What is the meaning of life?

[Taurendil]

Life on Earth is an accident, it appeared due to special conditions and we’re a natural development of those micro organisms, I’m sure. This naturally suggests that there is not meaning of life and so I thought until I asked myself a question how all the universe itself appeared. If it is a creation of something or someone then there is meaning of life since we were intended to be. Though there is no proof of that there is no proof of the contrary.
I feel discontent with the ideas like ‘to live for the others’, ‘to seek some goal’ or ‘to live for life’. All of these make me think of other questions like ‘why to live for the others’ and ‘what the goal should be’.

But if there is no meaning to life, then why do we have intelligence that allows us to have an awareness, something other animals don't.

Because we have that intelligence over other animals, we have meaning to life, it's what you make of it. Thats my take.

I do not deny the possibility of the meaninig to life. However from my point of view intelligence is a natural development and is not the reason of why do we have the meaninigof life.

[Mithrandir]

Life on Earth is an accident, it appeared due to special conditions and we’re a natural development of those micro organisms, I’m sure. This naturally suggests that there is not meaning of life and so I thought until I asked myself a question how all the universe itself appeared. If it is a creation of something or someone then there is meaning of life since we were intended to be. Though there is no proof of that there is no proof of the contrary.
I feel discontent with the ideas like ‘to live for the others’, ‘to seek some goal’ or ‘to live for life’. All of these make me think of other questions like ‘why to live for the others’ and ‘what the goal should be’.

But if there is no meaning to life, then why do we have intelligence that allows us to have an awareness, something other animals don't.

Because we have that intelligence over other animals, we have meaning to life, it's what you make of it. Thats my take.

I do not deny the possibility of the meaninig to life. However from my point of view intelligence is a natural development and is not the reason of why do we have the meaninigof life.

I agree. Saying that we have intelligence over animals (debateable in some cases) isn't an excuse to give our existant a meaning. Surely the more intelligent animals would therefore have to have meanings over less intelligent animals, such as dogs over amoebae.

[Taurendil]

I think there are two aspects of this problem. The first is the meaning of life on the whole, of life of mankind. From this point of view a life of a certain person hasn't got a meaning as such, since the mankind appeared as a result of special conditions and long evolution. But the second one is the meaning of life of a concrete man. It has the meaning, and moreover it is not universal, but different for each person. But in any case it includes a creation of something. In fact, I believe that this creation is a main thing the man can do in his life.

[Blaen]

To understand the meaning of existance would infact render existance meaningless. If we knew what we were here for then we'd just do it, cogs in a universal machine. Humans are soo much more than mere cogs (Though alot of them act like they're just that ). If there's a meaning at all. Frankly I still think it's most likely that we're just a nice little experiment of nature. Perhaps one of many, perhaps not.

[Taurendil]

To understand the meaning of existance would infact render existance meaningless. If we knew what we were here for then we'd just do it, cogs in a universal machine. Humans are soo much more than mere cogs (Though alot of them act like they're just that ). If there's a meaning at all. Frankly I still think it's most likely that we're just a nice little experiment of nature. Perhaps one of many, perhaps not.

I'd say rather a natural development of nature than an experiment.

[Mithrandir]

I stand by what I said over two years ago...

I don't see why life has to have a meaning.
We all know life is the act of living, I don't think it is anymore than that.
There is no purpose to our living, just that we are what we are.

[Taurendil]

Do you think a life of certain man hasn't got a meaning? The life as such apparently hasn't got a meaning, I agree.

[Li Jie]

I think it's a difficult question . No one can answer easily.Everyday.we are busy at doing kinds of jobs .so busy to think about what your heart desire indeed.And anyone isn't live only for himself but also for people around you.There are many things unfair in our life .You will not always get a chance even you have done all you could .When Friendship become sick , "ture love "acompanied by money ,trust become weaker and weaker in our everyday life...What is life meaning? I think we born to Exist as the God 's wish .There are certain reasons which the wisest could not tell. Just do our best to lead a happy life for you and anyone who love you. Lord of the Rings showed us a beautiful world and a dream. Unfortunately , that's not a real world .For a time , this story made me sad when I thought of our real world.But I also learned something from this story.That is, a men is really a brave men when he can  hold on when  there is little hope and trust something good still in this world.

[Taurendil]

I think it's a difficult question . No one can answer easily.Everyday.we are busy at doing kinds of jobs .so busy to think about what your heart desire indeed.And anyone isn't live only for himself but also for people around you.There are many things unfair in our life .You will not always get a chance even you have done all you could .When Friendship become sick , "ture love "acompanied by money ,trust become weaker and weaker in our everyday life...What is life meaning? I think we born to Exist as the God 's wish .There are certain reasons which the wisest could not tell. Just do our best to lead a happy life for you and anyone who love you. Lord of the Rings showed us a beautiful world and a dream. Unfortunately , that's not a real world .For a time , this story made me sad when I thought of our real world.But I also learned something from this story.That is, a men is really a brave men when he can  hold on when  there is little hope and trust something good still in this world.

You see, its not easy just to be content with this position: the meaning of life is to try do one's best. How can you prove that? What happens when your life ends? And it's not very clean-cut what is best and good, as is in Tolkien's brilliant world.  What if a person doesn't believe in God? In fact it raises a lot of other difficult questions. I also think it is in human's nature to seek an anwer for this question no matter the wisest cannot answer it.

[Li Jie]

I’m so sorry for answering your question so late , but I got several exams to prepare . I thought this question again .I can’t deny this : it’s not very clean-cut what is best and good . Nothing in this world can be told absolutely right or wrong , best or worst . And not everyone believed in God . Every person may have asked meaning of life and try to find a answer .   
The reason why we try to find a answer , in my opinion , is trying to find a way we can live happily and in peace . So in my view , the meaning of life is to try hard to let our heart content or  in peace . Happiness comes from many things :
1 . success ,of course . We worked hard and succeed . Surely, we taste happiness of success .
2.find peace . Not everything can be achieved ,though hard work has been paid . We may fail unfairly .Then ,we need to find a method to keeping us from hurt .So why not tell ourselves” we have tried hard and no guilty at least “, or” ‘ God’ means to “ , “perhaps , it should be like this ". You said not everyone believe in God. I agree. And there are kinds of religions in this world with different ‘God’. When human couldn’t explain everything , they thought there is a kind of mysterious power that controls everything . If we try to think our failure was doomed by this kind of power,we can make ourselves feel a little better . Then we let it go and begin our new business . ‘try best’ as I said before is just a kind of positive attitude .When you feel you could do no more , just let it go like put loads down and cheer you up again .
3.The happiness of the people who love you or you love is also yours . As your happiness is important for them , their happiness is important for you . Concern about them ,love them . Sometimes a few things you do can make different . Even when life is going to be end ,  trying to smile to the heart -break ones for the last time can help them relieve the pain of losing beloved people a little .
try to help others . we can feel we are capable men , or even enjoy the sense of hero .
Try hard to live happily , happy and peace is the most impotant things of life . That’s my view of meaning of life . You are a thoughtful person . I’m very glad to talk to you .

[Taurendil]

So, your point is that the meaning of life is to live happily and in peace. But what is the meaning of happy, peaceful life then? Happy life is rather a final aim of a man than a meaning of his existence. What is a meaning of life in a scale of universe, that’s what tortures the minds of men since ancient times. Why do I exist, for what purpose…
Again I return to my previous conclusion that life appeared as a natural development of this Earth, and so isn’t filled with some high meaning. 

[Li Jie]

Mm...I see .perhaps you are right .We just exist as any other things and animals.

Life on Earth is an accident, it appeared due to special conditions and we’re a natural development of those micro organisms, I’m sure. This naturally suggests that there is not meaning of life and so I thought until I asked myself a question how all the universe itself appeared. If it is a creation of something or someone then there is meaning of life since we were intended to be. Though there is no proof of that there is no proof of the contrary.
I feel discontent with the ideas like ‘to live for the others’, ‘to seek some goal’ or ‘to live for life’. All of these make me think of other questions like ‘why to live for the others’ and ‘what the goal should be’.

[Ethi]

The meaning of life is to live and learn from our experiences. There's this whole theory about Gaia (sp?) and that the planet has its own energy, an actual mother nature if you will and that we are a part of that and when we die we return to Gaia; taking with us all the experiences we had when we were alive. In the Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan there is a race called the Aiel who live in a wasteland pretty much and they believe that it is there to shape them, test them and punish them for their sins...


Just a couple of ways of looking at it

[Taurendil]

Well, there are a lot of theories, for instance that we're a creation of god and live because he wants us to and so on. But where's the proof of all these theories? I judge by what I see and know for certain, what is obvious and clear. My point of view has already been posted below.

However, I do not deny the possibility of the existane of meaning (since there's no proof to reject some of the theories), but it seems so improbable to me.

[Theo]

  Without purpose or meaning given to us by some higher being, what is there to live for?  Really..  I mean, if we don't believe in God what hope do we have?  What hope do we have without the promise of an afterlife?  There has to be some kind of meaning, not just to live our lives for ourselves..  I don't see how someone could be happy thinking that there's no God or that there's nothing more after we're dead..  We would have nothing to live for, it seems to me..

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