Life seems to have no meaning, what do you think?

[chadbdullah]

Imagine if the thoughts implanted into our minds at a gentle age and the rose-tinted or pitch-black glasses through which we perceive the arena have been stripped away, leaving us to contemplate existence and life completely via the lens of cause and good judgment. In this country, we discover ourselves not able to parent any fundamental that means. Within an existence that seems devoid of reason, we're trapped in regularly recurring cycles, embodied by way of the environment that has molded us, restricted to mere physicality and mind. There is not any significance in doing or now not doing something, in distinguishing between proper or bad, or maybe within the act of being or no longer being. Our presence in this universe, even though we can also in no way possess the capacity to manipulate it, holds no that means. I now higher recognise why people hold on so tightly to religions, ideologies, and ideals; at the least, these offer a semblance of bearable life. It seems I am destined to linger on the fringes of cause and logic, although it proves to be a painful enterprise.

[RealMarek]

Science and causality have limits. They cannot explain the origin of being or existence. The existence of material reality itself poses a problem for a purely materialist understanding of the universe because the the belief that matter could come into existence of its own accord requires a leap of faith as great as that required to have the spiritual belief that the universe was generated by a divine being. The problem of meaninglessness is acute for the materialist, and while the materialist might think he avoids what he more honest than a spiritual believer because he does not have primitive faith, but considering the existence of matter on an eternal timescale or its spontaneous generation without cause simply raises another necessity of faith. Faith in the spiritual can ameliorate the sense of meaninglessness, but the believer is not out of the woods because one can live in a meaningless way even if there is meaning in life. Furthermore, many strict atheists achieve a sense of meaning even in their lives even if they believe this passes away and has no eternal significance. So what to believe in the absence of proof either way?

I suggest for consideration aesthetics. What explains beauty? Is it, as a lot of modern philosophy suggests, a meaningless frivolity, or is it a gratuitous instantiation of divine grace? Also, I would suggest consideration of the various truths and patterns of spiritual practice that, when looking beyond their unique doctrinal and cultural differences, are common to all great religions. This could suggest that spiritual faith is a part of being human. After all, the loss of faith and attempt to explain all phenomena through causality are only widespread during the latter half of a high culture’s lifecycle, when the people and especially the elites are gathered into great cosmopolitan cities and profoundly disconnected from nature. Finally, there is the spontaneous rise of high cultures and an archetype unique to that culture. For example, the gothic cultural revolution around 1000 AD was not a product of gradual evolution, but the near instantaneous possession of a whole people with a common conviction, a radical shift in belief, a new symbolism or archetype, and artistic style that was sparked in northern Germany and quickly swept across all of Western Europe. The archetype manifests first in religious architecture and then permeates every form of art, mathematics, and religious belief. This might just as easily point to a movement of spirit as it does to some physically causative, environmental circumstance that provokes an instantaneous mutation in the beliefs and spiritual convictions of a mass of humanity that instantly transforms their arts, religious expression, and intellectual product.

For the first 200-300 years of a high culture’s lifecycle even the elites are possessed with an unquestioning faith. Then the faith is dogmatized by the scholarly class, after which the expression of intellect waxes at the expense of the expression of soul, which wanes. We are living during the decline phase of a dominant high culture, the West. It is during this phase, long after intellect has overtaken the soul of the culture, that the scholarly class works toward the deconstruction of the religious tradition expression and spiritual, artistic symbolism that was born with the appearance of the culture. So those who are born into Western culture or strongly influenced by the power of its cultural output are, especially if they receive higher education, prone to a form of atheism or at least find simple faith difficult to attain.

[richardcory]

The pointlessness of life in a vast uncaring universe. Hopeless

Or is it. A few billion years ago a bunch of complicated molecules ended up able to duplicate themselves. That entire first cell (or whatever it was) was tiny, fragile, existing alone in the vastness of the oceans of that newly formed planet.

But it made another of itself, and they made 4 then 8, and exponential always win. Eventually its descendants dominated the development of the planet, changed its air, its rocks, its oceans. Became so powerful that it had to reign in its own powers to avoid destroying its home planet

Half a century ago a descendant of that cell stepped onto another planet, It didn't stay long, but it will be back.

The universe is vast, but exponentials always win.

[Alli39]

I mean I don't believe in a higher power or purpose. We're just here. And some days I'm more ok with that then others. But we're here whether we think about it or not, so I don't bother thinking about it 🤷‍♀️

Go vibe with the universe. Be kind and make good choices. Find happiness where you are, and if you can't, go somewhere else. Why does there have to be anything more?

[Truthatanycost]

I never used to either but to be honest. Almost every single person that says that have never taken the time to truly challenge that belief on all levels...

[Alli39]

@Truthatanycost Challenge the belief that there isn't a higher power? It's not like I've never thought about it, I did grow up Christian after all, but frankly I tend more towards science than religion. I vibe with the multiverse way more than any god most days.

[LazerBean]

Proof that if someone has nothing legitimate to complain about, they will make crap up to complain about.

[Soteris]

Quite frankly, I never really understood this. Having a "meaning to be alive" sounds to me like you just want someone or something else to tell you how you should live your life as opposed to be the one yourself who decides what you are going to do with your own life.

[CreatingWonders]

I think life is pointless, you’re born into an evil world you have to go to school till you’re 16 then leave get a job work till your 68 then die, what’s the point? You’re only working to keep the elites in luxury, without us slaves they’re world would come to an end.

[Dargil]

You select things in life and make them matter. It can be anything from flower arranging to collecting sexy pictures and categorizing them.

[exitseven]

I really haven't figured out the meaning of life either. I just know I will be disappointed if it turns out we are only here to replicate our DNA

[AnusNdaPainus]

Life is meaningless.

Im not saying give up on life

I’m just saying that life is worth losing

[OddBeMe]

Not in of-itself, no. Humans provide meaning. Like pretty much I have hobbies and then my wife. That’s my life’s meaning.

[AngryCarl2]

The meaning of life means being alive. That's what I think.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know, I just hope that one day God will grant my wishes, and one of them would be.. Giving me a truly pure and big heart and peaceful mind

[Rangers]

It's sadly true, life has no meaning or purpose

[chilldude33]

it ain't that deep bro

[msc545]

Sarte and Camus agree with you. No Exit.

[Kingofkings1992]

Yes, I would agree.