt that most of my points have been said. But yeah. I don't believe all humans live in the pursuit of happiness. I dunno. I suppose in some strange twisted sense all do, but that's like saying that you can't do one good thing without getting something out of it yourself? I think... Hmm. I dunno the purpose of ones life is to reproduce. I'm for the biological sense because we are just another species, another animal. Yes, we may end up looking for happiness in some sense, but we also could just be looking for a mate... When you are happier you could be seen as more healthy and then more uhh.. genetically better for reproduction?

Hmm. I know lots of people go out for self gratitude and try to go out for the better, for happiness, but that doesn't really explain how some people can do such stupid things in the pursuit of happiness, but I know my flaw is, like I said earlier that of course it could somewhere deep down be for happiness, but I think that's only a biproduct. Not really the aim of life at all.

Hmm... Yes. I don't know what I'm trying to say really as much. But yes. And with infertile humans they are just helping to carry on a species, they're just making do with what they have... they may not be able to reproduce but this doesn't mean they can't help to continue our species in general.

I'm not sure that I understand exactly where you stand on this anymore...:

I agree that there need not be the grand purpose of life for all species or for all humans to live by [...] Therefore I came to the conclusion thatthe common factor in each person's purpose for life, and the purpose of life (not necessarily by design but as a result of individual purposes), is the pursuit of happiness.

As you can see, I've just 'blue'ed' out some bits so you can see the sentence in most of it's entireity(spelling?), I've just linked your first sentence to your last sentence.

the purpose of life is naomi.

ok, stuff that wont be called spam: umm., i think what sparrow means is that theres no specific purpose for life people have to live by (forced to, expected to), but the purpose people tend to live by is the pursuit of happiness, since a lot of people do spend their lives trying to get things that'll make them happy, subconsciously or otherwise...since it is in our nature (how odd do i sound) to just live life helping ourselves....

hm..... there are probs a lot of questions to be asked bout this :( but its hard to figure it all out....but i think its like that for a reason..if we really knew what the purpose of life was...and answers to every question (like a life manual) we'd get bored of life eventually...we wouldnt have the surprises and the oddness of life that makes it interesting :) <3

Sorsie, I like your biological/scientific explanation of the pursual of happiness. I had not thought of happiness as a by-product before but it makes sense that a happy human being is more likely to procreate and contribute to the survival of the species, than an unhappy one.

I agree that there need not be the grand purpose of life for all species or for all humans to live by from the outset[...]
Therefore I came to the conclusion that the common factor in each person's purpose for life, and the purpose of life (not necessarily by design but as a result of individual purposes), is the pursuit of happiness.
What I meant was from a personal perspective, we may not have the same conscious aim as each other, our personal objectives are different, but the progression and realisation of these aims would result in (or so we believe) happiness, and so happiness can be called a resultant purpose (i.e. after the effect) rather than a conscious purpose from the outset.

I don't believe all humans live in the pursuit of happiness. I dunno. I suppose in some strange twisted sense all do, but that's like saying that you can't do one good thing without getting something out of it yourself?
That is precisely what I think, on the deepest level, all our actions are towards a benefit for ourselves, even seeming altruistic ones because they give us the satisfaction of helping another.

I think... Hmm. I dunno the purpose of ones life is to reproduce[...]
And with infertile humans they are just helping to carry on a species, they're just making do with what they have... they may not be able to reproduce but this doesn't mean they can't help to continue our species in general.
Those two aims are slightly different because the former involves one's own genes while the latter is more general (but precludes the former due to infertility). My point is if the biological purpose is to reproduce but not all members of a species can or choose to reproduce, then can this be called an overall purpose?

Ugh I deleted this quotey bit... a happier person may be more likely to reproduce but infertile and post-menopausal people also pursue happiness without the aim of reproduction.

Those two aims are slightly different because the former involves one's own genes while the latter is more general (but precludes the former due to infertility). My point is if the biological purpose is to reproduce but not all members of a species can or choose to reproduce, then can this be called an overall purpose?

Ugh I deleted this quotey bit... a happier person may be more likely to reproduce but infertile and post-menopausal people also pursue happiness without the aim of reproduction.

This was dealt with in part by Sorsie/storm (Sorstorm, if you will).

The whole argument of genes being passed on is based on genes making their organism more likely to reach a point where they can reproduce. If being happy makes you more likely to reproduce then this supposed aim is just another method for genes making themselves more likely to be passed on - no different from having an urge to eat food or a desire for shelter.

The underlying point is that genes are more likely to be passed on if they increase your chances of reproductive success. Anything which happens after that point does not affect your genes being passed on (because they have now already been passed on).

An urge to seek out happiness is not linked to an urge to pass on DNA, and so being unable to pass on DNA will not affect the desire to be happy.

edit:

The reason I don't consider this to be a purpose is that genes are just sections of DNA. It's quite wrong to personify them as "wanting" this or that. It makes the subject easier to talk about but it's not how it works. It's all just chemistry: a spontaneous biochemical snowballing effect...

What is the purpose of life? Hmmmm I think there are two conponents to this question.

1. For Mankind
2. For us as individuals/Family units.

MANKIND:

To answer this question in my mind ... I look at the world around us.
When you pick up a kitten it looks at you trusting you won't hurt it.
When you deal with people ... they trust you speak the truth.
When you see a Mountain shrouded in snow and low cloud - so beautiful it takes your breath away and when you see in person a volcano coming to life creating its own weather system as it explodes into the sky. Then you see the purpose of life.

All of the above contain answers to the question ... in our lives we should not be too busy to be honest and fair with people - to create a safe environment for our animals and take time to appreciate the beauty of what is around us - no matter where in the world we are.

If we were to be stopped short in a gallery because there is a masterpiece that is awesome - would we not stop and study the techniques - the brush strokes - the composition of the painting and give praise to the painter - and thanks to the gallery for showing it to you? This is the purpose of life - to enjoy it and show your appreciation the one who painted it.

As an individual:

In my lifetime I want to understand different cultures ... to meet people who are different to me ... to try foods I've never tried before - to study animals and rocks. To become a great artist. But above all if I should leave this earth tomorrow - my purpose in life is simply to be a person who people respect and may be even love. If I leave footprints that are deep in people's hearts instead of shallow ones to be washed away with the next tide .. then my present purpose is fulfilled.

However I don't plan on going anywhere soon - I have too much to do!

LIFE ROCKS!

My thought (disregard me!! hahaha.. =P)

Nothing has a predefined 'purpose'. We give them purposes, it's how we work. It is like asking, what is the purpose of rock? Yes, we can give rocks a purpose, such as making sculptures, but it doesn't have a pre-defined purpose. It just exists.

We may observe animals, such as an ant, which will scurry out for food, bring it back, build a nest, etc. Its purpose is what it does. It is easier to apply purposes to physical things... for example; what is the purpose of happiness?

By observing happiness, we see that it lets us do good things, like helping others.

So... I guess technically life doesn't have a purpose, it just exists. We can make any purpose we like for it, depending on our agenda. We are controlled by our emotions, happiness, fear, pain, anger, or whatever brain signals we interpret; just like any other living thing on the planet.

In essence, we are robots, just very complex ones! (Which makes me think, if precisely everything was known about a person and their environment, could you predict their actions exactly? And by precisely everything I do mean everything, which is far beyond what a human can understand.)

I agree with Hints right up to his last paragraph. Genes are just sections of DNA, yeah, but it's the chemical process itself which creates the 'want'.

Chemical processes create (among other things) hunger, thirst, lust, aggression, and human emotion. These things are geared towards staying healthy/alive and reproducing. So, I think you CAN say that genes have a purpose, because there are responsible for triggering all these things. I mean, it's very possible to have a purpose without being self-aware. A hammer has a purpose, a drinking glass has a purpose and both of those things have a more defined purpose than a complicated self-aware being like a human.

'Purpose' does not imply 'want' in every context. In fact, 'purpose' is a fairly broad term and this thread can easily be interpreted as 'what is the motovation of our lives on this earth?' as well as 'what drives us to live and stay alive?'.

Pfft, I know, semantics, but there are two very definite types of replies here - those who are answering the first qu, and those are answering the second. But, yeah, 'purpose' serves more than one purpose :P

Personally, I don't consider having a function the same as having a purpose.

A hammer and a drinking glass have a purpose because somebody has made them to use them for something. Genes do have a function, but I feel purpose implies they have a reason for being.

Also, the point was not that genes don't have a purpose, but that they do not represent the purpose for life - which does suggest want. Even if you think that having a purpose does not require "want", inducing a purpose in another thing certainly does.

Genes do not want to do anything anymore than sugar wants to dissolve in a cup of tea - they just follow rules of chemistry. The rules of chemistry do not create a "want", they just create an "is".

It could be compared to a rock falling down a hill. The rock does not want to fall down the hill, but its environment dictates that it must. And if that rock happens to hit a rabbit on the way down, the purpose of the rock was not to kill the rabbit.

Tasha, what you said was exactly what I was thinking. Matches up perfectly, I just didn't have much time to say it all - thanks :)

Dunno if this is off topic...
meh :( i am christian, but its still practically impossible for me to understand stuff.... thats why sometimes i dislike sermons and stuff, because half of them tend to focus more on things we shouldn't do as opposed to those things that help us believe and explain life........

Jen, I can totally relate. When I was young it was all about not doing this, that or the other. I think when we're younger our parents tends to focus on disciplining us more than anything just so that we're well behaved. Then they work on teaching us about how we should be, religion, what to do and how to do it.

I wasn't ever into religion until I just turned 17. My parents didn't teach me everything I learnt about religion, they just taught me the absolute basics. I discovered that there was a lot more to religion than just believing in God, praying and being good.

For me religion's become more a way of life. I don't know about anyone but my religion goes into so much detail. For example, it tells me how to treat my neighbours, that I must visit people who are ill, that I shouldn't treat people horribly just because they were mean to me (ok I do that but I'm only human and nobody's perfect), how to behave and things to do at funerals, how to raise children, how to be the perfect child to my parents and the list goes on.

I know there are things which please God and I don't usually question the things I do. When I do question things, I think about it and I usually arrive at the same conclusion: If it were done any other way it wouldn't be good for me and I'd probably do something wrong or get myself into trouble.

I think if I did things differently I wouldn't be liked much. I'd be a horrible person with no manners and no aim in life. I probably wouldn't care about people if I thought there was no after life. I think religion makes us better. (Not knocking anyone who doesn't believe in a God, 'cause we can all be good, but sometimes, and I have seen proof of it, religion can make a person even better. That goes for me too). I think storm said in some thread... something about wishing religion would bring peace and not hate? I liked that :)

AJ: I think that religion can go either way; you can use it to be a better person, and you can abuse it for personal benefit. You can do this with just about any systematised set of beliefs: one can act in the name of it for a certain purpose; whether it be positive or negative, whether it be what the beliefs call for, or completely in opposition to its spirit.

I do not believe it is an ability of any religion to make someone a better person. It's what the person decides to do with the religion. Or any set of beliefs, for that matter.

I think that the responses in this thread can be seperated into two parts (if I'm repeating any points - sorry).

Those who believe in some kind of ultimate power, and those who don't.

I think those of us who believe in a God, feel that because we were a conscious creation (whether your God created humans directly or whether you think God caused the Big Bang and therefore created us indirectly, or anything else inbetween), we must have been created for something. This is fine.

Then I think there are those of us who believe that science can explain everything, and that the Big Bang was just some random thing (and maybe could have been predicted if we had sufficient knowledge of the state of affairs back then) that happened and then everything evolved over time to become what it is now.

I don't think that it's possible to believe in a God yet feel that there is no purpose.

I believe that it's possible to not believe in a God, and thus feel there is no need for a purpose.

However, I also do believe that it is possible to not believe in a God, yet feel that there is some purpose. Because - as tgfcoder mentioned - we have the ability to 'choose' a purpose for something (like life/existence). But like I mentioned before, just because we have the ability to foresee far into the future, be so self-aware, and be introspective, we don't have to justify having those complex feelings/abilities by saying that there must be something more than science which can explain our abilities.

I think that, as NoHints said earlier, everything is just a "biochemical snowballing effect", and as tgfcoder asked, "if everything was known about a person and their environment, could you predict their actions exactly?"

I think - yes, we can. We may not have conquered all aspects of the mystery of human behaviour completely yet, but I think we are getting there:
psychology = science = observation + theory = no mystery.

What's the purpose of life?

My quick, immature, and hormonal response would be, "to make babies" lol.. :razz:

/me leaves the thread very quickly!

Funnily enough; I just found out Richard Dawkins is giving a talk vaguely on this topic ("The purpose of purpose") at my uni next month.

as tgfcoder asked, "if everything was known about a person and their environment, could you predict their actions exactly?"

I think - yes, we can. We may not have conquered all aspects of the mystery of human behaviour completely yet, but I think we are getting there:
psychology = science = observation + theory = no mystery.

Well by definition, knowing everything about someone would include what their future actions will be, so yes :p

Funnily enough; I just found out Richard Dawkins is giving a talk vaguely on this topic ("The purpose of purpose") at my uni next month. ...

Can anyone attend? xD

Edit:

Is it this (http://www.sciencefestival.co.uk/Events/Talking-Science/The-Purpose-of-Purpose)?

Strom: I'm very sceptical about whether we will ever be able to understand ourselves fully, because our brains are then studying our brains. I find it hard to express, but I think it would inevitably be biased by how we perceive things. You'd have to get some independent entity to figure out how it works, I think.

Also: be wary about putting "those who believe in God" in opposition to "those who believe science can solve everything". Tasha I believe, for instance, has expressed a lot of faith in science to figure out God's creation, and this is certainly not a unique position. Back in the Middle Ages, when all science was done from the church, that's exactly what science was aimed to do. At a point however, a fair number of scientists became sceptical about God and today there may be a majority of scientists who believe that the foundations of science contradict religion. But it depends entirely on both your views on science and how you place it within your religious views. (Most religious people I know would not deny many things science discusses!).

In addition, I am not religious and I by no means think science as it is conducted today has the potential to solve everything, nor do I believe that we, as humans, are even nearly capable of understanding everything there is. And I'm okay with that. That does not mean we should stop trying to discover things (although I'm certainly opposed to certain things that are done 'in the name of science', and in my beliefs I am apparently often at least partly in line with certain religious groups).

So I think it's not as clear-cut as you presented it. But I understand that you don't mean to exclude or offend anyone; you were trying to make the arguments here seem more coherent.

Is it this?

Yes, it's that.

I wasn't sure if you were serious about asking or not... (still amn't actually xD )

It's kind of different to this topic but meh.

... I'm very sceptical about whether we will ever be able to understand ourselves fully, because our brains are then studying our brains. I find it hard to express, but I think it would inevitably be biased by how we perceive things. You'd have to get some independent entity to figure out how it works, I think.

I know what you mean about our brains studying our brains, but it's not a 1-step process. Because I believe that we are all just the result of chemical reactions (neurotransmitters explain emotion for example), I think that we can uncover things little by little, thereby becoming less and less of a mystery. I don't think we are constantly becoming more mysterious the more we find out... that would completely ruin my argument xD

Also: be wary about putting "those who believe in God" in opposition to "those who believe science can solve everything". Tasha I believe, for instance, has expressed a lot of faith in science to figure out God's creation, and this is certainly not a unique position.

Good point.

Although with respect to the question "do we have a purpose", I think it's still currently religion vs science.

I haven't yet found an argument where the two can converge peacefully with equal weight.

Yes, it's that.

I wasn't sure if you were serious about asking or not... (still amn't actually xD )

It's kind of different to this topic but meh.

Yeah, I was. Edinburgh's not far and I'm still on holiday then... Only thing is, it's at 8 pm so I can't get back to Aberdeen, but I can just couchsurf it... xD

I don't think we are constantly becoming more mysterious the more we find out... that would completely ruin my argument xD

Hmm... Lot's of people in science would say something along the lines of "every answer brings even more questions".

I think in summary EVERYTHING has a purpose - maybe we dont know what it is - the purpose may not be obvious - take flies - until you research their purprose they are annoying. Still trying to work out the purpose of mosquitoes tho - hmmm ... maybe someone can help me here? LOL.

The purpose of mosquitoes is to ensure the survival of malaria. x(

You know i've thought a lot about this and i'm pretty sure the purpose to life is chocolate!!! *nods*

AJ: I think that religion can go either way; you can use it to be a better person, and you can abuse it for personal benefit. You can do this with just about any systematised set of beliefs: one can act in the name of it for a certain purpose; whether it be positive or negative, whether it be what the beliefs call for, or completely in opposition to its spirit.
Funny you should mention that actually. A few months after I got into religion I started making some serious life changing decisions. There was one in particular where I really wanted to do this thing but I somehow became hooked on what other people thought. The more I discussed it with people, the more I started to feel like I was doing it to make others happy and I wasn't sure if I was doing it for myself and for God. Although there wasn't at the time, one could argue that I was doing something for a personal benefit.

Basically, all good actions I do are for God, partly because it motivates me and also because I believe it's what God would like me to do. In the religion I follow there's no room for showing off and doing stuff to make others happy; it has to be a goal I want to achieve. I just tackled my feelings through prayer and continuously asked God for a sign. 5 months later I found my sign and was content :)

Seriously, I'm SO glad you mentioned that - it made me remember that beautiful moment in my life and it's putting things into perspective for me ^_^

Thanks for starting this thread DrS :o :)- I haven't been on for a few days, so it was such a pleasant surprise to see the title of this thread. It's generated quite a lot of interest too- and made for a fascinating read, especially because we all interpreted the question in different ways. Though this is slightly off topic- I agree with people's opinions on religion- even if at times...I question the beliefs I've been brought up with- I think most of all...it offers some comfort and guidance, and a sense of routine...and control, as there are rules associated with mine as well :P.

When we talked about it before (in the lead up to this question) we wondered if it would be possible to objectively/scientifically measure people's reactions to even complex stimuli in the future- even at the neuromuscular junction/action potential level? Quite an intriguing thought :o, and technology might just permit it in the future xD

For me- my purpose in life- is just to make the people who are most important to me- happy, so that I am. This involves setting lots of minigoals/aims. This is just at an "individual" level though- and of course, it's different for everyone. I guess the major "overall" purpose on a general scale would be reproduction though....just from an evolutionary/survival perspective. It is hard to reconcile religious and scientific beliefs at times- but that's something a lot of people to struggle with.

i have a feeling this is going to be a really really long thread... but a very interesting one, and i agree with mara- it made for a fascinating read :)

I don't think i can answer this in one post, there is just too much to say and explain and i'll probably forget something. And besides, topics like religion can be rather touchy subjects... i know that from experience so i've always tread very carefully in situations like this :P

What is the purpose of life? There are a couple ways we could look at that question- from an individual point of view, or a social point of view- though there are overlaps. I suppose that our purpose of life in a social context, simply put, is to reproduce in order for our species to survive. To be born, to live and then to die is simply what happens to us- we can't control that, but having a 'purpose' means that we actually were made to do something-have babies and make sure the population doesn't die out?

However, as people are not so primative as to be content with living for that sole purpose, we strive to find meaning in life; a good reason to live. Clearly there is no one answer- some people turn to religion for direction in life, and follow a set of prescribed morals or rules (not necessarily strictly, but as a guide) some people look for hard evidance as to how we came to be (personally, i have no idea what they are even looking for, or if they are even sure themselves).

Ultimately, i believe that our purpose in life is whatever we decide to make it. Is there really one true answer to that question? We all live for different things, may it be making yourself happy by making others happy, wanting to be remembered for as long as possible after you die, doing God's will, living in the hope that one day, you will be content with who you are and what you have, doing something that will improve another being's life, preservation of the natural world... the list goes on. I talk to people who do things that they love, and that is what they live for. Take that away from them, and they see no reason for their existance anymore.

Me personally, I live in hope that i will die knowing that i have made a positive contribution to this world, whether it is recognised, remembered or not. I was born into it (not of my choice of course, but i'm very glad i was :P), i lived off it's resources, so i want to give something back to it. That is my choice, not my obligation. And i don't mean that when i die, all the stuff that made me will again be returned to the environment, i mean that while i lived, i have made good and bad impacts on the environment around me so i want to give something back in that respect- something that is not materialistic :P

Sooooo...... thats the tip of the iceberg for me. I'd have to write a bloody long essay to even attempt to cover everything and even then, i doubt i'd be succesful lol...

oh also, i apologise if i have offended anybody... i have tried to be as fair as i could while making my point and i know that there are heaps of loopholes in that moderately large chunk of text... but i usually manage to make at least one person mad at me >.>

anyway, if you have managed to read this far, comments and questions are always welcome... if you find any of that waffle worthy of comment at all hahaha xD

Here is a summary of my opinion on the matter, I haven't had time to read the entire thread so forgive me if any material is repeated:

As someone who believes in no higher power, I don't think that life has a 'purpose'. To me a purpose implies a goal that is strived for in some sense. Some say that on a biological level, our purpose is to procreate but to me procreation is simply a bi-product of life, a means to survive as a species, not a purpose as such. Others say that our purpose is to 'be good'... or something similar, in order to gain entry into heaven/the next life. As I say, this isn't something that I can agree with.

If we have a purpose, where does it come from? Genetics? Some deity? Could it be definied by society? Is it a conscious purpose?

A summary of my summary:

Life has no purpose; life just is.

Also, I'm half asleep, and my parents' watching of Eastenders in the background is frying my brain, so I may or may not be making much sense.

Since graduating at the end of last year (and it took me 9 years so has kept me occupied), I took some months off doing *anything* during the school holidays with the intention of trying to pick up some part time work once school went back in February. Haven't found anything that suits the rest of my commitments/lifestyle yet, so still searching.

So at the moment, I have nothing really that is mentally stimulating me (and no, Arcade games don't really count...), and some days, the sheer monotony of what I do really gets me down. Mornings consisting of making lunches, getting children ready for school and all that entails, dropping them off, days spent cleaning, washing, preparing food, getting ready for the afterschool activities, picking up from school, taxi-ing children around to gymnastics, swimming lessons, etc etc, and evenings spent preparing the night time meal, cleaning up afterwards, baths, getting children to bed, home readers, stories, and once that's done I head to the Arcade ^^

Some days, I feel great empathy with previous generations of women, who joined the feminist movement and revolted against (then) societies expectation that women basically give up their own lives to do pretty much what I mentioned in the last paragraph once they have children. I sometimes feel dragged down by the tedium of daily activity that being a mother entails. I look at my intelligent daughters when I feel this way, and wonder why I try so hard to ensure they are challenged at school, and why i encourage them to be their best, try their hardest, when, in 20 years time, they may be mothers, and may have days just like me.

So the other day, I was grocery shopping, and my eldest daughter decided she would like to come with me. As we are walking towards the supermarket, she says "Mum - why are we here?"

I looked at her with amusement and said "I'm here to buy groceries......"
She says: "No, I mean.....why are we here? People, humans, the World. Why are we alive? You know...WHY are we here?"

And I thought to myself (as I was having one of my melancholy days)

*sigh* "I'm here to buy groceries......and cook, and clean, and wash clothes...."

/me hugs saff <3
hm...i forgot all bout this topic..been meaning to say something though

i dunno whats been going on with my mind/my life atm...half the time it feels like im working so hard...but i dont know why...im just afraid that if i stop trying, if i stop doing all of this work, stop being who i've been for the past few years, then i wont survive...that i won't know where im going in this life, i wont be able to live...

but the problem is it kinda sux...i've been all over the place trying to figure out why my life is the way it is,...my parents tell me all the time to start planning my life, get a job, figure out what college/uni i'll go to, figure out what im going to major in.....but i dont get it...sometimes i look at everything my future "should" be and wonder, if its only temporary...what the point?

meh, i wrote this yesterday morning, i was kinda upset at the time...but its just a thought:
life hurts...a lot.
the tears, the pain, the death, the heartache..
but what gets me through the day is knowing it's only temporary
and that someday i'll find a love that'll last forever <3