What is the Purpose of Life?

[AiR]

Life escapes us, we don’t realize that life just zooms by and we live without purpose. We don’t even know what life is all about. We are born, we grow up, we educate our self, we take up a profession, occupation, we earn, we build a family and soon it’s time to go; we die, we pack up and we move on from planet earth. So, is this the purpose of life? Are we born just for the sake of consuming life or were we given life for a purpose? Why were we born? Do we have time to introspect, to contemplate, to ask this question? Was life just given to us to consume the days, the weeks, the months, the years? At the end of it what happened?

People don’t even bother to think; they don’t even want to know. To them life is a joy ride and all that matters is that they are having fun, enjoying this journey; they don’t want to ask this question as what will happen after life. Where did they come from? Where do they go? What is the purpose of life? Who is God? Where is God? All these are boring, irrelevant questions, but the fact remains that there is a purpose of life, and this purpose shouldn’t be told to us by others, we should discover this purpose. Truthfully, we can’t even discover it; we have to realize it and we will realize the purpose of life when we keep our real eyes open. Then only we will realize the supreme truth that there is a purpose of life. The challenge for us is to discover that purpose.

AiR

 

[Deathbydefault]

Are you speaking of life as a whole, or life from a person to person perspective?

 

[psychoslice]

Life is a joy ride, why shouldn't be ?, there is no purpose to life, life itself is enough, when we make life into a purpose, life is then a struggle for that purpose, Na, set back and enjoy the ride, and hope everyone else can also.

 

[Sunstone]

In my opinion, it is far more common for people to have a sense of purpose than it is for people to not have a sense of purpose. Of course, that doesn't mean they have just one over-riding purpose to their lives. Rather, it means that, on a day to day, hour to hour basis, they usually are acting within the context of one purpose or another. And most of those purposes are relatively trivial.

The thing is, purpose is another word for bias.

By which I mean, a purpose skews or biases how we see things. When we have a purpose, we see things in terms of that purpose. So we do not appreciate things for what they are, but rather only for what they are in relation to our purpose.

To really understand somethings -- to really see them as they are -- you have to somehow get beyond any purpose when looking at them.

 

[Gambit]

"Every thing is directed to good as its end." - St. Thomas Aquinas

That's your purpose - to seek the good. Everyone is seeking the good, there are no exceptions.

 

[Terese]

The purpose of life is to experience. Biologically? To make babies.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

People don’t even bother to think; they don’t even want to know.

Wow! The arrogance ...

 

[BSM1]

In my opinion, it is far more common for people to have a sense of purpose than it is for people to not have a sense of purpose. Of course, that doesn't mean they have just one over-riding purpose to their lives. Rather, it means that, on a day to day, hour to hour basis, they usually are acting within the context of one purpose or another. And most of those purposes are relatively trivial.

The thing is, purpose is another word for bias.

By which I mean, a purpose skews or biases how we see things. When we have a purpose, we see things in terms of that purpose. So we do not appreciate things for what they are, but rather only for what they are in relation to our purpose.

To really understand somethings -- to really see them as they are -- you have to somehow get beyond any purpose when looking at them.

Well said. I would add that "purposes" tend to change with circumstances.

 

[allfoak]

Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn
Suicide remarks are torn
From the fool’s gold mouthpiece the hollow horn
Plays wasted words, proves to warn
That he not busy being born is busy dying

Read more: http://www.bobdylan.com/us/songs/its-alright-ma-im-only-bleeding#ixzz3tSPGVBPd


Bob Dylan understood at least at this point in his life that the purpose of it all is to be busy being born.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Life escapes us, we don’t realize that life just zooms by and we live without purpose. We don’t even know what life is all about. We are born, we grow up, we educate our self, we take up a profession, occupation, we earn, we build a family and soon it’s time to go; we die, we pack up and we move on from planet earth. So, is this the purpose of life? Are we born just for the sake of consuming life or were we given life for a purpose? Why were we born? Do we have time to introspect, to contemplate, to ask this question? Was life just given to us to consume the days, the weeks, the months, the years? At the end of it what happened?

People don’t even bother to think; they don’t even want to know. To them life is a joy ride and all that matters is that they are having fun, enjoying this journey; they don’t want to ask this question as what will happen after life. Where did they come from? Where do they go? What is the purpose of life? Who is God? Where is God? All these are boring, irrelevant questions, but the fact remains that there is a purpose of life, and this purpose shouldn’t be told to us by others, we should discover this purpose. Truthfully, we can’t even discover it; we have to realize it and we will realize the purpose of life when we keep our real eyes open. Then only we will realize the supreme truth that there is a purpose of life. The challenge for us is to discover that purpose.

AiR

"When you aim for perfection, you discover its a moving target" ~George Fisher

Basically, we keep aiming for a purpose, our situations, our beliefs, etc change as we grow older and as such goals gradually mature. We get to a point where we accept we cant change. Trying to find purpose is a never ending journey. Its exhausting. It puts wear and tare on the brain. Its just overwhelming.

Why lool for purpose? Life doesnt have a manual and trying to look as if there is one wastes time; enjoy life without one. Be free minded. Enjoy what you have. Value whats important to you. The purpose of life is to live it.

Finding meaning is a moving target. Put the arrow down and walk away.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

"In the end you die in your own arms" ~Livia Saprano

Be comfortable with uncertainty. Live in the present. Value what you deem important. And so on and so forth. Purpose? I wish there was one, but I dont care for already defined ways of living. I make my own purpose and go from there.

 

[BSM1]

"In the end you die in your own arms" ~Livia Saprano

Be comfortable with uncertainty. Live in the present. Value what you deem important. And so on and so forth. Purpose? I wish there was one, but I dont care for already defined ways of living. I make my own purpose and go from there.

No matter what well-intended people tell you, there is no "purpose" in life. There is also no rhyme, reason, nor cosmic plan. There is just the now. There is joy and happiness in every minute of life; there is also heartbreak and despair. If there is any purpose to life it's that you have to choose which part of the minute you wish to experience.

 

[allfoak]

No matter what well-intended people tell you, there is no "purpose" in life. There is also no rhyme, reason, nor cosmic plan. There is just the now. There is joy and happiness in every minute of life; there is also heartbreak and despair. If there is any purpose to life it's that you have to choose which part of the minute you wish to experience.

If one is living in the "now" they are essentially living their purpose.
Since purpose is relative to the laws one is born under, it seems as if their is no purpose since the laws are different for each individual.
If we are living in the present we have no choice but to confront the circumstance of life.
If we are doing this, we are living our purpose.

 

[BSM1]

If one is living in the "now" they are essentially living their purpose.
Since purpose is relative to the laws one is born under, it seems as if their is no purpose since it is different for each individual.
If we are living in the present we have no choice but to confront the circumstance of life.
If we are doing this, we are living our purpose.

Purpose to me means you have a reason or assigned duty to exist for the fulfillment of a goal or end. Haven't found that yet in any circumstance I have been in. The now would be and continue even if I didn't.

 

[allfoak]

Purpose to me means you have a reason or assigned duty to exist for the fulfillment of a goal or end. Haven't found that yet in any circumstance I have been in. The now would be and continue even if I didn't.

You are the assigned duty.

 

[BSM1]

You are the assigned duty.

Still not a purpose, just an existence. A purpose would entail you having a value to someone or something outside yourself. No one needs me to exist and vice versa, therefore self cannot be a purpose.

 

[allfoak]

Still not a purpose, just an existence. A purpose would entail you having a value to someone or something outside yourself. No one needs me to exist and vice versa, therefore self cannot be a purpose.

I need you to exist as much as i need every neuron in my brain to exist.

Imagine every soul being a neuron in the mind of God.
Not one of them is expendable and they are certainly all connected.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Sex, drugs, rock 'n roll!

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

No one can tell it to you. You have to discover your own purpose in life. I am finding mine, with God's help.

 

[Deathbydefault]

Are you speaking of life as a whole, or life from a person to person perspective?

I guess I'll elaborate on my first post seeing how I have yet to receive an answer.

If you are talking about a person to person subjective purpose of life:
There is only purpose in what you give priority to, you are the deciding factor.
"Life has only the meaning you give it", if you will.

If you are talking about the purpose of life as a whole and objective manner:
There isn't one. There are counterparts to purpose, such as evolution, but no actual set in stone purpose.
You're born, you live, you die. Finding a purpose in that has not been done yet, to my knowledge.