Purpose of Life

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Islamsmylife

Registered Senior Member
This may be a religious question or Philosophical question depending on which way you view it. But simply what is the puropose of life? And how do you know that, that is the real purpose?

I already know but Im curious to see what others think.
 
The purpose of a life form is to increase the number of genes, on which that life is based, in the gene pool. Of course, that isn't too inspirational to us as individuals so we make up other ones.
 
So basically after we die were just a forgotten memory in time and we only live on through genes taken on by others who will eventually forget us as well. Hmm Seems like a pretty pointless life.
 
We are part of the cascade of cause and effect which doesn't end at our death, but most people are indeed forgotten.

If you think that is pointless, think of a point. It's all up to you. This is the essence of freedom.
 
If we rule out religion (which is trhe only plausable explanation for this question) the how did we come to know of this purpose since no one is able to return from the dead and actually tell us that there is/isnt an afterlife. Who defined this purpose? Where is your source of information? And how did everything begin because the theory of evolution does not explain the what preceeded the big bang. My point that Im getting at is how do we know of a purpose without religion?
 
Life may ultimately be pointless, but it is certainly not pointless for the individual. I find it sad that people have to delude themselves and pretend there is an invisible daddy in the sky. This is a really shallow kind of thinking.

The fact that religion IS false, and that there is almost certainly no concious plan behind this universe's (and ultimately, my) existence, fills me with more joy and wonder than the skyhook of religious fairy tales.
 
I'm not talking about a universal purpose. There is none that I know of. There are individual and social purposes which people think of. I'm suggesting that you can either define your own purpose, or accept a purpose that others offer.

I don't know exactly how things began, it is an interesting question, but in my daily life, I don't think it's very relevent.

Evolution is also purposeless. Perhaps I was misleading in my previous answer, the genes don't actually have a purpose. It's more like a chemical chain reaction.
 
But lets say an alien came to earth with no prior knowledge anything how can you actually convice him with proof without religion. All your stating now are opinions. Answer with proof what came before the big bang? What is our purpose in life? And what comes after death?
You'll find religion is the only possible explaination for these questions because nothing else can answer this with a clear and simple answer. Philosophers have lived and died debating about this and there is still no answer other then religion. If you have one please share.
 
I understand your problem. Religious people are taught to hate the unknown, that having an answer is better than admitting you don't know. I don't know what came before the Big Bang. If you suggest you do know because a religious leader wrote that down a long time ago, I will tell you that what you know is just the opinion of another person.

I am pretty sure that nothing comes after death. This is more knowable than what came before the Big Bang, since we understand how people work better than how the cosmos works at the most basic level. People are like machines. When they stop, that is the end. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Consciousness depends on the brain. When a person's brain is damaged, their consciousness is effected. This makes me think that when the brain is dead, we experience nothing. Because of this, I don't think anyone ever experiences death.

Having an explanation, if it is wrong, is not superior than having no explanation.
 
Finding 'answers' in a few tall tales is not something that would give me great satisfaction.
 
I wonder what the origin of the cosmos has to do with the purpose of a person? What if the Big Bang has no more personal meaning than a volcano or an earthquake on a far off island?

My personal purpose could be raising my family to be happy and healthy. Why should I convince an alien that my purpose has cosmic significance?

What is a fish's purpose? What is an ant's purpose?
 
Islamsmylife said:
This may be a religious question or Philosophical question depending on which way you view it. But simply what is the puropose of life? And how do you know that, that is the real purpose?

I already know but Im curious to see what others think.
Click to expand...

The purpose of life is for life to persist. The present implementation is reproduction.
 
Islamsmylife said:
This may be a religious question or Philosophical question depending on which way you view it. But simply what is the puropose of life? And how do you know that, that is the real purpose?

I already know but Im curious to see what others think.
Click to expand...

The purpose of life is to seek pleasure

Philosophy/religion comes in to play for determining the distinction between short term and long term pleasure
 
Islamsmylife said:
This may be a religious question or Philosophical question depending on which way you view it. But simply what is the puropose of life? And how do you know that, that is the real purpose?

I already know but Im curious to see what others think.
Click to expand...

The purpose of life is attain unceasing bliss, eternal happiness, the real, true happiness. Not the fake temporary happiness, not the fake happiness where you pretend to be happy but lack fulfillment, high energy, etc...the real happiness where you become fearless, free from anger, sorrow, and suffering to any extent. Where you wake up every morning, and at every infinitismal moment you enjoy life, without any type of distress or unhappiness to any infinitely small degree.

What other purpose can there be? And even if you do not believe this is the purpose, what bad can happen from attaining this perfection?

Perfected ones of the past taught this, the way, the truth, the path to salvation, full-fledged freedom.
 
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Islamsmylife said:
But lets say an alien came to earth with no prior knowledge anything how can you actually convice him with proof without religion.
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Id think an alien that could travel farther than we,would know way more about universe than we do.
Answer with proof what came before the big bang?
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no ONE realy knows..yet.
my guess would be a GREAT COMPRESSION :p
What is our purpose in life?
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survival
And what comes after death?
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same thing that was before you were born...NOTHING
You'll find religion is the only possible explaination for these questions because nothing else can answer this with a clear and simple answer.
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religion just feeds you lot of bullshit and fantasy fairy tales,
 
VitalOne said:
The purpose of life is attain unceasing bliss, eternal happiness, the real, true happiness. Not the fake temporary happiness, not the fake happiness where you pretend to be happy but lack fulfillment, high energy, etc...the real happiness where you become fearless, free from anger, sorrow, and suffering to any extent. Where you wake up every morning, and at every infinitismal moment you enjoy life, without any type of distress or unhappiness to any minute degree.

What other purpose can there be? And even if you do not believe this is the purpose, what bad can happen from attaining this perfection?

Perfected ones of the past taught this, the way, the truth, the path to salvation, full-fledged freedom.
Click to expand...

So you assume that these positive emotions are divinely created and not simply evolved because it enhanced in some way, the survival of our species? I support the theory that love and sexual love were favoured by natural selection in our recent ancestors to keep partners together longer due to the fact our offspring require a long rearing process. Survival rates were perhaps higher with certain emotions like love, so natural selection favoured it.

Positive emotions like these could be designed by an intelligent creator... or if they aren't, then they are illusions, no?
 
Fire said:
So you assume that these positive emotions are divinely created and not simply evolved because it enhanced in some way, the survival of our species? I support the theory that love and sexual love were favoured by natural selection in our recent ancestors to keep partners together longer due to the fact our offspring require a long rearing process. Survival rates were perhaps higher with certain emotions like love, so natural selection favoured it.

Positive emotions like these could be designed by an intelligent creator... or if they aren't, then they are illusions, no?
Click to expand...

Nah, its not really a positive emotion, its like beyond an emotion, the freedom from all insecurities, emotions continously change, and they weren't designed by an intelligent creator, they were designed by nature...
 
VitalOne said:
Nah, its not really a positive emotion, its like beyond an emotion, the freedom from all insecurities, emotions continously change, and they weren't designed by an intelligent creator, they were designed by nature...
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which begs the q who created nature ......
 
The form of the question, "who created nature", is begging the answer.

How long since you stopped beating your wife?
 
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