A lot of atheists maintain that we create our own meaning. Famous people such as Neil Degrass Tyson and Richard Dawkins have said as much, but for someone prone to existential crisis I'm not sure that helps.
When people ask what the meaning of life is, they are usually asking an objective value based question. Phrased better: what is the meaning of life, ultimately? But, there are no good answers to metaphysical value based questions. Look at some other value based questions. Why is there something rather than nothing? Why do people have to die? Why does everything change? Why do people and animals suffer? There just simply aren't answers to these questions.
At this point, a theist usually balks. These, to them, are important questions requiring
What is the meaning of life? This has been a topic that has been greatly debated and discussed for as long as anyone can remember. Many people believe that happiness is the key to life and living a good life. Although achieving happiness can be difficult and it is another topic that no one really has a clear definition of and no one knows how to truly acquire it and can actually differ from person to person. John Steinbeck actually asks a question about happiness and in the story Cannery Row by John Steinbeck there are many different characters who… seem to have quirky personalities. While these characters do seem to live a tough life and don’t seem to have very much as far as money they are actually happy and content with their lives.
The meaning of life is to find the meaning of life. Is it not? We all go through each day trying to figure out which road out the infinite amount of paths will lead us in a better direction where happiness is prominent and society is flawless. However, not every single human being is going to fit on that narrow, one-lane highway to success. Bad choices, accidents, fate, family matters, society, temptation, anger, rage, addiction, and loss of hope can all be deciding factors in opting to choose that wrong path to self-destruction. The adverse thing is, once you've traveled so far down the road, you get so discouraged that you feel like you can never turn back or make up for the "lost time."
The value of life is about the experiences people go through, the goals that someone makes for themselves, and the people you meet along the way. The question, “What is the meaning of life?” has been asked for as long as humans have been alive and there is no definitive answer as to what the value of life is. People have argued that value comes from how much money one earns, but everyone’s life is different and the goals that they have achieved and the memories and experiences being made during life appears to be way more valuable than money could ever be.
Most people have a hard time figuring out how they find meaning in life. Do we look beyond life to find fulfillment, or do we look within life to find its meaning? Society suggests that we are supposed to grow up and discover what is considered to be our purpose in life and what ways it can be found. Some people believe that the meaning in life is only found through God. They believe that nothing in life is meaningful, only what happens in the afterlife is what really matters. Other people, like myself, look within life to find its meaning.
Even I have been guilty of this idea of what the meaning of my existence is supposed to
Many people walk around not worry about whether or not life has any objective meaning, at least most of the time, and when they do think on the topic of the meaning of life, they seem assured that there is some objective meaning. For many, this objective meaning lies in their religion. The notion that God creates the meaning in life does make some sense. For if God created humans, it is reasonable that he created them with intention and purpose. Now this might not be the purpose people want to have, but it is purpose for them none the less. It is from this God given purpose that people can derive their meaning. For those without religion, well, there is always subjective meaning. There is family. There is the future of the human race. In short,
If you ask people what the meaning of life is, they will most likely answer: happiness. But what is the definition of happiness? Is it to be rich and be able to afford anything you desire or to find the love of your life and live happily ever after? For some people, a good life, might be to be fit and have a healthy lifestyle. To be honest I'm centain that the majority of people would be pleased if they could have a combination of all the aspects of a good life. One thing I'm quite positive about is that the definition of a good life changes depending on what stage you are in in your life.
How does one find the meaning of life? There is no map with an X that marks the spot where life’s meaning is discovered. It takes a journey to truly discover it. As they say, it’s not about the destination it’s about the journey. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet uncovers the purpose of life through his journey of avenging his father’s death. Hamlet’s compulsive thoughts toward vengeance cloud his mind from rational decisions. His mind is clouded with suicidal thoughts which make him perceive death as the purpose of life.
In Modern science it states that Scientist have told us the existence, which emerged from a random interplay of chemicals and gases does have meaning, but it’s of a rather bleak, restlessness, and narrow sort: for humans and other living things, the meaning of life is Survival and the propagation of genetic materials made to survive. ( The Meaning of Life.n.d.).
Let’s skip unnecessary, fluffy language for a moment and delve straight into (what I believe is) the “answer.” It’s arduous and seemingly impossible to grasp what the meaning of existence is because the question itself lacks a solidified foundation of authority. Why is it so important? Because we choose it, or at the very least, choose to assign it to our lives. Meaning is why our species has continued to thrive as long as it has. It yields a divine momentum and a rationalization to keep moving forward: intellectually, physically, and sometimes spiritually. We are creatures with an unbound sense for curiosity, reason, and connecting with those infinite pieces of the universe. Perhaps that is what separates us from other animals; a
My few years on this planet have been a bit confusing. I have learned of many aspects of life from which one can draw meaning, if indeed such meaning can be drawn. I have also learned that there can be no singular meaning of life to stand for us all, or even any one of us. What I have learned above all is that trying to put words to the meaning of life is a task of absolute absurdity. This is not to be confused with the idea that life has no meaning, for life certainly has meaning. However, there is no single meaning of life to be defined - life is different for us all. Therefore, rather than define life for an entire planet, I shall try to explain what life means as I perceive it, and why it means so.
The Meaning of Life, our very reason of existence, something that all of us have tried to obtain but very few have ever claimed to achieve, our purpose, our meaning. Perhaps it’s our ambition that blinds us, our selfishness that holds us back. Maybe we all know the path to the true meaning of life, but have never decided that we should follow it. At all points in our lives, we are given the option to follow the path, but all we can do i think about ourselves when in fact, we should be doing the opposite. I believe that to find our true meaning in life, we must live a life of happiness and peace with one another as a community and to live past death.
The complex idea of the meaning of life came to be first through the Hindu teachings. The four main purposes of life are Dharma meaning to act virtuously and righteously. Artha means the prosperity and successfulness in one’s life. Kama being the concept of whatever action a person makes, they will receive the same back. Moksha is the proceeding of a spirit into another being according to their past life.
“What is the meaning of life?” This a question that we hear quite often. Many people search their entire lives looking for the answer. It is a question that has stumped philosophers, humbled the wise, and opened the imagination of our youth. On the contrary, a question that we don’t hear as often would be, “what is the meaning of death?”. In order to answer this, we have to notice the fact that life and death are two separate things that work cohesively in two ways. The first is that one’s life is what will make their death so meaningful. We also see the opposite of this, where one’s death is what makes their life so meaningful. This is seen when looking at Jesus’ life and death in the book of Mark. Contrary to the believe that death is
What is the purpose of life? A question many people struggle with. A kind of question asked, not expecting an answer. I have the answer to every problem, the purpose of life is to serve and love others as Jesus Christ did.