The Purpose of Life

So I've been going through this forum and a trend I have noticed is how many people can hold such intelligent thoughts and views, but at the same time look past the very obvious.

The problem with existentialism is that we're thinking too hard about problems that really aren't as difficult as we make them out to be. I mean think about...

Q: Why are we alive?
A: To live!

Its as simple as that. My thought is me: that is why I cannot stop thinking. I exist because I cannot keep from thinking.

And the good news? There is no right or wrong way to think; however, every war we've ever fought has been because we disagree with the way another person thinks. You're alive because you NEED to learn how to think.

But what purpose does it serve to think?

Just by living you are making the Universe around you possible. If you weren't here to perceive it, then it wouldn't exist.

Think about it like this...
Imagine that the blood cells in our body were conscious like we are, and they suffered from the same existential anxiety that we all do. Imagine what would happen to this body if our all of our blood cells said to themselves, "There is no purpose in living, there is no greater meaning, there is no afterlife, and there is no God; whats the point?" However, what the blood cell is not aware of is that we could not live without it and that infact he IS apart of a greater purpose/reality. But how does this help the blood cell? He thinks his life serves no purpose and that he is just a small part of a much larger reality that he is unable to comprehend so he should just give up.

Now apply that same metaphor to our situation here on Earth. Imagine that we are nothing more that blood cells, and the earth is the vien in which we live, the sun is the heart which gives us life, the Universe is the entire body that we are all apart of, and God is the brain. And while the blood cell maybe aware of the fact that there is a brain and he may even be aware of the fact that the brain controls the body, he is unaware of how the brain works, or the thoughts that it can think; and is also unaware that while the brain controls the body, it cannot control the blood cell on an individual level. It can only guide it on the path it needs to go in order to not only keep the body alive, but himself alive as well.

The answers to all of lifes questions are around you and they are disguised in everyday appearances. All you have to do is look at the obvious and see if it applies to your life.

Now if that metaphor didn't work for you, heres another example.
Imagine that you are a fish and God's mind is the Ocean. You cannot deny that without it, you wouldn't be alive. The Ocean came before you, gave you life, but it didn't necessarily give you a purpose. As a fish, you are free to swim in whichever direction you choose and you are free to swiw with whatever school of other fish you choose. However, if the ocean were not full with fish, it would have no reason to exist. We need the Ocean just as much as the Ocean needs us. Its a mutual relationship, however sometimes we're like the fish who just are intelligent enough to understand it.

Never take your conscious for granted. Its the reason you're alive.

 

You started off well, but I got lost in the metaphors. More accurately, I have the impression you're forgetting they're metaphors. You seem to be saying we should realize we have a purpose, because we might be a vital part of some larger thing and just not know it. But then again, we might not, or might not care to accept that as meaningful. So back to the existential dilemma!

Some of your other statements also raise questions:

Is this just warmed over Berkeley? "Would a tree fall in the forest if no one were there to see or hear it?"

Is this a version of Descartes' "I think, therefore I am"?

Not that those aren't interesting ideas. I think I agree with your point that we take obvious realities for granted, especially consciousness, the most immediately accessible aspect of reality for us, and one which science still hasn't satisfactorily explained.

 

To the point of life, for existentialists, especially atheist ones like myself, is to embrace existence, while we can, for as long as we are alive.

 

I like all of your points. We are here to live and all have our own interpretations of what is happening around us. No one interpretation is an absolute.

 

you've not even come close to solving the riddle of human existence

 

The key to existence will not be found in text books or scripture, but must be illuminated from within.

 

And it will still be a human construct.

 

the purpose of life is to find a purpose

 

Spoken like a true existentialist!

 

You say we are alive to live, i think it's more that we are too weak to die right away, so we are left existing, whether you try to make meaning out of it or not is up to the individual

 

This was the first thing I read in this section of hipforums and I have to say it caught my attention. Big time! It's like something hit home for me. However what you said made me feel real real small, more so than my other feelings of feeling small. Even though it's a great theory. I'm not sure anyone will grasp in our time what life really is...but I think it is the purpose of us all, like others have said, finding the purpose.

 

I've never understood why people have to say there's a purpose to life. There's not, it's all just random.

 

the purpose of life.. like so many difficult questions, its answer couldn't be communicated effectively with words. that said, I think it's very important to have purpose in life.

 

The problem is that the purpose in life was not a happy thing when I found sex. Then I couldn't believe it might be for getting married. So the purpose of life is to buy a flute for side tracking this activity now. No way...no way?

 

We create the purpose of our lives. In another way of putting it, our purpose is whatever we choose. Some people choose religion, some choose hedonism, etc. We are here and we are the only ones who can enlighten ourselves to anything that has no absolute answer.

 

Well, I am a Christian,,,a follower Of Jesus. Yea, I do the whole God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit thing...as some would say.

I also know I am not to put my views on somethings here...

But for some people "Hippy" or not,,, there is a "God". "God" in the real sense of the word,,,I am not gonna insist on anything on here,,,other than,,,"God" does exist.

There ARE,,,two different worlds,,, been there and done that,,, if you want to say so,,in so many words.

These two different worlds are really as one,,,The world---earth,,,and then the Spirit Relm. I have dealt with both. Through God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

You are here,,,because of God,,,he has made you in his likeness,,,a person that can feel, touch and love...ONE ANOTHER...in many different ways...

The Spirit Relm is a VERY POWERFUL relm,,,I have experienced it sooooo many times...
each time getting more intense as I spend time with God.

But the best thing out of all of this is,,,one day, we will,,,find out what is what,,,and we will be very lucky to see what there is to see,,,remember, WE ARE ALL HERE FOR ONE ANOTHER NO MATTER WHAT,,,to lean on, to trust and to love...LOVE,,,a big word,,,sometimes alot of risk taking...but it is all worth it,,,so many people Just need Love,,,and that is what God intended for us to be,,,loved by him and by each other,,,

 

But the question stays and lingers for the freedom of Existence: is God existence itself, or can we deny the law in His favour? God independently made existence the better part of our discression to choose. Thank you.:cheers2:

 

Sometimes the question is more important than the answer.

Behind all these question of the purpose of life, isn't there, hidden, the longing for happiness?

When you're truely happy do you ask yourself what's the purpose of life? Not sure, don't think so.

Do you think we could be happy without a purpose? I think yes.

So seize the day.

 

Hmmm, I would say pretty good post for a 17 yr old, but dude, you haven't been in the work force long. I wonder if you'll have the same attitude after 20 or 30 years in the rat race! You may have to alter your definition of happiness! HaHaHa

:cheers2: Purpose-shmurpose!