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Existentialism

Shantanu

Well-Known Member
Could the meaning of life just be boiled down to doing whatever in life that keeps a person from committing suicide?
Yes; suicide in more ways then one: to fight to preserve oneself in order to survive with dignity is also existentialism.
 
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tayla

My dog's name is Tayla
Could the meaning of life just be boiled down to doing whatever in life that keeps a person from committing suicide?
The meaning of life is the living of life, the conscious experience of it. Hopefully the enjoyable experiences outweigh the unenjoyable. Perhaps we can increase the percentage of enjoyable experiences by focusing the mind on doing this.
 

Shantanu

Well-Known Member
The meaning of life is the living of life, the conscious experience of it. Hopefully the enjoyable experiences outweigh the unenjoyable. Perhaps we can increase the percentage of enjoyable experiences by focusing the mind on doing this.
You mean one should choose to do only the enjoyable things and thereby survive; but what is those enjoyable things conflict with others enjoyments of life: One then has to choose between what is more important to one. Hence one must focus on dharma, namely duties and righteous actions.
 

atanu

Member
Premium Member
I suppose it could be depending on one's perspective...

...but I see things quite differently...

...I also wonder why one would want to boil the meaning of life.​

Ha ha. You truly see things differently. Why would one boil the meaning of life?
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
No one is going to desire an overarching purpose for life because they know they are going to cease. They will overwhelmingly desire their own self created purposes instead.

Once someone makes the jump to religiosity they start seeing the grande beauty of life if it were eternal. Suffering a means to a better end.

Letting go of all of that you might be trying to avoid suffering altogether, or embracing this life as the only worthwhile thing you will ever experience.

There are worse things than death such as dying dishonorably. So many will seek an honorable path with their hearts set on achieving honorable things or die in their one and only life in the struggle for it.

Just because this may be the only life everybody will ever experience does not make it worthless, quite the contrary does it motivate people.

I would think pleasure seeking an empty experience.

True love for its own sake is more fulfilling in light of the fact you get only this one life to experience it as heartbreaking as forever loss is. Its worth celebrating. Especially since we are all traveling towards ceasing.

And then there are people trying to have as much fun as possible while living a moral life in their eyes.

Then their is the joy of saying, 'I Did it', i accomplished something worthwhile.

So i see a far greater spectrum than mere suicide.

Heck if all is lost, at least you have your own dignity to hold on to in the face of it all. And perhaps laugh at everyone who truly dont know the true you.

Or you could turn into emperor palpatine, in which case humanity has gotta endure the like.
 

wellwisher

Well-Known Member
There are two centers of the human psyche. The ego is the center of the conscious mind and the inner self is the center of the unconscious mind. The inner self is older, in terms of evolution. It long came before the ego, and continues to exist. The inner self is connected to our DNA; collective human. The ego evolved, as a secondary center, somewhat detached from the DNA and inner self; unique, choice and willpower.

The meaning of life is about the ego learning how to optimize itself, as well as the inner self. The needs of both have to balanced to feel happy. The main problem of life, is for the most part, the ego is not aware of the inner self. Therefore, as the ego attempts to optimize the ego, the ego still does not feel satisfied and happy; no inner self glow, even though they go through all the cultural motions, of what they are told and assume, will make the ego happy.

The analogy is marriage or an intimate relationship between two people. This binary arrangement will not work well, if both ignore the other and try to optimize only themselves. When both partners are working as a team, both compromising egocentric needs, in favor of the team, the team becomes more than the sum of its parts. Marriage is a big adjustment for the ego.

On the other hand, if each team member has their own agenda, the team will stay in a state of tension and conflict. It is hard to enjoy playing video games all day, while the other member of the team is nagging about this. What should bring happiness; playing video games all day, instead brings protest, until life seems to be about suffering.

Religions deal with ego sacrifices to a higher power. This about the needs of the inner self; inner voice. Instead of playing video games all day, which was fun when you were single, you sacrifice the all day, and limit this to one hour at night, after all chores are done. The feedback from your spouse; inner self, is now more positive and the game is now fun once again. A balance has been achieved. This only works if you are aware there are two centers, each with needs, that impact a team, that has to stay together even if things get bad. You cannot divorce the inner self. It is center of the CPU that controls the body and mind.

Ego centric pain and suffering, leading to suicide, can usually be traced back to an unhappy inner self, made unhappy, by one sided ego choices. The urge to end it all, is a teaching symbol from the inner self. It is trying to get the ego to get back to center; symbolic ego sacrifice. If the ego is just too self centered and continues to assume it is all about me, the ego will make the wrong choice for the symbol. All the inner self wanted was the ego to let go, and let the inner self heal; let go, reach rock bottom, leading to rebirth.

Culture does not teach people about the inner self. This is often left as the realm of religion. Instead secular culture teaches that consciousness is a unity, and that a duality is a pathological state, similar to psychosis. If you say inner voice your are assumed crazy. The goal is to replace the inner self, with the super ego of culture; exploit the ego of many for the ego-centric money and power of a few.

With money and power you can get the audience to cheer you, even when you make bad choices; buy yes men. This can trick the ego to feel it has the inner self feedback, from outside itself. It sort of works, but not for everyone, since the social pie is not large enough for all to be millionaires and Senators. Most people end up living a life that is a blend of short term happiness and suffering. The inner self remains, unconscious.
 

Michelle71

Member
There are two centers of the human psyche. The ego is the center of the conscious mind and the inner self is the center of the unconscious mind. The inner self is older, in terms of evolution. It long came before the ego, and continues to exist. The inner self is connected to our DNA; collective human. The ego evolved, as a secondary center, somewhat detached from the DNA and inner self; unique, choice and willpower.

The meaning of life is about the ego learning how to optimize itself, as well as the inner self. The needs of both have to balanced to feel happy. The main problem of life, is for the most part, the ego is not aware of the inner self. Therefore, as the ego attempts to optimize the ego, the ego still does not feel satisfied and happy; no inner self glow, even though they go through all the cultural motions, of what they are told and assume, will make the ego happy.

The analogy is marriage or an intimate relationship between two people. This binary arrangement will not work well, if both ignore the other and try to optimize only themselves. When both partners are working as a team, both compromising egocentric needs, in favor of the team, the team becomes more than the sum of its parts. Marriage is a big adjustment for the ego.

On the other hand, if each team member has their own agenda, the team will stay in a state of tension and conflict. It is hard to enjoy playing video games all day, while the other member of the team is nagging about this. What should bring happiness; playing video games all day, instead brings protest, until life seems to be about suffering.

Religions deal with ego sacrifices to a higher power. This about the needs of the inner self; inner voice. Instead of playing video games all day, which was fun when you were single, you sacrifice the all day, and limit this to one hour at night, after all chores are done. The feedback from your spouse; inner self, is now more positive and the game is now fun once again. A balance has been achieved. This only works if you are aware there are two centers, each with needs, that impact a team, that has to stay together even if things get bad. You cannot divorce the inner self. It is center of the CPU that controls the body and mind.

Ego centric pain and suffering, leading to suicide, can usually be traced back to an unhappy inner self, made unhappy, by one sided ego choices. The urge to end it all, is a teaching symbol from the inner self. It is trying to get the ego to get back to center; symbolic ego sacrifice. If the ego is just too self centered and continues to assume it is all about me, the ego will make the wrong choice for the symbol. All the inner self wanted was the ego to let go, and let the inner self heal; let go, reach rock bottom, leading to rebirth.

Culture does not teach people about the inner self. This is often left as the realm of religion. Instead secular culture teaches that consciousness is a unity, and that a duality is a pathological state, similar to psychosis. If you say inner voice your are assumed crazy. The goal is to replace the inner self, with the super ego of culture; exploit the ego of many for the ego-centric money and power of a few.

With money and power you can get the audience to cheer you, even when you make bad choices; buy yes men. This can trick the ego to feel it has the inner self feedback, from outside itself. It sort of works, but not for everyone, since the social pie is not large enough for all to be millionaires and Senators. Most people end up living a life that is a blend of short term happiness and suffering. The inner self remains, unconscious.

Can you give us an idea of where these points are taken from? I know it is a patchwork of spiritualist ideas and psychological understanding but you present it as if it were fact, and it may only be partly so. I do not know if I can swallow this pill as is.
 
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