Trailblazer
Veteran Member
You just took the words right out of my mouth.
-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Greater purposes
- Thread starter ppp
- Start date
-
- Tags
- greater good happiness life purpose
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
They won't be happy unless someone cleans up the mess in the kitchen that humans have made because if not there will be no world for future generations.
ppp
Well-Known Member
But that is just saying that Person X should continue the species in order to preserve his personal happiness. Which place personal happiness as the greater purpose. No?
exchemist
Veteran Member
I think that is the normal human condition, isn't it? A lot of people who have achieved worthwhile things have suffered a lot in the process.
But even in little things, do I feel better when I go to bed at night after watching a funny show, or when I have pruned and tidied up the garden or done my tax return for the year? It's the latter, actually.
ppp
Well-Known Member
And how is it greater?
ppp
Well-Known Member
Everything is.
No, person x can produce offspring, unless person y and z and a and b etc also have offspring the species will not continue for long.
Continuing the species regardless of happiness ensures future people to be happy or not
As the others have said, happiness is fleeting, but building one's character and moral virtues makes one a better person and hopefully a benefit to one's society at large. It gives one something to work towards that isn't mere enjoyment, but something that feels the better for being difficult and earned.
ppp
Well-Known Member
What should compel me to I consider a purpose that has nothing to do with us to be greater. Or existent?
Last edited by a moderator:
They won't be happy unless someone cleans up the mess in the kitchen that humans have made because if not there will be no world for future generations.
Happiness is not the goal in my book. To me the goal is continuing the species, and that includes cleaning up the mess so the species can thrive
ppp
Well-Known Member
I am not using happiness in the acute sense of gleefulness, or merriment. I am using it in the chronic sense of fulfillment or contentedness.
As in - "Did you have a happy life?"
Does that affect you response?
osgart
Nothing my eye, Something for sure
A greater purpose is to make life worthwhile for others. And the reciprocity of doing so makes life better for self. That's the ideal.
Forever true love is the hardest to live. Goodbye sucks. But if life were eternal then that would be the greatest purpose.
There are plenty of temporal loves to live but it's not the same joy as forever love.
Some people dare to climb the mountain of purposes to find it though. And a lot of people seem not to want this.
Forever true love is the hardest to live. Goodbye sucks. But if life were eternal then that would be the greatest purpose.
There are plenty of temporal loves to live but it's not the same joy as forever love.
Some people dare to climb the mountain of purposes to find it though. And a lot of people seem not to want this.
ppp
Well-Known Member
I should think that would make happiness more valuable. Not less. Being fulfilled life is a moral goal.
I would put contentedness above happiness.
Cooky
Veteran Member
For what reason do you seek to continue the species?
Not really, being content is nice, being fulfilled is nice, but neither are essential to the general mish-mash that is human life
exchemist
Veteran Member
Fair enough, then I suppose, though I still feel fulfilment is distinct from happiness.
Because the species will die out, not sure about you but i would like humanity to survive and progress
ppp
Well-Known Member
Happiness is contentedness. As in, are you having a happy life? We aren't talking about merriment.
I mean contentedness with one's lot in life, to be able to appreciate what one has. Happiness to me is the feeling of being, say, given a gift one wanted, or eating junk food; feels good, but not for all the time.