Atheists and Agnostics: What gives your life meaning?

[joe1776]

It is, in my opinion, a very false notion that my life entails a "purpose" that is not entirely my own. It assumes that my life somehow devolves from something else, and that this "purpose" of my life is not mine, but belongs to that something else....

In an earlier post, I wrote that the purpose of life is moral progress. If the word purpose produces a negative reaction for you, it would be equally true to say that evolution has given human life an upward moral direction because the moral intuition we refer to as conscience is aligned with the survival of our species, IMO.

For example, the bullying aggression of people like Adolf Hitler is a threat to our survival. Conscience (moral intuition) justifies killing people like that in self-defense but signals us with a feeling of wrongness when innocent people are killed.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Define "modified"

Frequency and amplitude.

 

[McBell]

Frequency and amplitude.

How is that a definition?
Seems you left something out....

 

[Aupmanyav]

Change. After all, to change is the inherent property of "what exists" - in Hindu parlance, Brahman. That is why we do not count it as a change. For it, a change would be "not to change".

 

[Straw Dog]

Life is inherently meaningful within the context of its happening. And you better believe that this life is happening lol.

 

[HonestJoe]

What gives your life meaning, enjoyment, or depth? Is it simple, complex, or just personal?

Thousands of little things every day, hour or minute. I think one of the biggest issues with this question is that people are looking for some single grand meaning or purpose to account for everything in one go when that isn't in any way necessary.

 

[Notanumber]

Thousands of little things every day, hour or minute. I think one of the biggest issues with this question is that people are looking for some single grand meaning or purpose to account for everything in one go when that isn't in any way necessary.

One should not put all ones eggs in one basket.

 

[BilliardsBall]

One thing I hear from some folks who are religious is that life without a god or spirituality has no meaning. Since leaving my faith, I've found this idea to ring very hollow. If anything, it's given me more appreciation and thirst for life. I realize not all atheists and agnostics feel this way. Some feel life is meaningless when met with the idea that in the end the universe may face a heat death anyway, despite our efforts. Still, we choose to plug along in life.

What gives your life meaning, enjoyment, or depth? Is it simple, complex, or just personal?

For me, I have many things I enjoy doing, but when all the fluff is scraped away, what's left is an insatiable curiosity for everything that exists in the world. I love learning, I love testing what I learn, and I love walking into new situations just to see what comes of it. I also love being a positive influence on the world. I value seeing a job well done, I value the wellbeing of people around me, and I want to see the world change in a positive way. Lastly, I just enjoy experiencing life; a simple walk in the woods does wonders for my psyche.

What about you folks?

Atheists can live meaningful lives but after their death/over time, their lives (and my life) ultimately have no meaning. Zero. Nothing.

 

[Notanumber]

Atheists can live meaningful lives but after their death/over time, their lives (and my life) ultimately have no meaning. Zero. Nothing.

There are some memorable atheists here –

The 50 Most Brilliant Atheists of All Time – Brainz

 

[HonestJoe]

Atheists can live meaningful lives but after their death/over time, their lives (and my life) ultimately have no meaning. Zero. Nothing.

Why would that only apply to atheists?

 

[Audie]

What is wrong with people that they would
need some concocted pie in the sky future
in order to find meaning in life?

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

One thing I hear from some folks who are religious is that life without a god or spirituality has no meaning. Since leaving my faith, I've found this idea to ring very hollow. If anything, it's given me more appreciation and thirst for life. I realize not all atheists and agnostics feel this way. Some feel life is meaningless when met with the idea that in the end the universe may face a heat death anyway, despite our efforts. Still, we choose to plug along in life.

What gives your life meaning, enjoyment, or depth? Is it simple, complex, or just personal?

For me, I have many things I enjoy doing, but when all the fluff is scraped away, what's left is an insatiable curiosity for everything that exists in the world. I love learning, I love testing what I learn, and I love walking into new situations just to see what comes of it. I also love being a positive influence on the world. I value seeing a job well done, I value the wellbeing of people around me, and I want to see the world change in a positive way. Lastly, I just enjoy experiencing life; a simple walk in the woods does wonders for my psyche.

What about you folks?

I really like your assessment of the things that drive the "meaning" you find in life. There is so much there I associate with. I also love a good walk. I'd honestly just walk all day some days if I could.

To add on (not that anything really even needs added!) I especially get this huge kick out of contemplating the essence of what it is to be a living being, and to appreciate the whole experience for the crazy, one-time, essential privilege that it is to even get a shot at "being" in the first place. Without it, of course, there'd be no "me" to know any better. But I am sure glad there is a "me," and I mostly just hope that everyone else gets to a point in which they feel that same gladness.

 

[SigurdReginson]

Atheists can live meaningful lives but after their death/over time, their lives (and my life) ultimately have no meaning. Zero. Nothing.

True. Given enough time all things will be lost and forgotten, but that's the way of life. We exist on the foundations our ancestors lay down for us, and their actions set us up for a brighter or darker future. Our actions have consequences here and now, and that is ultimately what matters to me. The fact that I will be forgotten some day doesn't really bother me. Nothing truly lasts, and that's ok. I exist now.

 

[Altfish]

Atheists can live meaningful lives but after their death/over time, their lives (and my life) ultimately have no meaning. Zero. Nothing.

Well, it is just possible that you will have a similar experience after death - at least that's what I expect.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

In an earlier post, I wrote that the purpose of life is moral progress. If the word purpose produces a negative reaction for you, it would be equally true to say that evolution has given human life an upward moral direction because the moral intuition we refer to as conscience is aligned with the survival of our species, IMO.

For example, the bullying aggression of people like Adolf Hitler is a threat to our survival. Conscience (moral intuition) justifies killing people like that in self-defense but signals us with a feeling of wrongness when innocent people are killed.

Sorry, I just can't agree. Life is not just humans, and for me to ascribe a purpose of "moral improvement" to ferns and turtles just isn't working. This is the problem with thinking that humans are somehow "outside of nature," when, in my opinion, we are nothing of the kind. And we will, as all other life, continue to evolve -- in whatever direction -- until such time as there will be no more creatures that we today would recognize as "human" if we met one from the distant future.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

True. Given enough time all things will be lost and forgotten, but that's the way of life. We exist on the foundations our ancestors lay down for us, and their actions set us up for a brighter or darker future. Our actions have consequences here and now, and that is ultimately what matters to me. The fact that I will be forgotten some day doesn't really bother me. Nothing truly lasts, and that's ok. I exist now.

I think, while true that our actions have consequences here and now, they also have consequences in the "there and then." That is, the future. Like ripples moving outwards from a stone thrown into a pond. For some people (think Gandhi, Churchill, Hitler, Mao) those ripples will be huge, and carry on for a long time. Our ripples may not amount to as much, but they're still there. So make the most of it! Ripple away!

 

[SigurdReginson]

Sorry, I just can't agree. Life is not just humans, and for me to ascribe a purpose of "moral improvement" to ferns and turtles just isn't working. This is the problem with thinking that humans are somehow "outside of nature," when, in my opinion, we are nothing of the kind. And we will, as all other life, continue to evolve -- in whatever direction -- until such time as there will be no more creatures that we today would recognize as "human" if we met one from the distant future.

-Or they would look back at us as non-human or otherly, much like we look back at Neanderthals and Denisovans now. We aren't that different at all. I like your outlook, though. We are a part of nature, not apart from nature, and we will continue to branch out as we always have as a species.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Humanity will be long gone before heat death ( assuming that's how the universe ends). Entropy predicts that life is only viable for a small percentage of the 10^100 years of the estimated life of the universe

Note, a recent prediction only gives the universe another 5 billion years, i have not looked at it yet so i don't know how the idea is worked out

As for meaning, life to me has probably the same or perhaps more meaning than the average believer in an afterlife. There is of course the daily meaning, children, husband, friends, etc we all have... Just doing the best you can. But overall, i believe non believers in an afterlife have more vitality, they have only one finite life and tend to live it with gusto. Those who believe they will be saved in an afterlife have no reason for such drive.

Are you an author or blogger? If not, you should be.

 

[ChristineM]

Are you an author or blogger? If not, you should be.

I think i should say thanks but...
No, sounds like much to hard work. I just write what i need to write, sometimes it comes out right. Sometimes it doesn't.

 

[Sand Dancer]

I think i should say thanks but...
No, sounds like much to hard work. I just write what i need to write, sometimes it comes out right. Sometimes it doesn't.

From what I have seen, the latter is very rare. You are a brilliant thinker and writer.