The Meaning of Life - Is it happiness? (No, seriously) - General

If someone just walked by and asked you guys about the meaning of life, you would usually dismiss them as some freak or a guy with too much time on his hands. People throughout the ages have pondered on this question and many answers have sprung up. The question I ask is: what do you people think the meaning of life is? Lemme present my argument: people live to be happy. Everything a person does - work, play, sleep... are for their happiness. Why do people go and try to get a History PHD? Because it will get them a good job. Why do they want a good job? Because it pays well. And most people's basis of happiness is having good money and being able to do whatever you want to do. From this, I concluded that the basis of human actions are happiness and the desire for happiness. What do you people think?

I don't think it's fair to say that there is one universal meaning of life. Everyone has their own reasons for living. A lot of it may go back to simply being happy, but to think that that is the only reason is unfair.

I would rephrase this slightly and say the reason people live and do what they do in life, not necessarily the meaning of [i]Life[/i] itself(which for the record I don't think has an iron-clad meaning), is to ultimately be happy. Life and existence as a whole are very broad concepts and placing meanings onto them, as Skarr said, isn't fair and is in any case a very, very tricky business. That being said, however, I agree with you. Whatever somebody does in life, whether it is sitting on a comfortable couch or inventing a cure for cancer, is at its base performed in order to feel happy. What brings happiness is relative from person to person, of course, but that just means that different people will do different things to achieve happiness. Some people might be more concerned with short-term happiness, while others may strive for ultimate, long-lasting peace and happiness, but overall, happiness is the driving factor for everything we do. Of course, that doesn't mean selflesness and charity aren't a possibility. When you help someone for the sake of helping a fellow human being in a time of need-donating money, picking up fallen books-you do it because it's the right thing to do, and that by doing it you have done the right thing, which makes you happy, and in that way you have managed to make both the other person and yourself happy.

As far as I'm concerned people live only to be acknowledged. Like, being famous and such. I really don't know why I came up with this but it seems the most reasonable thing to do, at least on the 21st/20th century, where this is the number one thing to do and have. People aren't creating stuff anymore just for their own good, they want status, they want more.

[QUOTE=Fingers!!!;41888504]As far as I'm concerned people live only to be acknowledged. Like, being famous and such. I really don't know why I came up with this but it seems the most reasonable thing to do, at least on the 21st/20th century, where this is the number one thing to do and have. People aren't creating stuff anymore just for their own good, they want status, they want more.[/QUOTE] But status, fame, and acknowledgement bring happiness, don't they? Or at least don't people strive for them because they think it will bring happiness? And they want more in order to be happier, or more pleased with themselves?

I honestly believe there is no true meaning to life. But does there have to be a true meaning for life to have porpouse? I would like to think that my life has meaning and will leave a mark on this world long after I'm gone but to be honest it probably won't.

The meaning of life is to seek out the meaning to life. A forward progression ultimately trying to end up where it began. [editline]18th August 2013[/editline] I must disagree with the hedonistic tone of this thread, to me happiness is not the end goal but rather moral rectitude is. Happiness is just a pleasant side effect of that. There is no happier man than he who can cast the first stone.

I think a good universal meaning would be to love people and be kind to people. More than just smiling at somebody, being generous, that kind of stuff. Actually pursuing them as a real person with real feelings. Because happiness for one person could be seeing other people in pain. I don't know. Nothing bad ever came out of loving people in a platonic way.

I don't believe in a definite meaning. I don't believe the universe needs a reason to exist, I don't believe the planets in the universe needs a reason to exist, and I don't believe that any life form needs a reason to exist. I believe everything exists not because it needs to exist, but because it can. I don't think there is any other definite reason for our existence other than that we could exist, and we keep trying to continue to exist, and therefor we still exist. This to me means that life lacks any definite meaning. However, this also means that we're free to create our own meaning with life. Your existence means nothing to anyone but yourself and the ones who are affected by it, we're free to determine for ourselves what we wish the purpose and goals of our own individual existences should be. There is no determined reason why you should exist, so you're free to decide what will be the most meaningful way to dedicate your existence. [editline]19th August 2013[/editline] Personally, I choose a simple reason why my life has meaning. I have reason to continue being alive, because being alive is incontestably more entertaining than being dead.

There is no objective meaning outside of religion. If you want to make your purpose happiness then more power to ya, but don't expect anyone else to respect that purpose, have the same purpose, or care one way or the other.

There is no meaning or purpose, it simply exists because the conditions for it to, were met. Nothing more to it.

There is no meaning to life. I live only for pleasure.

Finding meaning is secondary to experience; the world itself is fundamentally ineffable, hence fundamentally meaningless. If you want to feel more at home in the world you have to experience it as is, without superimposing concepts/meaning on it.

[QUOTE=Cureless;41889425]There is no meaning or purpose, it simply exists because the conditions for it to, were met. Nothing more to it.[/QUOTE] What epistemic process establishes those conditions to be met?

[QUOTE=Zenreon117;41892892]What epistemic process establishes those conditions to be met?[/QUOTE] What's this even mean? Epistemically we know the conditions were met because our every faculty demonstrates they were. Do you mean 'epistemic'?

[QUOTE=Robbobin;41892932]What's this even mean? Epistemically we know the conditions were met because our every faculty demonstrates they were. Do you mean 'epistemic'?[/QUOTE] What process decides what conditions need to be met? In a pure objective manner of speaking, not just 'how did we figure out some of the conditions'. Who/What decides what conditions reality accepts as 'right'?

Does it matter? It's impossible to refute that there is no universe, and hence whatever the conditions were, they must have been met regardless of what they were. The very fact that the conditions/reasons behind the existence of the universe elude all conception strengthens his claim.

I believe the ultimate aim of society is to create the greatest overall level of happiness and fulfilment If that's not the end goal for civilization then what are we all striving for?

[quote] Life's a bitch, and then you die, that's why we get high. Because you never know when you're gonna go. [/quote] This sums it up.

The meaning of life, I'd say, is to give life meaning.

I would say life is what you make it. Some people live to make money, some people live to help others and some people just try to survive. To some people life doesn't even have meaning.

Lift heavy shit.. shoot plastic BBs at scrawny bitches and yeah.. sleep too i guess.

[QUOTE=BrunoCorreia;41895491]Lift heavy shit.. shoot plastic BBs at scrawny bitches and yeah.. sleep too i guess.[/QUOTE] That makes you happy doesn't it?

The meaning of life is subjective, after all, each person has their own life, and they choose what to do with it. Some people desire to change the world, some just want to lead a quiet happy life, have a family, etc. I don't think there can be a simple definition of "meaning of life".

A human life has no meaning, no value except that which we impose upon ourselves; our very existence is subjective. We're born, we die. The actions we perform during our time upon this earth ultimately count towards nothing as death is inevitable. What's past death, no-one can possibly share with the living, so does it matter? We're machines, the emotions we feel are nothing aside from how we have evolved to react to various stimuli; for example, happiness, despair, hunger, sexual desire, pain. We assign ourselves goals, desires, based on whether or not it will affect our human form in what is percieved to be a positive way. Life is nothing, it will always be nothing.

As many have said in the thread, I think the meaning is subjective and personal. I myself believe that it's something similar to happiness for myself. I want to love and be loved and that's basically what I think the meaning of my life is, ergo my ultimate happiness. I think I may have watched Cloud Atlas too many times.

If people don't superimpose meanings on life, what meaning would there be? If there was no meaning to a certain object, it would not exist in human terms of value. If we don't think about something, it won't exist, hence that life must have a meaning to exist.

[QUOTE=MyBumBum;41898043]If people don't superimpose meanings on life, what meaning would there be? If there was no meaning to a certain object, it would not exist in human terms of value. If we don't think about something, it won't exist, hence that life must have a meaning to exist.[/QUOTE] Uhh, a rock exists whether we think about it or not. Meaning isn't a necessary component of existence in a naturalistic worldview.

I don't mean to be an ass or anything, but wouldn't this thread maybe fit better in GD? This thread and the subject feels a lot more like a discussion of different viewpoints on something subjective rather than a debate where you argue for your side on the matter.

The meaning of life, the universe, and everything is 42.