Is there a meaning to our existence?

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I think the question: "What does it mean to exist?" needs answering before we can talk about the meaning of existence.

If 'to exist' means that we are having this life experience then a meaning for it could be to learn about the universe or to learn about the passing of time. Maybe after this life experience we will know what we have learned. But if our life experience is just a by product of being evolved then its meaning is simply to aid survival of our physical bodies.

our purpose down here is to build spiritual muscle by pondering these things.

What if the answer is no? Do you feel that would make your existence (or my existence) somehow not worth it?

Does everything have to have a purpose?

If you want it to.

If not, that works too.

This is the meaning of life! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gyh5U19HXZc[/youtube]

It only makes sense to ask "What is the meaning of life?" if we believe that life was created for a reason. If life simply evolved on Earth by accident, if we just happen to be here, then life cannot have any meaning. Life can only have meaning if it was created for a purpose. If there is no Creator, then there can be no meaning of life.

Probably not, hence the reason humans are so desperate to find our 'purpose.' you can choose your purpose but its not like there is some 'purpose.' for humanity unless of course we're just some experiment ran by some more highly advanced alien race, that's a possibility to.

I think everyone should find their own meaning.

There is no meaning to existence, other than what each of us decided for him- or her-self.

Even then, the meaning is imaginary, in that it exists solely in the person's mind.

Accepting non-meaning is the path to serenity.


(Edited to fix a "their/there" error.)

Last edited by Fnord on 24 Feb 2013, 4:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.

To provide a myriad of beings with food from our decomposing bodies.
Please,no embalming fluid.

Although the Lebowski nihilists are parody characters who keep saying "we believe in nothing", quite a few responses in this thread are a bit nihilistic in the sense that their is no objective meaning of life, only a subjective one.

To some.

That's because it's true by default. There's no evidence for objective meaning of life.

Unless you are of the type that would except largely apocryphal accounts of dubious origin that have been passed down since before the Bronze Age for thousands of years by ignorant and illiterate nomadic tribesmen until one of them finally began writing it all down sometime around 370 B.C., and that others have embellished upon ever since.

Believing in myths allows the comfort of having an opinion without the discomfort of having to think.

Or you could believe that an omnipresent being still acts in the world indirectly. And it matters more the teacher or the message and his words rather than the exact sources. The message is pretty much all to do with self-love vs. loving Big Juju and loving others. I'm not to big on the whole Little Juju came down and sacrificed himself, but I will go with it, what the heck.

The world does seem pretty pointless to me otherwise.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU4zW0_ejlc[/youtube] If god is real he is a horrible person since 90% of our lifetime is pain and suffering while only 10% of it is fun, joy, and happiness!