Purpose of life

The ageold question that I'm sure we have all given some degree of thought to...what is the purpose of life? Anyone have a theory/opinion they would like to share?

My personal opinion on this is not solid enough yet to be considered a belief. Right now I am leaning towards the purpose of life being to love. But I think that's oversimplistic.

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I think being brought up a witness actually made me dwell on the purpose of life to such an extent, I wasn't able to enjoy it. Kids shouldn't be forced to contemplate these issues so early in their lives. While it is important, I think this is something which can often be depressing by it's nature.
Now I am no longer a witness, I am starting to enjoy life for what it is, and what it is, is what you make of it.

The Dalai Lama was asked what the purpose of life was.

He said "Happiness"

That's it in a nutshell. If anyone tells you different,
ask them "So, what do you think is more important than
happiness? - something else together with being unhappy?"

metatron

My age long purpose in life question has always been, What's it all for?. So far the answer has been another question, Does it have to have a purpose? May be life just is.

If you are into reading books, you may want to find the book, Saviours of God by Nikos Kazaantzakis, the author of The Last Temptation of Christ and Zorba the Greek. His answer to the question is that the purpose of life is to Save God , to turn inert matter into to spirit, to preserve life itself. Or if you choose, choose the opposite, destroy life, or come to the realization That Even This One Does Not Exist . Take your pick.

As a JW, you spent so much of your time and energy looking forward to the new system and the wonderful life that is to come. At the same time trashing all that this world offers, that you forget to enjoy the simple things of life. Like celebrating your children's birthdays, Christmas together as a family - both of which are forbidden by the Watchtower org.

I think the main aim in life is happiness and contentment, all the time trying your best to live peacably with those around you.

What else could you possibly want?

Oh yes sorry i forget - hours and hours of mental torture sitting at a kingdom hall being told you aren't spending enough time in the ministry, answering up enough at meetings, or doing enough personal/family study with your children.

Hmm the sarcasm is coming in again!!

Enjoy xmas everybody!!

Nowfree

Here is my 2 part definition of the meaning of life as discussed in my book, "The Game Rules for Life" ( http://www.empowerthespirit.com/gamerule):

1. Uncover/Discover the Things Hidden In and Through Creation; and Find Personal Enjoyment and Fulfillment in the Process.

2. Leave the Woodpile a Little Higher Than You Found It.

Of course, there is much more to it, but these are the basics. You may want to read "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. In that book, he discusses "Logotherapy," which is a meaning-based psychotherapy. It makes a lot of sense.

FreePeace
"The World is my country, and to do good, my religion." --Thomas Paine
TruthQuest: http://beam.to/truthquest
Who Am I? -How to Reinvent Yourself After Leaving the WTS

Justme,

I have to go with the Dalai Lama on this one. One of the reoccurring themes of most religions is to try and cloud very simple concepts by throwing a bunch of rules and regulations explained by myths and contradicting authority figures to mask a very simple concept.

I contemplate the question of why do men have nipples more than what is the purpose of life. Every time I see my sons and give them a hug and we sit around laughing at each other the meaning of life keeps showing it self. Every time I take a shower and look in the mirror the nipple question comes to mind. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

Dave

I agree that happiness is a key purpose of life. I drew the same conclusion after leaving the WT and much personal examination and struggling.

Beyond that, the purpose is what you make it. In the western countries where we have a greater range of choice as to how to live, we can live purposeful lives or empty, meaningless lives.

Seize the day, and put the least possible trust in tomorrow. - Horace

I have learned to live each day as it comes and not to borrow trouble by dreading tomorrow. - Dorothy Dix

How did we get here?
Why are we here?
If someone put us here, he had a reason
What is the reason?
I personally need to know to be happy/content
There are too many questions unanswered for me to just live for today and love one another......the questions remain...........

I personally have never understood this need to find meaning where maybe none exists. What is the purpose of life? Who says it has a purpose? Maybe there is no purpose, and the existentialists are correct.

Seriously, why do we need a purpose? What difference will it make? Live your life, enjoy it, treat others well, and that's all we need.

I have no purpose in my life, see no need for one, don't think one exists for anyone else in reality, and couldn't care less. I still enjoy my life tremendously, and what more do I need?

Please understand, this is only my opinion, and I'm not trying to undercut what others have said. I genuinely don't understand why others feel a need for a purpose to life. But if it makes you happy to think you have one, more power to you. I'll respect that.

<-----------hanging head in shame....sigh I hate to say this but I agree with Seeker...

Life is to be lived...enjoyed...experienced...be happy and make others happy...be the best person you can be...what more can you ask of life?

Oh and Dave men have nipples because women like to have something to play with too!

Creation and design had no purpose behind it?
Out of thin air all we see just happened?
There is no purpose...we just ended up this way
Get real!
Common sense tells any thinking person someone put us here.
Some big powerfull guy in the sky getting a kick out of what he made and how they would handle themselves?
If he put the wonderment of design in all he made......why would he bail on us and go do something else and forget about us?

Purpose of life?

A: 42

Please consult your “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” for more info

Does your pet have a purpose in life?

My purpose in life is to find out why men have breasts.

TimB

Gumby, I've concluded that maybe humans choose the wrong analogy
when it comes to God.

You see design in living things and say "Well, that means a person
with a brain designed that living thing".

Now, all the while you say this, a thousand, maybe a million
different systems are purposefully at work in your body, creating
and repairing and adjusting - all without any conscious brain
guiding them. Your heart and lungs work without thinking about
it - red blood cells are created and destroyed without thought,
and so on.

So, why not accept the universe as being like the body,
automatic in function, no conscious thinking necessary
to make it work continuously? It's just a vast, spooky
non-local mechanism that needs no conscious direction,
just like the body.

Actually, this image of "God" must be closest to the truth
because the consciousness we think is all important, is
very limited. You can think about only one thing at a time.
Even if can "chew gum and walk" at the same time, it still
involves switching your limited attention back and forth
between activities.

There was a cartoon in which God answers a huge battery
of phones, grabbing each one briefly and putting it down
quickly after saying "Hello, this is God, can you hold?"

That sums it up pretty well

and it's why I am a pantheist

metatron

No, it does not.

We may have been put here by someone, or we may not have. If we have, then perhaps there is a purpose to life and he or she ain't talking. If we have not, then there really is no purpose to life.

Either way could be valid.

Xean,

Im not even going to say what I am thinking but I appreciate your input.

Damn, I guess I can't say anything that doesn't have a double meaning when it comes to a topic that has any sexual connotation on this board. Either that or it's about time I start looking for a girlfriend. What the hell, I guess two years of complete sanity and happiness is enough for one guy.

Dave

What is the purpose of a Lion's Life? A lamb's life? A dog's life?

What was the purpose of the life of the gentle Maiasaur, the "good mother" duck-billed dinosaur that protected it's young?

What was the purpose of the life of the Trilobites, who ruled the early oceans five times longer than the dinosaurs ruled the earth?

The purpose is to enjoy what life you have and to project your genetic code into the future, so that it will become the next big thing.

Long after the next extinction event, an as-yet unseen appendage will hold a fossil human skull and gazing upon it, something will ask, "What was this? What did it do?"

My purpose in life is to pay homage at the Italian shoe clad,silver voiced Andrea Bocelli.......but thats just me :> T

Vive Bene
Spesso L'amore
Di Risata Molto!!!

My purpose?

To discover new worlds, seek out strange new life forms, to boldly go where no man has gone before!

Well yeah, it does sound a little bit like Star Trek, but hey I only watch it. I don't have pointed ears or run around with my tricorder trying to understand everything, well okay maybe a little, but I don't always go to each Star Trek convention, only some of them.

Actually, I like what Albert Einstein once said about the purpose of religion and it went something like this...The goal of religion is to free yourself from your selfish desires and help your fellow man. Too bad religions seldom practice this.

But anyway, can't say much more as I gotta run and save another universe from going down in flames but hope I catch you on the high frontier some day.

Skipper