Well, i think the picture Galu posted is not an accurate statement of what i believe about evolution but it's a nice caricature of the metaphysic despair non believers can face. I certainly faced ( and face!) it. As i had enlightments too...
You said 'if' about evolution and i think this is a very important 'if'. It's a caricature, so it should exagerate things. 😉
Yes that state of exception for humans... i don't know, i'm not convinced we are an exception.
And i think i could accept to be an 'experiment' as a meaning for my life. It doesn't bother me.
"Meaning" is an irrelevant abstraction. Life does not care about meaning, it only has purpose. And that is to make more life.
If humans are not the exception we would either be like animals running around naked with no laws, rules or regulations or all the other animals would be just like us with there own laws, rules and regulations in which it reminds me of the movie Planet of the Apes. 😉
Since no other creature on earth is just like us we are unique and the exception. Question is WHY?
I think extraterrestrials might have something to do with it. At the beginning of every ancient civilization, there are 'sky people' involved. They should know WHY?
Eat , survive and reproduce. The one part of life that no one mentions is DEATH. Death can only exist from Life. Finding the meaning of DEATH can lead to the meaning of LIFE.
Now thats some Haiku issshit. 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣
Now thats some Haiku issshit. 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣
The fact that you are alive proves that your ancestors where successful in creating offspring, one of the requirements for evolution. Two other essential requirements are coincidence and death. Since this situation is extremely uncomfortable people spend there life's in denial. The assumption that life has a meaning is one of the many ways to do so.
This was the original question. "What is the meaning of Life?"
And here is the initial supposition from the poster. "To me it seems life has no real meaning."
I think life has a different meaning depending on where it is looked at from.
To the Chinese, the one child policy initially may have worked, population growth did reduce, there were fewer mouths to feed. That it had unforeseen consequences though obvious now, does not change that fact. Maybe, in the future when resources become more scarce, it will be tried again in more refined ways, and in more countries. To a baby boom, first worlder, the decision is far less onerous. Many buy expensive products, whilst youngsters with large education bills, sleep on put U ups unable to rent a home let alone buy one. That is no doubt a form of contraception, and has probably led to the decision to have abortions for some. I see “fresh” pet food costing more per Kg than some family’s (third worlders) weekly food budget. In other nations too, the decision is a stark one. In the west many have lost sight of the issues. Or are content to ignore them. (I no less than others). For some (many) people, the meaning of life, is simply to fight through the day to have enough for one’s self or one’s family to eat. That battle restarting the next day and every next day afresh. Navel gazing is a luxury for those with full bellies. For some to deny this is simply ignoring the truth.
To me, “The meaning of life” is the hope that one day there is a realisation that on this little blue ball, we all breath the same air, and to leave it a better place than when I joined it.
For I have a full belly.
And here is the initial supposition from the poster. "To me it seems life has no real meaning."
I think life has a different meaning depending on where it is looked at from.
To the Chinese, the one child policy initially may have worked, population growth did reduce, there were fewer mouths to feed. That it had unforeseen consequences though obvious now, does not change that fact. Maybe, in the future when resources become more scarce, it will be tried again in more refined ways, and in more countries. To a baby boom, first worlder, the decision is far less onerous. Many buy expensive products, whilst youngsters with large education bills, sleep on put U ups unable to rent a home let alone buy one. That is no doubt a form of contraception, and has probably led to the decision to have abortions for some. I see “fresh” pet food costing more per Kg than some family’s (third worlders) weekly food budget. In other nations too, the decision is a stark one. In the west many have lost sight of the issues. Or are content to ignore them. (I no less than others). For some (many) people, the meaning of life, is simply to fight through the day to have enough for one’s self or one’s family to eat. That battle restarting the next day and every next day afresh. Navel gazing is a luxury for those with full bellies. For some to deny this is simply ignoring the truth.
To me, “The meaning of life” is the hope that one day there is a realisation that on this little blue ball, we all breath the same air, and to leave it a better place than when I joined it.
For I have a full belly.
"
“The meaning of life” is the hope that one day there is a realization that on this little blue ball, we all breath the same air, and to leave it a better place than when I joined it.
For I have a full belly.
I like , wish more in this world felt as such. I have little , as more comes my way - I am happy. If I was wealthy , many of the little things would no longer matter. I be chasing more , and more , and even more ... like a Junkie. Not a good life.
No car ... I walk . And enjoy my walk. So , the meaning of life is to just be thankful for what you do have.
OS
“The meaning of life” is the hope that one day there is a realization that on this little blue ball, we all breath the same air, and to leave it a better place than when I joined it.
For I have a full belly.
I like , wish more in this world felt as such. I have little , as more comes my way - I am happy. If I was wealthy , many of the little things would no longer matter. I be chasing more , and more , and even more ... like a Junkie. Not a good life.
No car ... I walk . And enjoy my walk. So , the meaning of life is to just be thankful for what you do have.
OS
Big IMO, there doesn't have to be a why in any sort of creator/reason sense. Given the way DNA works, transcription errors, all you need is time and a bit of luck. There are plenty of other intelligent animals, many use tools, some of those have thumbs, some have rudimentary language (gesture/sound/touch). We just happen to be the first to put all that together over several millennia. I'm sure there were times in the evolutionary history of sapiens where the future of the species hung by a thread and the evolutionary advantage came from greater intelligence and more tool use. But I reckon sooner or later something as intelligent as us would have evolved even if it wasn't us...
But what an interesting puzzle to solve, perhaps it could have been Octopus that managed that break. How would they have seen the world and themselves?
Then again Arthur C Clarke's black obelisk has a certain appeal. Particularly to Also Sprach Zarathustra 🙂
Giving meaning to one's own life, in other words to the purpose of living a life, depends either on the individual or others. In the case of the latter, philosophies and religions offer their theses of what the purpose of life is.
In my case, I do not give much importance to such a thing as the meaning of life: I try to live it the best I can, after all, the atoms and molecules which make me, continue to retain their chemical abilities after I lose consciousness and ultimately die. Those atoms can then 'search' for another life in someone else or something else.
A more interesting and scientifically challenging question is: How do perception, sentience and consciousness arise out of a physical organ like a human brain?
In my case, I do not give much importance to such a thing as the meaning of life: I try to live it the best I can, after all, the atoms and molecules which make me, continue to retain their chemical abilities after I lose consciousness and ultimately die. Those atoms can then 'search' for another life in someone else or something else.
A more interesting and scientifically challenging question is: How do perception, sentience and consciousness arise out of a physical organ like a human brain?
I I said in first post there is no real maening of life. Other than to just live.
The philosophi try to create meaning of life or goals for a life..
But in the end the only meaning is what each human create or put to life.
Reproduction is the only goal of living creatures.
That is how life goes on.
The philosophi try to create meaning of life or goals for a life..
But in the end the only meaning is what each human create or put to life.
Reproduction is the only goal of living creatures.
That is how life goes on.
Samo samo fundamental particle build up - be it a stone or a human - so same basic "meaning" or goal if you like... on of them is able to express its own ideas.. and as we know, there are different ones 🙂 - some that we cant discuss here.
"Reproduction is the only goal of living creatures." - Not neccesarily for all I would say....
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"Reproduction is the only goal of living creatures." - Not neccesarily for all I would say....
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