this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2024
36 points (84.6% liked)

Asklemmy

44149 readers
1812 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy ๐Ÿ”

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

What's the meaning of life?

all 44 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[โ€“] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 48 points 6 months ago (1 children)

A feature film from 1983 by the British comedy troupe Monty Python.

[โ€“] Zachariah@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

found the AI bot

[โ€“] tobogganablaze@lemmus.org 42 points 6 months ago (1 children)

A man of culture I see.

[โ€“] grasshopper_mouse@lemmy.world 27 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Be excellent to each other

And party on dudes!

[โ€“] dcoe@lemmy.world 22 points 6 months ago

There is no meaning of life. You're free. Do whatever you want.

[โ€“] Grebes@sh.itjust.works 20 points 6 months ago (1 children)

To deliver value to our shareholders

[โ€“] Zombiepirate@lemmy.world 11 points 6 months ago

There is no inherent meaning; everyone must find their own.

For me, it's to try and leave my little patch of the world better than I found it.

[โ€“] kambusha@sh.itjust.works 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of the women.

[โ€“] absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz 1 points 6 months ago

What enemies?

Not sure if you are referencing Conan or Khan...

[โ€“] saltesc@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago (2 children)

There isn't one. At least one that you have a say in. Your purpose is to be a part of nature as you always have and always will be. Your purpose right now is to conduct yourself as you are, since that's how nature made you to be. You will die, as nature has purposed. You will be re-used as nature has purposed. You will never again be in the natural state you are currently in, but you will always be a part of nature.

Reflect frequently upon the instability of things, and how very fast the scenes of nature are shifted. Matter is in perpetual flux. Change is always and everywhere at work; it strikes through causes and effects, and leaves nothing fixed and permanent.

The only constant is nature. If it has a purpose, you have found yours.

You exist because we allow it - you will end, because we demand it

~~Sovereign~~ Nature

[โ€“] tinwhiskers@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

The question doesn't even make sense. You have to redefine it to "purpose" or some other word to even get started. The only literal interpretation is "what does 'life' mean?", which is just something like "a metabolic system capable of Darwinian evolution".

[โ€“] ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world 9 points 6 months ago

There isn't one.

The fact that any of us are alive at all is a cosmic fluke.

You can try to make one if you want but it'll only hold meaning to you. Isn't that good enough?

[โ€“] spittingimage@lemmy.world 8 points 6 months ago

Leave things better than you found them.

[โ€“] NovaPrime@lemmy.ml 8 points 6 months ago

No such thing

[โ€“] stoy@lemmy.zip 7 points 6 months ago

Biologically: grow up, have sex, take care of and teach the next generation.

General: Nothing, there is no underlying meaning to life.

Aspirational: Improvement, the meaning of life is to improve the world during your life.

Capitalistic: Aqquire wealth, get the high score!

[โ€“] Zachariah@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago

each of us constructs our own

[โ€“] DmMacniel@feddit.de 6 points 6 months ago

Its whatever you want it to be.

To seek meaning and truth. Its a journey to a destination you will not reach as it is about the journey.

[โ€“] MisterNeon@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago

Consume nutrients to reproduce.

[โ€“] davidgro@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

Here you go. Choose wisely, or don't. Most of the options are just fine.

[โ€“] dessalines@lemmy.ml 3 points 6 months ago

What does a flower or a blade of grass mean?

[โ€“] Wxnzxn@lemmy.ml 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Life itself, the propagation and continuation of it, the creation of conscious structures capable of experience, reflection and influence over their nature - and ultimately defiance against a cold and dead, seemingly endless universe.

Or, for people that like the cold universe, there's a quote I forgot who it came from: "The purpose of life is to waste the energy of the sun"

[โ€“] r00ty@kbin.life 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I think we should qualify the question. I think I'd like to hear a reason for society as a whole to exist that is reasoned and has a firm basis in logic and has no emotive or circular reference.

Because I cannot see the point of it (and I've been accused of being a pessimist, depressed and worse for expressing this opinion). So, I would really like to hear an actual reason for us all to be here.

do you feel there needs to be a reason?

[โ€“] Corno@lemm.ee 3 points 6 months ago

Whatever you want it to be! For me, it's to be my true self, do things which make me happy, and enjoy things

[โ€“] yngmnwntr@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 months ago

A life of meaning.

[โ€“] RBWells@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I don't think it needs one, and no idea if you mean existence of everything, or a single human life. But for my single human life my goal is to enjoy being physically embodied while I am, experience things using this body and its built-in equipment. All the things that will be impossible to do once dead, all the stuff you couldn't do before you were born. See things, move, dance, read, fuck, eat, hurt, feel everything. Think about things. Now while I am alive in a body that can do all that stuff.

[โ€“] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

we are the universe experiencing itself

[โ€“] RBWells@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

Glad to meet you, Mr. Morningstar and I guess you'd be an authority on this. I agree, consciousness is the universe experiencing itself. And no, I don't need a favor, thanks!

to help others find meaning in theirs

[โ€“] Vitaly@feddit.uk 1 points 6 months ago

The meaning of life is to find the meaning of life

[โ€“] Fizz@lemmy.nz 1 points 6 months ago

To aquire money to pass down to your kids so they can use it to gain a headscarf over other kids and your family can dominate the world the world.

Or to live a good life and make meaningful connections

[โ€“] Gbagginsthe3rd@aussie.zone 0 points 6 months ago (1 children)

To expend more energy and create more chaos in the universe.

All hail the god of entropy

[โ€“] kyleraykbs@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 months ago

I'd argue its the opposite, fight entropy until you drop dead. We are here because of a coincidence that didn't defy entropy but temporarily disrupted it, so disrupt that shit more, everything good came from balancing and lowering entropy.

[โ€“] Fredselfish@lemmy.world -1 points 6 months ago (1 children)