The need for a grand purpose/meaning

[The Transcended Omniverse]

I see an absolute need for this. I see an absolute need for us to be immortal souls that can live in eternal bliss in the afterlife. Some people would say there is no need for that and the life we have here instead is all we need. I don't see it that way.

If we are nothing more than life forms that are just here to live and forever perish, then I see no reason to have a family or to cherish this life if all we are is just life forms that live and forever perish. If this is all we are, then we as human beings were better off having never been born in the first place. This life and this entire universe was better off having never come into being. This being the one and only life I will ever have is not any reason at all to me to cherish it and make the best of it.

To me, a person who is able to cherish this life and make the best of it in the absence of this grand purpose/meaning is nothing more than a simple minded animal. Nothing more than a simple minded creature that goes about its daily life that says:

"Welp, I will enjoy and cherish this life while it lasts. When I die, I die and that is it."

That, to me, is a simple minded animal not concerned with any grand purpose/meaning. But as for me, I am nothing like that. I am on a much higher level than that. I am able to see the big picture for what it is (the grand scheme of things). That being, if this is all we are as human beings, then there is no reason for any of it.

This existence is just nonsense and to carry on with your life and have reason to cherish and enjoy this life is just absurd nonsense like that of a simple minded animal and nothing more.

 

[McBell]

That you require a grand purpose that you cannot know exists is all about you and your needs.
In fact, your whole OP is all about you and your needs.

The fact is, not everyone requires a grand purpose.

 

[The Transcended Omniverse]

That you require a grand purpose that you cannot know exists is all about you and your needs.
In fact, your whole OP is all about you and your needs.

The fact is, not everyone requires a grand purpose.

There are many others like me as well and I am speaking for them as well.

 

[McBell]

There are many others like me as well and I am speaking for them as well.

By what authority are you speaking for them?

 

[The Transcended Omniverse]

By what authority are you speaking for them?

There are just simply many people out there who think like me and that just gives me every reason to think the way I do.

 

[McBell]

There are just simply many people out there who think like me and that just gives me every reason to think the way I do.

I never made any claim that you need a reason to think as you do.
So no need for the appeal to numbers.


I am curious as to what it is you want to debate?

 

[LuisDantas]

Never quite understood that attitude, myself.

 

[The Transcended Omniverse]

I never made any claim that you need a reason to think as you do.
So no need for the appeal to numbers.


I am curious as to what it is you want to debate?

Whether we should still have a positive attitude and not give up on life if we as human beings are truly nothing more than life forms that are just here to live and forever perish. If we should still see every reason to cherish this life and make the best of it. Or if we should instead display the pessimistic attitude I have explained above which is the attitude I and many others hold.

If it's truly nothing more than a simple minded animal to find meaning and cherish this life despite the fact that we will forever perish one day and whether it is or is not absurd nonsense to do so.

 

[Guy Threepwood]

I see an absolute need for this. I see an absolute need for us to be immortal souls that can live in eternal bliss in the afterlife. Some people would say there is no need for that and the life we have here instead is all we need. I don't see it that way.

If we are nothing more than life forms that are just here to live and forever perish, then I see no reason to have a family or to cherish this life if all we are is just life forms that live and forever perish. If this is all we are, then we as human beings were better off having never been born in the first place. This life and this entire universe was better off having never come into being. This being the one and only life I will ever have is not any reason at all to me to cherish it and make the best of it.

To me, a person who is able to cherish this life and make the best of it in the absence of this grand purpose/meaning is nothing more than a simple minded animal. Nothing more than a simple minded creature that goes about its daily life that says:

"Welp, I will enjoy and cherish this life while it lasts. When I die, I die and that is it."

That, to me, is a simple minded animal not concerned with any grand purpose/meaning. But as for me, I am nothing like that. I am on a much higher level than that. I am able to see the big picture for what it is (the grand scheme of things). That being, if this is all we are as human beings, then there is no reason for any of it.

This existence is just nonsense and to carry on with your life and have reason to cherish and enjoy this life is just absurd nonsense like that of a simple minded animal and nothing more.

I'd agree with much of that,

It's always technically possible that everything we see around us spontaneously blundered into existence by blind chance, and on top of all this staggering improbability, only one species in millions is capable of contemplating it all- for no particular reason.

But if this particular belief is not correct, then we're not here by chance, there is a purpose. I believe that is a far less improbable scenario. But like most I'm certainly guilty of simple mindedness, selfishness, neglecting to cherish everything I have been given, it's not just a one-off acknowledgement of purpose right? Living by it is another matter!

 

[lovesong]

To me, a person who is able to cherish this life and make the best of it in the absence of this grand purpose/meaning is nothing more than a simple minded animal.

Thanks.

 

[The Transcended Omniverse]

Thanks.

Or maybe they are just simply not obsessed like I am about forever dying. The idea that I will could forever die one day is a constant obsession that prevents me from cherishing, finding meaning, joy, and happiness in this life. So maybe it is that instead. Maybe others just aren't obsessed like me.

 

[LuisDantas]

Surely if an infinite life is something to enjoy, there is all the more reason to enjoy a finite one, don't you think?

 

[The Transcended Omniverse]

Surely if an infinite life is something to enjoy, there is all the more reason to enjoy a finite one, don't you think?

I am unable to due to this obsession. The idea of eternal bliss is an absolute need that is built into me. I cannot bypass this need. I cannot escape it. It is always there making my life miserable and meaningless. The only thing that matters to me in life is living in eternal bliss. This is the only thing that dictates the value of a human being. As long as a person does not have that, then they are nothing. They have no value to me whatsoever.

 

[Riverwolf]

Do you truly understand the concept of eternity?

 

[LuisDantas]

Here from where I stand it feels like you might be over-valuing eternity at the detriment of other attributes. Perhaps it could be worthwhile to work at becoming a bit less sensitive to the idea of things having an end. Or perhaps just savoring the present moment a bit more?

Do you see any real or conceivable downsides to eternity? Predictability, lack of respite, of forgivance? Cristalization of mistakes? Tiredness?

 

[George-ananda]

Well, without an afterlife I would certainly gravitate to an existentialist attitude.

 

[LuisDantas]

Does anyone here see an infinite life as something different from a finite life extended indefinitely? How so?

 

[The Transcended Omniverse]

Here from where I stand it feels like you might be over-valuing eternity at the detriment of other attributes. Perhaps it could be worthwhile to work at becoming a bit less sensitive to the idea of things having an end. Or perhaps just savoring the present moment a bit more?

Do you see any real or conceivable downsides to eternity? Predictability, lack of respite, of forgivance? Cristalization of mistakes? Tiredness?

No, NEVER!!! I will NEVER grow tired of eternity. I am like an eternal star that is bright, hot, and shining with eternal energy that NEVER dies out! I NEVER INTEND TO DIE!!! I WILL NEVER REST!!! I WILL NEVER GROW TIRED!!! MY ENERGY LEVEL WITH SKYROCKET HIGHER AND HIGHER FOR ALL ETERNITY LIKE A BRIGHT HOT STAR GROWING MORE AND MORE HOT AND POWERFUL!!! I DON'T INTEND TO BE PUT IN THE GRAVE!!! I INTEND TO BE AN IMMORTAL SOUL WITH INTENSE FEELINGS OF BLISS THAT GROW MORE AND MORE INTENSE AND POWERFUL!!! I INTEND TO BE IMMORTAL, INSANELY MANIC FOR ALL ETERNITY, AND NEVER DEPRESSED!!! I SURE HOPE THE ETERNAL BLISSFUL AFTERLIFE DOES EXIST!!! I remain agnostic and there is only one way to find out. That is, the day I die.

 

[Riverwolf]

No, NEVER!!! I will NEVER grow tired of eternity. I am like an eternal star that is bright, hot, and shining with eternal energy that NEVER dies out!

Interesting choice of analogy, as there is no such thing as a star that will shine for all eternity. Furthermore, incidentally, the brightest and hottest stars have the shortest life spans.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I see an absolute need for this. I see an absolute need for us to be immortal souls that can live in eternal bliss in the afterlife. Some people would say there is no need for that and the life we have here instead is all we need. I don't see it that way.

If we are nothing more than life forms that are just here to live and forever perish, then I see no reason to have a family or to cherish this life if all we are is just life forms that live and forever perish. If this is all we are, then we as human beings were better off having never been born in the first place. This life and this entire universe was better off having never come into being. This being the one and only life I will ever have is not any reason at all to me to cherish it and make the best of it.

To me, a person who is able to cherish this life and make the best of it in the absence of this grand purpose/meaning is nothing more than a simple minded animal. Nothing more than a simple minded creature that goes about its daily life that says:

"Welp, I will enjoy and cherish this life while it lasts. When I die, I die and that is it."

That, to me, is a simple minded animal not concerned with any grand purpose/meaning. But as for me, I am nothing like that. I am on a much higher level than that. I am able to see the big picture for what it is (the grand scheme of things). That being, if this is all we are as human beings, then there is no reason for any of it.

This existence is just nonsense and to carry on with your life and have reason to cherish and enjoy this life is just absurd nonsense like that of a simple minded animal and nothing more.

I love this life because I have choices to better myself spiritually, mentally, and physically. In the afterlife or with my ancestors I want to have that; and, I don't know how it will be. So it would be self-centered for me to think the afterlife (if I called it that-I call it transition) is perfect bliss. Just because we die and are alive doesn't make life after transition better or worse than we have now; just different.

How do you view the afterlife? What is the nature of it? To me, it makes more sense to believe in the afterlife because it helps the person cope with living. It's another, an I question this, to live as if the afterlife is real and live this fact of possible delusion. Possible. While many people live in delusion and lead normal lives, there are others who take their delusions so far because they are so attached to living in the future they forget to have goals and see life in gratitude in the present.

What makes the afterlife better than this life? Is it a want or something you know is true? Do you need this to live your life today? If it is true, how did you (not anyone in any scripture and not how many people think like yourself) come to this conclusion?