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Why are we here in this world, whats our purpose?
- Thread starter ProfLogic
- Start date
e1337hax0r111
New Member
simple didnt you red the bible sonny says right thier very clear that the ownly purpos is to reproduce so why you w8ting for now you knew the purpsoe of life as it says in the bible sonny aint that kewl
michel said:What if you happen to be ugly ?
I don't mean to spoil a good joke, but when I reflect on it, ugly can be attractive too. Not attractive in the same ways as beauty, but attractive as character.
I saw an ugly man a couple of days ago that was downright graceful and fascinating in the way he bent and twisted his body to look at an overhead sign. It was such an individual way of doing it, that I wondered if how he held himself in that instant said something about his personality.
Of course, I notice these things because I sketch people. But it doesn't take a pencil and a pad of paper to notice such things, albeit a bit of practice with them might help.
I think I might know what you're saying here, Michel, but could you elaborate a bit? I'm not sure that I understand yet. Can you offer an example or two?
bunny1ohio
Active Member
may said:
There are no conclusions in a true debate because who decides? *grins*.... that depends on belief... not proof... and that's a whole other debate...
No conclusion... that's your opinion...
divine said:
My hunch is that wondering about the purpose of things is to some extent hardwired into the human brain and heavily reinforced by the business of going about our daily lives.
An animal on the look out for "the purpose of things" is more likely to figure out that a rock can be fractured into a cutting blade and useful tool than an animal that doesn't speculate about the alleged purpose of things. So, there might be evolutionary reasons why we ask for purpose.
That is also to say that seeing a purpose in something is a human construct. Nature itself does not come organized into categories of human purpose. Rocks are not naturally for fracturing into cutting blades. Instead, we impose purpose on nature, rather than actually discover it all ready made for us in nature.
sandy whitelinger
Veteran Member
ProfLogic said:
From a Biblical Christian perspective our purpose is to gain a right relationship with God.
d.
_______
Sunstone said:
sure - while i don't believe it's 'hardwired into the brain', i suppose it's something of a universal human trait to be curious and find out how and why things work. a trait we share with a lot of animals. i'd say finding purpose and meaning in life and existence, as a whole, is hardwired in our culture though. i don't think it must be unescapable human nature.
Sunstone said:
exactly. so my answer is - why must there be more purpose, and meaning, than there already is? why must we seek external purpose, instead of being satisfied with what we already have? why...:sleep:
divine said:
My language was clumsy... When I said that looking for purpose was hardwired into the brain, I didn't mean to imply we are always required by our brains to look for purpose. I merely meant that we are predisposed to look for purpose, and I should have said that. Of course, the cultures that are instilled in us from birth onwards can hugely magnify this predisposition.
Just as some cultures are more warlike than others, some cultures encourage us to act more often purposively than others.
Having a purpose gives us a sense of meaning, doesn't it? I suspect most people are emotionally averse to feeling their life or even one of their days is meaningless, and escape from that feeling through launching themselves into a purpose(s). Psychologically, it's very subtle, I suppose.
Is it possible to act according to a purpose without feeling a sense of meaning come from it?
d.
_______
i don't think your language was clumsy, though i suspect that mine was. (i can always blame the fact that english is my second language, though most often it rather has to do with laziness) i just feel that, though it is definitely possible you are right, perhaps we often look a little too readily to biology for answers. cultural explanations, i feel, are often overlooked.Sunstone said:
it would seem so, but how many are actually sure about their purpose in life? how many know exactly what it is? despite what they would tell you, how often is a christian, muslim, new ager etc. completely without doubt? that sense of meaning seems to me unstable and in the end, a source of much anxiety. this is of course a completely personal and subjective opinion, but i feel that looking for meaning and purpose outside of the moment, project or task at hand, is frequently a source of unhappiness in people's lives.Sunstone said:
yes - but i'd reply that just because your life has no 'cosmic' or 'grand' meaning, doesn't make it meaningless.Sunstone said:
i don't understand...:sorry1:Sunstone said:
Raguel
Member
Obviously this is an answer noone could possibly give you a definite answer to. Besides, if anybody could tell you the answer, would you believe it?
I suppose you may be here for the same reason as me though - to hear other people's opinions and try to get closer to an answer yourself. On that note, what I believe is that the point of this life is to get enough insight to advance to the next one.
But you know what? The scariest thing I could think of would be finding out the undeniable answer to your question - and not liking the answer.
I suppose you may be here for the same reason as me though - to hear other people's opinions and try to get closer to an answer yourself. On that note, what I believe is that the point of this life is to get enough insight to advance to the next one.
But you know what? The scariest thing I could think of would be finding out the undeniable answer to your question - and not liking the answer.
divine said:
Good point! Lately, I've been on a biology binge from a newfound fascination with biological explanations of human behavior. On the other hand, there's no denying that culture is a huge, pervasive, and often primary influence on human behavior which really should never be overlooked. It's always or almost always part of the explanation.
Another excellent point! I agree not everyone will agree with us here, Divine. Nevertheless, it does seems to both of us that looking for a cosmic meaning to life is likely to find something unstable and anxiety producing. It seems, the more you try to depend on such a meaning, the more anxious you become over it, and many people experience a pattern of emotional peaks and valleys in doing this.
Having said that, I know many people who have told me that they do find stability and release from anxiety in their cosmic purpose. I have no experience in my own life that allows me to empathetically relate to them on that point, but I don't doubt that for some people it might be true, or at least true enough for them.
Of course not! I very much feel my life has meaning even though I cannot find any cosmic meaning to it.
Wasn't it Goethe who said, merely set yourself to a task and the mind becomes heated, engaged, and interested? Normally, you have merely to get started doing something that fulfills a desired purpose, and a feeling of meaningfulness will eventually follow. It might not be a feeling of profound menaingfulness, but it will be some sort of feeling of meaningfulness. That is, to act to fulfill a desire seems to give us both a sense of purpose, and a feeling of meaningfulness. Do you agree? Or is this a flawed psychology?
EnhancedSpirit
High Priestess
We are spiritual beings in the material school, seeking to graduate to higher things.
Our purpose first is to remember this, we are here to experience life from our own unique perspective. By adding our perspective to the whole, we increase ourselves, we increase the whole, we become one with God. It's not just about you getting to Heaven/Nirvana/Paradise, it's about all of us getting there.
Our purpose first is to remember this, we are here to experience life from our own unique perspective. By adding our perspective to the whole, we increase ourselves, we increase the whole, we become one with God. It's not just about you getting to Heaven/Nirvana/Paradise, it's about all of us getting there.