meaning of life

[Nova]

a deep, philosophical thread, but why not, i've been feeling philosophical lately.

what do you believe is the meaning of life, how did we get here and where are we heading? do you believe in a heaven? are we just machines, created purely by chance?

i always find peoples answers interesting because among the more common beliefs such as Christianity etc people have some funny ideas and thoughts.

peace

 

[Garrett]

a deep, philosophical thread, but why not, i've been feeling philosophical lately.

what do you believe is the meaning of life, how did we get here and where are we heading? do you believe in a heaven? are we just machines, created purely by chance?

i always find peoples answers interesting because among the more common beliefs such as Christianity etc people have some funny ideas and thoughts.

peace

Hey Nova. I believe that evolution is how people came to be. At the same time, I do believe that there is a God who is a creator, and due to my Christian/Catholic upbringing, I will occasionally say a prayer to ask for forgiveness. Also, in University I've taken a religious course, and some of the beliefs of the other religions have influenced mine. For example, I'm really interested in the idea of reincarnation from Buddhist traditions, and that the way people act in this lifetime will determine if they go to heaven, or if they come back for another go.

Something to consider too, is that we could have been living comfortably as foragers as opposed to today's society. It's a controversial topic, but there is clear evidence of human ancestors all over the world. More specifically, hundreds of years ago, populations were a lot smaller, and people had a plentiful amount of food to go around. They worked a lot less too(only 19 hour work weeks). Our bodies are more suited to this lifestyle, and we could have been living like this if it were not for settlement and the uprising of agriculture. Agriculture lead to civilization, hierarchies, poverty, overpopulation, exceeded carrying capacities, food shortages, resource depletion, education, medicine, the list goes on. Had people chosen not to settle and continued foraging/living as hunter-gatherers, there would be a lot more resources, populations would be a lot smaller (people had a ton of kids to look after the farm), and people would probably be happier living a simpler life. You may feel indifferent about this, but I digress.

Also, another BIG THING to consider is the idea of BALANCE. Honestly, take a look at your behavior. Recently, I've really been trying to get a better walk and cover some fundamentals, but I was exerting so much energy doing it, that I was coming off a bit tryhard. Not only that, but when I was with girls, there wasn't a great connection, because I wasn't being as natural as I should have. I don't want to blame anyone, I think that Chase's post about "Don't Be Yourself" really hit me hard, so hard that I went on the extreme of not being myself at all. My opinion is that you have to be yourself, but apply what Chase says, it's a more accurate and balanced way of looking at things. When you aren't yourself, women in particular may tell you are trying too hard and if you aren't a great actor, you'll have a weird/tryhard vibe and girls can pick up on these things. I went as far as numbing my emotions. I lost motivation, and despite it being effective, it was too hard to maintain.

In my opinion, there are three ways how you approach a task; doing NOTHING, going EXTREME and optimally, being BALANCED. I think Chase was referring to doing NOTHING as "being yourself". If you go extreme on something, you'll still get results, and will get better short-term results than doing nothing or being balanced. Unless you are mentally mutated so that you can keep doing extreme things and expend rediculous amounts of energy/time in things (this differs for everyone though), then it's not a good solution (long term especially, but in general). It's better to be balanced. If you are talking to a girl and you screw up and forget something, it's okay, just try to gradually implement it into the interaction as you remember. For example, Chase said to talk slowly and somewhat loudly (not too loud). If you're talking a bit fast, stuttering, or talking in a way where she keeps asking you to repeat yourself, just be calm, pause if necessary and gradually implement the slow/louder speech. If the girl is out with you, she's interested so as long as you remember to take her to bed, you can be yourself with a sexy edge/vibe and you're set. You MUST be yourself to come off natural, but if you can take time to practice your fundamentals, study the blogs, and implement the teachings in social situations, this will definitely help. I took everything too personally, thinking I was wrong for being who I am, just like how magazines tell girls they are too fat. Now I realize, I am okay with who I am, but at the same time, I want to improve, get better, and want to work on gradually making myself better each and everyday. Chase, if you read this, I think you should emphasize this because I've gone through hell these past few weeks, looking tryhard, acting extreme, and not connecting to people. Not to blame you, but the name "Don't be yourself" seems too extreme to me. Maybe it's my interpretation, but it set me back from my original plan to gradually improve, take away nuggets from your work (I really appreciate it), and strive to be the best person I can be. Balance is key for everything; you'll be satisfied without over/underdoing something. The challenge is finding that balance, especially if you are used to jumping from extremes.

Cheers,
Garrett

 

[Mr. Wes]

Hey Nova, I read a short story today that really gets one thinking about this. It blew my mind and i'd like other people to talk about it with. Hope its not too long...


The Egg

By: Andy Weir
You were on your way home when you died.
It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. The EMTs tried their best to save you, but to no avail. Your body was so utterly shattered you were better off, trust me.
And that’s when you met me.
“What… what happened?” You asked. “Where am I?”
“You died,” I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words.
“There was a… a truck and it was skidding…”
“Yup,” I said.
“I… I died?”
“Yup. But don’t feel bad about it. Everyone dies,” I said.
You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. “What is this place?” You asked. “Is this the afterlife?”
“More or less,” I said.
“Are you god?” You asked.
“Yup,” I replied. “I’m God.”
“My kids… my wife,” you said.
“What about them?”
“Will they be all right?”
“That’s what I like to see,” I said. “You just died and your main concern is for your family. That’s good stuff right there.”
You looked at me with fascination. To you, I didn’t look like God. I just looked like some man. Or possibly a woman. Some vague authority figure, maybe. More of a grammar school teacher than the almighty.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “They’ll be fine. Your kids will remember you as perfect in every way. They didn’t have time to grow contempt for you. Your wife will cry on the outside, but will be secretly relieved. To be fair, your marriage was falling apart. If it’s any consolation, she’ll feel very guilty for feeling relieved.”
“Oh,” you said. “So what happens now? Do I go to heaven or hell or something?”
“Neither,” I said. “You’ll be reincarnated.”
“Ah,” you said. “So the Hindus were right,”
“All religions are right in their own way,” I said. “Walk with me.”
You followed along as we strode through the void. “Where are we going?”
“Nowhere in particular,” I said. “It’s just nice to walk while we talk.”
“So what’s the point, then?” You asked. “When I get reborn, I’ll just be a blank slate, right? A baby. So all my experiences and everything I did in this life won’t matter.”
“Not so!” I said. “You have within you all the knowledge and experiences of all your past lives. You just don’t remember them right now.”
I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders. “Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful, and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are. It’s like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it’s hot or cold. You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel, and when you bring it back out, you’ve gained all the experiences it had.
“You’ve been in a human for the last 48 years, so you haven’t stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness. If we hung out here for long enough, you’d start remembering everything. But there’s no point to doing that between each life.”
“How many times have I been reincarnated, then?”
“Oh lots. Lots and lots. An in to lots of different lives.” I said. “This time around, you’ll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD.”
“Wait, what?” You stammered. “You’re sending me back in time?”
“Well, I guess technically. Time, as you know it, only exists in your universe. Things are different where I come from.”
“Where you come from?” You said.
“Oh sure,” I explained “I come from somewhere. Somewhere else. And there are others like me. I know you’ll want to know what it’s like there, but honestly you wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh,” you said, a little let down. “But wait. If I get reincarnated to other places in time, I could have interacted with myself at some point.”
“Sure. Happens all the time. And with both lives only aware of their own lifespan you don’t even know it’s happening.”
“So what’s the point of it all?”
“Seriously?” I asked. “Seriously? You’re asking me for the meaning of life? Isn’t that a little stereotypical?”
“Well it’s a reasonable question,” you persisted.
I looked you in the eye. “The meaning of life, the reason I made this whole universe, is for you to mature.”
“You mean mankind? You want us to mature?”
“No, just you. I made this whole universe for you. With each new life you grow and mature and become a larger and greater intellect.”
“Just me? What about everyone else?”
“There is no one else,” I said. “In this universe, there’s just you and me.”
You stared blankly at me. “But all the people on earth…”
“All you. Different incarnations of you.”
“Wait. I’m everyone!?”
“Now you’re getting it,” I said, with a congratulatory slap on the back.
“I’m every human being who ever lived?”
“Or who will ever live, yes.”
“I’m Abraham Lincoln?”
“And you’re John Wilkes Booth, too,” I added.
“I’m Hitler?” You said, appalled.
“And you’re the millions he killed.”
“I’m Jesus?”
“And you’re everyone who followed him.”
You fell silent.
“Every time you victimized someone,” I said, “you were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness you’ve done, you’ve done to yourself. Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human was, or will be, experienced by you.”
You thought for a long time.
“Why?” You asked me. “Why do all this?”
“Because someday, you will become like me. Because that’s what you are. You’re one of my kind. You’re my child.”
“Whoa,” you said, incredulous. “You mean I’m a god?”
“No. Not yet. You’re a fetus. You’re still growing. Once you’ve lived every human life throughout all time, you will have grown enough to be born.”
“So the whole universe,” you said, “it’s just…”
“An egg.” I answered. “Now it’s time for you to move on to your next life.”
And I sent you on your way

 

[Light]

When I joked about what is the meaning of Life during a Maths class, my teacher answered: "E = mC^2"
I took it as a joke, but as a philosopher, as I kept searching for the truth.. I realised that it was the closest fomula to the truth.

To me, I understand that everything in this universe is "Energy".
This is the only fundamental knowledge that is talked about in every culture throughout time.
If you studied Physics like I did, you will know that is is true. Just like Albert Einstein said.

The Ancient Chinese talks about "Chi" in both Medicine and Martial Art - This is Energy.
Energy can create /heal or destroy.
If we break down every molecules in our body down to its tiniest form, its nothing but energy.

Energy never disappears, neither can it be destroyed. It simply Transform itself to a different form of energy.
I truly believe that even God is a mass concentrated form of Energy with a higher conscience than humans do. It is the only reason why he/she can live through time and space for eternity.
Yes I do believe that there must be a God or a High Being. Nothing happens by accident.

The meaning of life is to understand how to draw the right energy into our life and apply it.
These energy comes in the form known as "Emotions".
The right Energy in the form of Emotions are Faith, Joy, Optimism, Appreciation, Love etc..
While we aim to discard the negative emotions such as Anger, hatred, pessimism, Depression, sadness, expectations etc...
Eg: When you are angry, you are emitting frequency which may cuase others who are receiving this frequency to reject you, repel you. (Such as Noise)
When you are happy, you emit the frequency which attracts others to you. (Such as Music)

To find the right frequency, you must learn how to find the right balance.
So the meaning of life is also "To Find Balance".
Balance is the key to all problems in life.
Everyone in this world is looking for that "something" that they assume is missing in their life. Humans naturally wants to avoid pain, and seek pleasure.
This something is "Happiness".

Ultimately, the PURPOSE of life is "To Be Happy"

 

[Little Jester]

I come from the thinking we can't know the meaning of life as it is to be defined in the big picture of it all. We also can't know if there is a God or not.

I believe we simply don't have a clue what we are doing here. And by me saying we don't have a clue what we are doing, I'm actually causing a paradox with my own believe, because if I don't have a clue what we are doing, I can't be right either

Sure science makes sense. I always keep an open mind and find new discoveries interesting.
But I'm also aware the deeper you go, the more theories are needed to make sense of it all. And theories are just that: theories.
They do not define things with certainty until proven and when proven the adventure continues into new theories to make sense of what was proven.
And in that respect, God is as good a theory to fit as an explanation for the unknown as well.

So I accept that God can be your meaning of life. Sure. God is a perfect explanation to everything you can't explain anyway.
If you feel good by believing in a God, feel free to believe and embrace that for yourself. I'm actually jealous on people who strengthen themselves with their faith. As long as they don't force it up on others of course.

Me? I simply want to enjoy this ride and make the best of it for myself. Reach my life goals and stuff.
I don't need a God to tell me what to do and what not to do. I don't believe in magic or unproven theories and I don't need to be saved from the devil or sin.
I try to believe to not to believe and make the best of what there is in plain sight. That's my personal meaning of life.

 

[Chase]

what do you believe is the meaning of life, how did we get here and where are we heading? do you believe in a heaven? are we just machines, created purely by chance?

I'm doing a post on finding the purpose of your life sometime in the next couple of weeks... haven't decided yet how deep I'll go. So I might venture into "meaning of life" territory... or might save that for somewhere later down the road.

But anyway, in the meantime, this video melds pretty closely with my current thoughts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvz9uSK3zXo

Although I go back and forth on whether I think there's more at play. There's a very large degree of similarity in how people report near death experiences around the globe - almost to a "T," no matter if they're Europeans or Asians or Australian Aborigines, they report feeling going up and out of their bodies, seeing a bright light, encountering one or more figures made up of light, feeling tremendously at peace, sometimes hearing music, sometimes not, and understanding "what it's all about;" they never want to go back when they do, but accept they must. Interestingly enough, people who take psilocybin for religious purposes - or even in controlled scientific experiments - often report similar or the same phenomenon as people experience during NDEs (bright light, person(s) of light, complete peace, knowing their purpose in its totality, etc.), and years later recall it as one of the 5 most significant spiritual experiences of their lives, up there with marriage, childbirths, etc. Is this an artefact of the way the brain is constructed, and this is just what we experience as the brain is dying / hallucinating on psilocybin, or is it something real? Difficult to speculate.

There's also backward causality, which has supposedly been scientifically substantiated (covered in a few physics journals), but when I look at the research it seems to substantiate more the impact of consciousness on outcomes than it does straight backward causality. If backward causality is real, then there probably is such a thing as "destiny;" I'm doubtful over whether the research supports this, though. However, the research does seem support the ability of thought to impact future events, which, while not quite as exciting as "destiny," is maybe more empowering. If there is a "destiny" though, that provides instant meaning to life, in a way; the meaning is to reach the destination, and fulfill one's destiny, whatever that may be. Many powerful leaders have believed in destiny, and it seems to have served them well in achieving their aims, most of the time.

Chase