25-05-2005 03:40									#1
	Is (your) life futile? Tired of ads?

Is there any meaning of life at all?

My life is completely insignificant; it won't change one single thing in this world. This assertion is not to be interpreted as an expression of some teenager's low self-esteem or pathetic depression of having been thrown away by a lover...

I truly believe it. Furthermore, I go on to claim that, in the bigger scheme of things, your life and every single individual's life is completely meaningless as well... I make that judgement without knowing you and I firmly believe I'm right...

Does this imply that life at an aggregated level (i. e. the existence of humanity) is meaningless too? Is the sum of a large number of totally insignificant parts also insignificant? I'm not sure about that one...

Discuss, mortals.

Carolus

Last edited by Carolus Rex on 25-05-2005 at 03:46

	25-05-2005 03:49									#2
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Well I tend to agree.

Life does appear essentially meaningless. Or rather the only meaning I can see is that we must reproduce to carry on the species, but then there is no aggregate meaning to life. We each give our own lives its own meaning.

	25-05-2005 03:49									#3
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Meaningless != pointless.

So life's meaningless. That's just maturity talking. Only a very few people will be remembered in the centuries to come. That's just percentages working against you. So what if you're not remembered, you're not changing the world or you're not part of some grand plan? So there's not overarcing design driving the universe that has you as a very special part of it.

So who cares?

Life's meaningless. True. Doesn't mean life's pointless. You may never make a big impact but your day to day activities give a point to your existence. You help people. You make friends and family happy. You try to be on the side of justice and decency. Everyday if you work to improve society then you're giving the finger to our nihilistic universe. Leave the world slightly better than when you began and you've done the most important thing a person can do.

Life is meaningless. Deal with it and get on with living

	25-05-2005 03:51									#4
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Food

	25-05-2005 03:51									#5
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For one to be meaningless there would then have to be the polar; meaningful. Since nothing is really meaningful on that same scale, I would have to conclude that ones existence is therefore not meaningless... merely, it just is.

However, we do not exist nor do we interpret ourselves on such a scale, no matter how hard we try. Thus, if you feel meaningless it is merely because you wish it to be so. Similarly for those who think that they actually have a purpose or duty. We may no it is all BS, but for the sake of our humanity and our sanity it is best that we find contentment in our endevours and try to find satisfaction apart from our vices.

Row, row, row your boat...

	25-05-2005 03:52									#6
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quote: Life's meaningless. True. Doesn't mean life's pointless. You may never make a big impact but your day to day activities give a point to your existence. You help people. You make friends and family happy. You try to be on the side of justice and decency. Everyday if you work to improve society then you're giving the finger to our nihilistic universe. Leave the world slightly better than when you began and you've done the most important thing a person can do.

to bad the world ain't mingless

	25-05-2005 03:56									#7
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Never heard of the butterfly effect? (no, not the movie).

	25-05-2005 04:00									#8
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"What we must decide is perhaps how we are valuable, rather than how valuable we are."

	25-05-2005 04:05									#9
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quote: Originally posted by Starchild Meaningless != pointless.

I take it that you mean that these two concepts are not equal?

quote: Originally posted by Starchild Life's meaningless. True. Doesn't mean life's pointless. You may never make a big impact but your day to day activities give a point to your existence. You help people. You make friends and family happy.

Maybe. You also hurt friends and family, though... Neither really matters...

quote: Originally posted by Starchild Everyday if you work to improve society then you're giving the finger to our nihilistic universe. Leave the world slightly better than when you began and you've done the most important thing a person can do.

That's just naive youth speaking. No single individual can change society or the world we live in. Even starchildren grow up and burn out...

Carolus

	25-05-2005 04:07									#10
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quote: That's naive youth speaking. No single individual can change society or the world we live in. Even stars grow up and burn out...

How dare you contradict Starchild, our elected religious leader?!!

Where's that ignore button

	25-05-2005 04:07									#11
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quote: Originally posted by Dracon II Never heard of the butterfly effect? (no, not the movie).

You believe in chaos theory? I believe it has some interesting things to say about how the economy works.

You imply that it makes life meaningless?

Carolus

	25-05-2005 04:09									#12
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quote: Originally posted by Kuciwalker Food

How articulated... You sure you're at the top of the food chain?

Carolus

	25-05-2005 04:17									#13
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quote: Originally posted by Carolus Rex I take it that you mean that these two concepts are not equal? Maybe. You also hurt friends and family, though... Neither really matters... That's naive youth speaking. No single individual can change society or the world we live in. Even stars grow up and burn out... Carolus

Why change the world? Who said anything about altering the course of society? You want to find a point to life in this entropic universe of ours? Then go hug a loved one. Smile when you get your lunch from the deli. Be there when someone needs you. Do no harm and, if you do, be mature enough to apologise for it.

Go out there and revel in the crush of humanity. Feel the sun on your back and the wind in your hair. Glory in the fact that this moment will never come again. Plan like you're going to live for a hundred years, act like you're going to die tomorrow.

Revel in sensation, in the fleeting moment and the lost instant of being. Sit quietly in the warmth holding the hand of someone you love and know that in all the universe, in all the aeons, in all the meaningless random chaos of everything, you can do such a simple act.

	25-05-2005 04:31									#14
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quote: Originally posted by Starchild Why change the world? Who said anything about altering the course of society?

Well, I thought you did. Check out my quote above...

Ok, so Carpe Diem makes your boat float... Well, I saw that quasi-philosophing Dead Poets' Society too... Handkerchiefs, anyone?

Yet, however well put your paragraphs above are, and no matter how nice those moments you describe seem, each one of them is nothing but an infinitely small paranthesis... The rest is silence...

Carolus

	25-05-2005 04:33									#15
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Since I intend to still be here in a few centuries, I also intend to be remembered then. Hopefully, I won't still be posting on Poly.

	25-05-2005 04:38									#16
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quote: Originally posted by chegitz guevara Since I intend to still be here in a few centuries, I also intend to be remembered then.

i) How?

ii) If you're still around, why would you need to be remembered?

Carolus

	25-05-2005 04:40									#17
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Have to go to bed now as another meaningless day is drawing nearer...

I will check this utterly meaningless thread tomorrow again...

Sleep tight, mortals.

Carolus

	25-05-2005 04:41									#18
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quote: Originally posted by Carolus Rex The rest is silence... Carolus

Silence is what makes the music.

	25-05-2005 05:08									#19
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quote: Originally posted by Starchild Life is meaningless. Deal with it and get on with living

quote: Originally posted by Carolus Rex Is there any meaning of life at all? My life is completely insignificant; it won't change one single thing in this world. This assertion is not to be interpreted as an expression of some teenager's low self-esteem or pathetic depression of having been thrown away by a lover... I truly believe it. Furthermore, I go on to claim that, in the bigger scheme of things, your life and every single individual's life is completely meaningless as well... I make that judgement without knowing you and I firmly believe I'm right... Does this imply that life at an aggregated level (i. e. the existence of humanity) is meaningless too? Is the sum of a large number of totally insignificant parts also insignificant? I'm not sure about that one... Discuss, mortals. Carolus

Life is meaningless, as in it has no seperate meaning given to it. It's just life. Some of us may change the world, alter the course of history, and do wonderful things. However none of that means anything in the grand scheme of things.

A lot of insignificant things add up to something significant. We will all affect our own lives greatly, and alter our own perceived world hugely. You're life already changes somethings in the world - you occupy a space, breathe air, consume goods, etc. Some people change the world largely, most do only in a very small part. That's life. It's completely meaningless, but it's significant to a lot of people.

	25-05-2005 05:22									#20
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quote: Originally posted by Drogue Life is meaningless, as in it has no seperate meaning given to it. It's just life. Some of us may change the world, alter the course of history, and do wonderful things. However none of that means anything in the grand scheme of things. A lot of insignificant things add up to something significant. We will all affect our own lives greatly, and alter our own perceived world hugely. You're life already changes somethings in the world - you occupy a space, breathe air, consume goods, etc. Some people change the world largely, most do only in a very small part. That's life. It's completely meaningless, but it's significant to a lot of people.

I only read the last 2 sentences of your post in this thread , but:...

You think it is significant to a lot of people. Actually it wouldn't matter if you were there or not. Other people only care about you because they know you. You can't miss what you don't know. Life is both meaningless and pointless.
You might say to yourself that what you do is not pointless because it's important to you, but that's just a relative thought in your mind. If you were to be depressed you would feel completely different about it. Especially since being depressed of being joyful is caused by a chemical reaction in your brain. What you do essentially is unimportant. It's not because you are there and that you change something that it has a point oir a meaning. It just happens, but nothing more than that. It might very well not happen at all, which would not make a difference anyway.
All is relative to the eye of the beholder, and it's not because you and others perceive your existence as important, that it actually is important or has a point or meaning

	25-05-2005 06:48									#21
	Re: Is (your) life futile? Got spare money?

quote: Originally posted by Carolus Rex Is there any meaning of life at all? My life is completely insignificant; it won't change one single thing in this world.

Sounds like you need to step away from the monitor and get outside. Talk a walk through the park.

Do you still believe in Rock and Roll, Carolus?

	25-05-2005 08:06									#22
	Re: Is (your) life futile? Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

quote: Originally posted by Carolus Rex Is there any meaning of life at all? My life is completely insignificant; it won't change one single thing in this world. This assertion is not to be interpreted as an expression of some teenager's low self-esteem or pathetic depression of having been thrown away by a lover...

I disagree. You do change the world -- though in very small, yet still in important ways. You affect the lives of those whom you form meaningful friendships with, and you certainly affect the lives of your family members.


For example, one time I talked with a good friend of mine about how we have influenced one another for the better. He told me that through my positive examples in the way I live my life, and when we talked a couple of times at length before, I have encouraged him to become more open minded about certain things.

	25-05-2005 08:16									#23
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quote: Originally posted by Starchild Why change the world? Who said anything about altering the course of society? You want to find a point to life in this entropic universe of ours? Then go hug a loved one. Smile when you get your lunch from the deli. Be there when someone needs you. Do no harm and, if you do, be mature enough to apologise for it. Go out there and revel in the crush of humanity. Feel the sun on your back and the wind in your hair. Glory in the fact that this moment will never come again. Plan like you're going to live for a hundred years, act like you're going to die tomorrow. Revel in sensation, in the fleeting moment and the lost instant of being. Sit quietly in the warmth holding the hand of someone you love and know that in all the universe, in all the aeons, in all the meaningless random chaos of everything, you can do such a simple act.

awesome post

	25-05-2005 08:49									#24
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Starchild got the jist of what I'm going to repeat.


Life is meaningless, yes. But life is NOT pointless. Life's purpose (and I hate to say it) is the experiences we gather, nothing more or less. There isn't a higher reason for life (IMHO) beyond to experience the events that this life presents themselves to you.

The experiences are all that matter. Even though a LOT of them are horrid, the experience is what's worth it.


Trials and tribulations of life, my friend.

	25-05-2005 09:12									#25
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Along the same lines, from Angel of all places

quote: "In the greater scheme, the big picture, nothing we do matters. There's no grand plan - no big win... If there's no great, glorious end to all this - if nothing we do matters - then all that matters is what we do. Cause' that's all there is - what we do now, today... if there's no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world."

	25-05-2005 09:26									#26
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I, for one, will not rest on life's "meaninglessness". Life has both meaning and a point (I'm not entirely sure if there's that much difference between the two.)

Life is only meaningless if you accept that you cannot make a difference. That's akin to quitting, and as far as I'm concerned, quitting is incredibly pointless.

	25-05-2005 12:16									#28
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quote: Life is meaningless, yes. But life is NOT pointless. Life's purpose (and I hate to say it) is the experiences we gather, nothing more or less. There isn't a higher reason for life (IMHO) beyond to experience the events that this life presents themselves to you. The experiences are all that matter. Even though a LOT of them are horrid, the experience is what's worth it.

Maybe so but experiences don't lead to some purpose. Well at least they don't seem to. Heck, go through life building up experiences and then you die and all those experiences become essentially purposeless again. It's like people who say lifes purpose/meaning is to acquire knowledge, bs, doesn't lead to any purpose or meaning, its just something to do whilst your here. Same with experiences.

Basically you're just wasting time till you die and how you waste that time is up to you.

	25-05-2005 12:22									#29
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my life is more futile than yours.

	25-05-2005 12:29									#30
	Re: Is (your) life futile? Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

quote: Originally posted by Carolus Rex Is there any meaning of life at all? My life is completely insignificant; it won't change one single thing in this world. This assertion is not to be interpreted as an expression of some teenager's low self-esteem or pathetic depression of having been thrown away by a lover... I truly believe it. Furthermore, I go on to claim that, in the bigger scheme of things, your life and every single individual's life is completely meaningless as well... I make that judgement without knowing you and I firmly believe I'm right... Does this imply that life at an aggregated level (i. e. the existence of humanity) is meaningless too? Is the sum of a large number of totally insignificant parts also insignificant? I'm not sure about that one...

Never understood that problem. There's no "general" meaning of life - fine, but why is that a problem? Why should we even need that? Humans "produce" meaning, you just did when posting this thread.

I say we are better off without one clearly defined meaning of life.