What Is The Purpose of Life? Do Our Lives Even Matter?

[Steberz]

Have you ever thought about what it means to actually exist and be a living human being? In this science video, I try and address the ancient questions, what is the purpose of life and give my opinion on it. I also give my opinion of the existence of god and why I think and truly believe that the existence of god is false. Though this is not really a science vs religion debate, I definitely thought it was important to give my opinion on the controversial topic of science vs religion. I also talk about what we are really made of, and try to delve into some basic matter science.

Let me know what you think? Do you think that human life really matters in the big picture? What do you think the purpose of life is? Is there really a purpose?

For some reason I just felt like ranting about the thoughts in my head, here is the link to the video. Let me know what you think.

link promoting yootoob video removed

yootoob channel

Edited May 13, 2016 by Phi for All
advertising link removed per rule 2.7

[Phi for All]

!

Moderator Note

Sorry, it's against our rules to require members to watch videos before discussing a topic. We aren't here to promote your channel. SFN is a discussion forum, so please use this medium to give us an overview of what you want to discuss.

 

We can read and reread your prose, and respond to select portions of it easily. Nobody wants to watch your video over and over to get the quotes right. I hope you'll respect the wishes of the site owners.

 

No need to respond to this note in the thread. If you feel it's unfair, use the Report Post feature.

[StringJunky]

 

What do you think the purpose of life is? Is there really a purpose?

Whatever you want to make of it.

 

 

 

Do you think that human life really matters in the big picture?

Not at all, as a person. The only people that think you matter are those that know you and care. You matter as much to the Earth as the worm being pulled out of the ground by a hungry bird; You are also keeping billions of bacteria and viruses alive. You matter as a host.

 

 

 

Is there really a purpose?

See first one.

[Lyudmilascience]

I still want to respond to the questions because I think a lot about this. and I wonder if not thinking about the purpose of life is better because then you dont over think things that perhaps don't have and answer and will take you down a rabbit whole and probably with negative thoughts about humanity. "

Let me know what you think? Do you think that human life really matters in the big picture? What do you think the purpose of life is? Is there really a purpose?"

 

I do think that human life matters in the big picture because we are the only animals who are intelligent enough to change the world, we create many good and bad things in it we save species we increase the rate of global warming and pollution, so we are the only animals capable of understanding and changing the world for the better and there are organizations that are trying to do that. we also dont know how long people are going to exist but they have existed for a long time now and very likly to continue to exist for a long time, until the world ends or perhaps people will become extinct through natural causes like diseases or extreme weather.

 

I think the purpose of life is whatever you want it to be. but I also think its fine to live without a purpose and I think it might be better. I think it could be better because some people it is distressing not to have a purpose and if you dont think about it and not pay attention to it it wont worry you. I only care that I am happy in life. I don't even consider it a purpose.

[Prometheus]

I do think that human life matters in the big picture because we are the only animals who are intelligent enough to change the world...

 

Intelligence isn't required to change the world, unless cyanobacteria had both intelligence and purpose when they drastically changed the earth.

 

The thing i like best about humanity is that we create things that don't seem to exist elsewhere. I find it funny when people say things like justice, mercy and duty don't actually exist in the universe. Of course they do: they are part of the human condition, as much a part of the universe as any other part. More than that, they are what humans bring to the universe and the space we can choose to introduce meaning to existence.

 

I think the purpose of life is whatever you want it to be. but I also think its fine to live without a purpose and I think it might be better. I think it could be better because some people it is distressing not to have a purpose and if you dont think about it and not pay attention to it it wont worry you. I only care that I am happy in life. I don't even consider it a purpose.

 

Now that's an interesting question. Was man truly happier before the fall? (I'm talking in a literary sense just in case anyone still takes these myths literally). From my perspective i have no choice: my curiosity is too great - i wouldn't even have needed a serpent to whisper in my ear.

 

Changing allegory; Pandora's jar unleashed a world of suffering otherwise unknown to man (it is not death that frightens us, but knowledge of it): but hope was left. The question is whether it was worth it and we can only answer for ourselves. For me it was.

[Lyudmilascience]

what I mean is we are intelligent enough to change the world to our liking or betterment of it because we have a better understanding of it then any other animal. im sure almost any animal can change the world but humans can control their effects on the world.

sorry I did not understand any thing after " was a man truly happier before the fall? "

[Sirona]

 

I think the purpose of life is whatever you want it to be. but I also think its fine to live without a purpose and I think it might be better...

 

I disagree; although, our definitions of 'purpose' may differ. I'm a humanist and I see my 'purpose' as purely leading an ethical existence; essentially to act out of common interest. To avoid a long-winded response, even if your entire purpose is just to be kind and benevolent, that is still living with a purpose.

[ajb]

I'm a humanist and I see my 'purpose' as purely leading an ethical existence; essentially to act out of common interest.

We share the same basic philosophy here. Not that this is a 'rule', but a way of life to work towards and one we may never actually reach.

[disarray]

Do we set our own purpose or are we so naturally stupid and/or barbarian that we need to have some supernatural being tell us what our purpose is or should be?

 

Is there a tendency to presuppose that there is only one purpose in life?

 

Do the words "purpose" and "life" have, when used together in the question, have the sort of philosophical and/or religious connotations that would encourage posters to mention grand and ethical ideas, as opposed to more mundane ones?

 

Would a person without some sort of purpose(s) even get out of bed in the morning...or take the next breath?

 

On what basis do we presume that having a purpose is better or worse than having no purpose?

 

If our purpose is to act out of common interest, what happens when the common interests of one group conflict with another group, e.g., when there is not enough food to feed everyone in the tribal areas of Africa or the Middle East. Should everyone just share what there is and starve anyway, or should some, after negotiating or just after the flip of a coin, get all there is in order to survive and fulfill their purpose in life? Or when there are too many people on the lifeboat and one or two must go?

 

And who is to say which group is more important, e.g., if I decide that I have common interests with all those in the animal kingdom, should I become a vegetarian?

[StringJunky]

 

Do we set our own purpose or are we so naturally stupid and/or barbarian that we need to have some supernatural being tell us what our purpose is or should be?

I think we have to set our own purpose but many would like to be guided and think they are fulfilling the wishes of some higher authority.

 

 

Do the words "purpose" and "life" have, when used together in the question, have the sort of philosophical and/or religious connotations that would encourage posters to mention grand and ethical ideas, as opposed to more mundane ones?our immediate

Yes,I think so when looking at the big picture but in reality some very large proportion of our day is just spent satisfying functional needs that get us through the day.

 

 

On what basis do we presume that having a purpose is better or worse than having no purpose?

It's purely arbitrary.

 

 

If our purpose is to act out of common interest, what happens when the common interests of one group conflict with another group, e.g., when there is not enough food to feed everyone in the tribal areas of Africa or the Middle East. Should everyone just share what there is and starve anyway, or should some, after negotiating or just after the flip of a coin, get all there is in order to survive and fulfill their purpose in life? Or when there are too many people on the lifeboat and one or two must go?

 

 

And who is to say which group is more important, e.g., if I decide that I have common interests with all those in the animal kingdom, should I become a vegetarian?

 

You don't know what you'll do until you face such a situation. I think, if you look in poverty-stricken or extreme resource deprived areas you will find your answer.

[marieltrokan]

The purpose of existence is to reflect absence.

Edited June 16, 2016 by marieltrokan

[FishTrembleAtMyName]

I would say the purpose of life is to be happy I mean truly happy. I think happiness, holiness, and healthiness are all synonyms and I mean holy in the sense of being a good person that helps others not that you just pray 24/7 of course this all is achieved in different ways for different people but for whatever ever reason we all exist so we might as well leave a legacy not just for ourselves but even to contribute to the legacy of the human race as a whole

[Lyudmilascience]

 

I disagree; although, our definitions of 'purpose' may differ. I'm a humanist and I see my 'purpose' as purely leading an ethical existence; essentially to act out of common interest. To avoid a long-winded response, even if your entire purpose is just to be kind and benevolent, that is still living with a purpose.

most people try to be kind and benevolent to eachother, why does that have to be the reason for our existence? people juge kindness differently. for instance if I tell a friend she is overweight and she needs to loose weight to stay healthy, I might see it as helpful advice but she may see it as a harsh critisism. so if I say or do things that i think are helpful but are really not im not living corectly not fulfilling my purpouse? what if I dont care about it and do not want it to be my purpouse?

[StringJunky]

most people try to be kind and benevolent to eachother, why does that have to be the reason for our existence? people juge kindness differently. for instance if I tell a friend she is overweight and she needs to loose weight to stay healthy, I might see it as helpful advice but she may see it as a harsh critisism. so if I say or do things that i think are helpful but are really not im not living corectly not fulfilling my purpouse? what if I dont care about it and do not want it to be my purpouse?

As your example shows,the notion of kindness can be at odds in the eyes of the giver and receiver. Your 'purpose' is your intent.;to behave a certain way..

[Overthinker301]

 

Let me know what you think? Do you think that human life really matters in the big picture? What do you think the purpose of life is? Is there really a purpose?

 

Human life only matters through our influences in the environment around us. We influence life on Earth with our contributions to climate change, whether this is through lack of regulation or the fact we are dealing with overpopulation (etc.) [Climate change is not our only influence in the environment though. Fighting diseases, efforts to keep species from going extinct, etc] In a sense, we only matter to other life, without other life, we would not matter at all, but without other life, we would not exist. We mattered to the West African black rhinoceros, as we affected its very existence to the point of extinction.

 

The purpose of life is to reproduce and die, according to my environmental science teacher some years ago. On a more philosophical level, we have to create our own purpose in life. An example would be if someone desired their purpose in life to be helping others, so they make it their purpose through efforts to help others.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Overthinker301