What is the Purpose of Life ?

[Airbrush]

This is a serious question.  I'd like to know how you would answer this in a few words.

My answer to the question is the purpose of life is to get better, in a few words.  "To get better" is evolution, adaption, and survival.  If you get sick, your purpose is to get better.  If you do well in anything, the purpose is to get better.

[Strange]

First, do no harm

[Wulphstein]

Make the world a better place.

[Prometheus]

To dance and sing. 

[StringJunky]

To find a purpose.

[Strange]

44 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

To find a purpose.

"I know I left it here somewhere"

[StringJunky]

1 minute ago, Strange said:

"I know I left it here somewhere"

[dimreepr]

To be...

[Strange]

23 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

To be...

To do ...

 

 

Doo be doo be doo ...

[dimreepr]

12 minutes ago, Strange said:

To do ...

 

 

Doo be doo be doo ...

Whatever floats your boat. 

6 hours ago, Airbrush said:

This is a serious question.  I'd like to know how you would answer this in a few words.

My answer to the question is the purpose of life is to get better, in a few words.  "To get better" is evolution, adaption, and survival.  If you get sick, your purpose is to get better.  If you do well in anything, the purpose is to get better.

Even if you find a purpose, does it automatically mean success or happiness, what happens if you do get better? Can you relax with the knowledge of a job well done? What after you become the best, wouldn't you just worry that you may not be tomorrow? 

Edited August 6, 2019 by dimreepr

[Prometheus]

19 minutes ago, Strange said:

Doo be doo be doo ...

Told you it was a musical thing...

[FreeWill]

Life is a possibility to learn, to experience, to do to be better.

Edited August 6, 2019 by FreeWill

[Phi for All]

8 hours ago, Airbrush said:

I'd like to know how you would answer this in a few words.

To find the joy.

8 hours ago, Airbrush said:

"To get better" is evolution

This isn't true, but that's off-topic. 

2 hours ago, Strange said:

Doo be doo be doo ...

I found some joy in this old joke reference! Thanks!

[dimreepr]

2 hours ago, FreeWill said:

Life is a possibility to learn, to experience, to do to be better.

Life is what it is, some learn, we all experience; and some do better than what? Life?

[FreeWill]

2 hours ago, dimreepr said:

Life is what it is, some learn, we all experience; and some do better than what? Life?

Do better than ourself previously, by that make a better self and by that a bit better society. Maybe a tiny bit, a better Life itself.

[moth]

A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants. Like Groucho Marx 

[Phi for All]

3 hours ago, moth said:

A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants. Like Groucho Marx 

Ooh, my Groucho-purpose-of-life is to learn everything you can. "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

[OldChemE]

I think my grandfather-- who was a well-educated and thoughtful man, had it worked out.. When my Father graduated from college, my grandfather sent him a handwritten note with the following message: 

"Wishing you throughout the years,
    a fullness of happiness,
    a diligent pursuit of purpose
    and a life of fruitful accomplishments
                        (June, 1941)

[moth]

@Phi for all -

I started to post "consume transform excrete", which could include knowledge, but it seemed too generic.

[zapatos]

19 hours ago, Airbrush said:

This is a serious question.  I'd like to know how you would answer this in a few words.

My answer to the question is the purpose of life is to get better, in a few words.  "To get better" is evolution, adaption, and survival.  If you get sick, your purpose is to get better.  If you do well in anything, the purpose is to get better.

There is no purpose of life.

[FreeWill]

3 hours ago, zapatos said:

There is no purpose of life.

I wonder which life(form) could have absolutely no purpose. I think it is genetically impossible. Could you elaborate why you think so?

[zapatos]

9 minutes ago, FreeWill said:

I wonder which life(form) could have absolutely no purpose. I think it is genetically impossible. Could you elaborate why you think so?

"Purpose" implies a reason for being. There is no more 'reason' or 'purpose' to life then there is a 'reason' or 'purpose' for a rock. They are both just different manifestations of matter that are a possible configuration given our laws of physics. For something to have a purpose there must be some thought or motivation preceding it. Unless of course God exists, then I'll change my vote.

[Mordred]

Purpose of life to live and experience  life.

[Airbrush]

On 8/6/2019 at 4:25 AM, dimreepr said:

...Even if you find a purpose, does it automatically mean success or happiness, what happens if you do get better? Can you relax with the knowledge of a job well done? What after you become the best, wouldn't you just worry that you may not be tomorrow? 

Improvement, in itself, is enough success and happiness.  So you get better, why not try to get even better?   Or better at something else?   If you don't get better, big deal, just try some other way to get better.  What's not to relax about a job well done?  If you become the best then just try to beat your best.  But don't worry if you can't.  It's no big deal.  When I jog my neighborhood 4 km almost every morning, the same route, I time myself.  Sometimes my time is better than others.  Depends on how much effort I try.  I don't care how much I try, but I like to try.  My best time was under 24 minutes, and usually I do it in 25 to 27 minutes.

Edited August 9, 2019 by Airbrush

[J.C.MacSwell]

I just try to be a better person today than I was yesterday. That's the key to my success...

...setting the bar low