Concern for meaning in life

[waitasec]

And then take a look at the diagnostic criteria for depression. Or at the writings of those (Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, Freud, etc.) who have argued that life has no meaning (or something near enough to that) and how problematic they thought this could be. Freud just decided (apparently) that anyone who starts to think about meaning and purpose in life is neurotic or sick. Nietzsche, who was (contra Sartre) usually upbeat and optmistic about the realization that god and religion were no longer (or at least soon would no longer be) a plausible source for guidence and meaning in modern society, still recognized how dangerous and potentially catastrophic the true realization that there really is no point to anything can be. It's one thing to say "nothing ultimately matters" but to continue to act, think, and behave as if things do (which everybody who isn't close to suicide does). It's another to believe that nothing has any point whatsoever. They call that despair, as Sartre implicitly admits: On lui a d'abord reproché d'inviter les gens à demeurer dans un quiétisme du désespoir...

the here and now is so underrated.

 

[Sgloom]

i personally see no meaning to life. even if theres an eternal afterlife, what would the purpose of that be? i choose to enjoy life, the here and now, i appreciate life and how amazing it is, but i fail to see any purpose or meaning, maybe im missing something

 

[Sunstone]

I sometimes suspect that some religions, like the Abrahamics, try to find intrinsic meaning on life, while other religions, such as Zen Buddhism, more or less try to reconcile you to no intrinsic meaning.

 

[LegionOnomaMoi]

the here and now is so underrated.

Possibly because the "now" is meaningless without a past of memory and meaning (in the normal, not existential, sense) through which to interpret current experiences. Additionally, so much of what we do every moment of every day is in preperation for something else. I don't know about you, but most of my driving isn't for the heck of driving; it's because I'm going somewhere. To me, "live for the moment" or "treat each day as if it were your last" are just bumper sticker slogans which amount either to (if taken literally) "don't do anything ever to plan for the future" or (more often) "try not to think about the big picture as much". Well, great, but with out some sense of "this is who and what I am and where I wish to go/be/do and how I find meaning in my life and in the cosmos" the "now" is lost; the experience of a fractured "self" unable to connect to what is being experienced.

 

[punkdbass]

i think perpetuating this mentality perpetuates uncertainty in ones self, meaning they are not capable but a higher being gives them capability. it's ambiguous and it's not really clear who helps the alcoholic to not drink...
the higher power or their will.

First of all, I didnt mean for the "mentality" I descibed to be a black and white, dualistic mentality in the sense that ether someone CAN live without God, or they CANT - thus leaving no other options. Of course, realistically, there is middle ground, and many other options exist.

Secondly, I would say that it is not the higher being that gives them capability, but rather that people - with their own power - use this higher power(God) to bring about change. In other words, the alcoholic has it within him to quit drinking, but practically speaking, using God to externalize that internal power might simply be the best option for him. It might even be the only way he can externalize that internal power. I know for me personally, the only way I've found to be happy in life thus far, is to make Torah and God a foundation of my life. Everyone is different.

We can debate all day whether or not people are capable of being happy without inherent purpose, meaning, or God.. but if we look to reality, I think its a fair observation to say that a majority of people living without inherent meaning, purpose, or God, are unhappy, or not living to good of lives. Perhaps you will disagree that it is a majority, but I think you can at least agree that this is at least true for a very significant proportion of such people.

 

[waitasec]

I would say that it is not the higher being that gives them capability, but rather that people - with their own power - use this higher power(God) to bring about change. In other words, the alcoholic has it within him to quit drinking, but practically speaking, using God to externalize that internal power might simply be the best option for him.

it's almost like putting on a band aid and not getting to the source of the problem

We can debate all day whether or not people are capable of being happy without inherent purpose, meaning, or God.. but if we look to reality, I think its a fair observation to say that a majority of people living without inherent meaning, purpose, or God, are unhappy, or not living to good of lives. Perhaps you will disagree that it is a majority, but I think you can at least agree that this is at least true for a very significant proportion of such people.

i know a lot of unhappy people who depend on god for purpose and meaning...


don't get me wrong,
i respect your POV...it's just an interesting topic.

 

[Straw Dog]

Possibly because the "now" is meaningless without a past of memory and meaning (in the normal, not existential, sense) through which to interpret current experiences. Additionally, so much of what we do every moment of every day is in preperation for something else. I don't know about you, but most of my driving isn't for the heck of driving; it's because I'm going somewhere. To me, "live for the moment" or "treat each day as if it were your last" are just bumper sticker slogans which amount either to (if taken literally) "don't do anything ever to plan for the future" or (more often) "try not to think about the big picture as much". Well, great, but with out some sense of "this is who and what I am and where I wish to go/be/do and how I find meaning in my life and in the cosmos" the "now" is lost; the experience of a fractured "self" unable to connect to what is being experienced.

The thing about "now" is that it flows. You have a point that we require a correlation between various moments of change in our lives in order to make sense of things and to function. A moment can be wasted reading a bumper sticker about how we should live in the moment. Of course, we need to plan our course of action and I find a lot of meaning in contemplating the big picture.

We don't usually drive just to drive, but even if we have a specific destination in mind doesn't mean we should fixate on the destination. We pursue goals, but the meaning arises in the journey towards realizing the goal. Once the goal is reached there may be a period of elation, but then new goals must be pursued to generate further meaning. There are a lot of moments to fully experience along the journey to our destinations.

 

[waitasec]

Possibly because the "now" is meaningless without a past of memory and meaning (in the normal, not existential, sense) through which to interpret current experiences. Additionally, so much of what we do every moment of every day is in preperation for something else. I don't know about you, but most of my driving isn't for the heck of driving; it's because I'm going somewhere. To me, "live for the moment" or "treat each day as if it were your last" are just bumper sticker slogans which amount either to (if taken literally) "don't do anything ever to plan for the future" or (more often) "try not to think about the big picture as much". Well, great, but with out some sense of "this is who and what I am and where I wish to go/be/do and how I find meaning in my life and in the cosmos" the "now" is lost; the experience of a fractured "self" unable to connect to what is being experienced.

planning for the future is futile because anything can and will happen regardless.
however, i know what is possible now...

 

[LegionOnomaMoi]

planning for the future is futile because anything can and will happen regardless.
however, i know what is possible now...

1) Not anything can and will happen. Anybody who doesn't plan for the future has no reason to go to work, has no reason to keep any money, has no reason to pay bills, etc. Do you pay bills?

2) "Now" is nothing. Mathematically 0 or 1/infinity. You can't know what is possible "now" as it is already happening, and therefore realized, not "possible". In order to know what is "possible" you have to be talking about the future.

Also, you clearly can communicate in English. Which means you have stored an enormously large number of concepts in you memory which are connected to one another in various ways such that you can relate them to others and to words representing them. All of that is possible because of your past. You are constantly interpreting stimuli based on your passed experiences, memories, etc. Without these, you would not even be able to comprehend English. You wouldn't know what "now" means at all. In order to say "live in the now" you need to apply years of experience speaking english (among other experiences) just to understand the phrase.

In order to understand the "now" you need to apply years of learning and memories from the past, making the slogan "live in the now" pretty self-defeating.

 

[Straw Dog]

planning for the future is futile because anything can and will happen regardless.
however, i know what is possible now...

Planning takes place within the potentials of the present in preparation for possibilities.

Whoa... I'm starting to think I have a fetish for alliteration haha.

 

[waitasec]

Planning takes place within the potentials of the present in preparation for possibilities.

Whoa... I'm starting to think I have a fetish for alliteration haha.

ha ha...

i like it though...

 

[bn40]

The meaning of life is whatever each person wants to make of it, from what they've learned, from their experiences, and so on.

I've tried to apply faith and being more conscious of a spiritual pane in my every day life but still each decision, choice, action I made is based on my own thought process resulting from my own knowledge and experiences. Perhaps spirituality, religion etc can shape my character but ultimately its my own choices.