The meaning of Life? What is the true meaning of your existence in life? What’s the purpose of having life? I researched many peoples view on life and many of them said life was a beautiful thing, and they’re very happy to live their life. Some said they really don’t know why their living or what they are living for. Some didn’t even care at all because they knew they would eventually meet death soon or later, kind of similar to the character named Meursault in the book “The Stranger” by Albert Camus. When Meursault’s mother passed away he felt apathetic towards her passing. He viewed himself as an outsider to the rest of the world. Meursault argues that the only certain thing in life is the belief of death, and, because all humans will eventually meet death, all lives are all the same and meaningless. Maman died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure. I got a telegram from the home: “Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.” That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday. (Camus1) Meursault didn’t really have a relationship with his mother, so when he found out she was dead he really didn’t know how to react. Meursault then sees himself to be indifferent toward emotion and interaction with others. Instead of being sad like most people would be about the news of their mother dying, Meursault was cold, removed, and indifferent. When he received the telegram, Meursault only concern was figuring out the day
We all sit and wonder what’s the meaning of life. People can research and write novels about the topic, but we will never understand the real meaning until people experience life for themselves-until people feel like they’re experiencing the beauty of life. Every person has their own ideas of their needs, wants, and desires. But people don’t know what their needs, wants, or desires unless they go and discover what they love. Everyone has their own ways to share their views on the meaning of life-everyone is unique. If people walk around a shopping mall and ask each person what they believe the meaning of life is, this topic would receive different answers and views from each person. The answer from many people would be “just to live a happy life,” but is that all people have to say about the meaning of life?
Life, it might be argued, is the distinguishing feature of all organisms and may most usefully be thought of as involving various kinds of complex systems of organization providing individual organisms with the ability to make use of those energy sources available to them for both self maintenance and reproduction. Underlying this deceptively persuasive definition, however, lie those persistent traditional problems inherent in the search for an essential, distinctive substance characteristic of all forms of life. Additionally, as evolution theory makes clear, there is the problem of borderline instances, organisms of which it is not easy to say whether or not they may be defined as being alive. One such case
Camus’s emphasis on time accentuates Meursault’s indifference. This indifference reveals that death occurs inevitably, regardless of time. The first thought that the audience reads, “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: ‘Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.’ That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday,” immediately exhibits that when Maman died does not
What is the meaning of life? According to Chris McCandless living free and not conforming to the natural way of life is the meaning to life, as shown in the book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Similar to Chris McCandless, Ralph Emerson believes that following your dreams and making your own trail is the meaning of life according to his short story “Self-Reliance” by Ralph Emerson. The purpose of man's existence is to avoid conformity and following one's own instincts and ideas.
The exposure of religion usually starts at a young age, or in people's teenage years. When somebody is not exposed at these ages they usually seek it out for themselves or never do. When they know nothing about religion or care nothing about it they usually disregard morals.
Meursault’s Mother had passed away. He heard the news by telegram and he does not display any grief for the loss of his mother. “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: ‘Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.’ That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday,”(3). The reader may mistake the first line as a response from a person who would be shocked from hearing the news that a family member had died; not Meursault. His emotions are vacant and he is careless towards the loss of a loved one. When Meursault arrived to the home he had put his Mother in years prior, there was a vigil the night before the funeral he would attend. “We just sat there like that for quite a while. The woman’s sighs and sobs were
The meaning of life varies based on the viewpoints of an individual. Being Black in America has led me to believe that life is unfair and that the darker you are, the more difficult it is. In the essay, “Letter to My Son,” Ta-Nehisi Coates tells his son that “[p]art of me thinks that your vulnerability brings you closer to the meaning of life, just as for others, the quest to believe oneself white divides them from it.” The meaning of life can be pertained as the significance of one’s existence. From the words of a Black father to his Black son, Coates informs his son that the disadvantages that he faces in life will only push him further to finding out his purpose in life, while White people are privileged and are already offered more opportunities compared to People of Color. Black bodies are always seen as threats and once that mindset is created, Black people always had to prove to others that they do not harbor negative intentions. Black people have also been viewed as inferior, leading people to underestimate them or limit the opportunities given to them. Being Black can be difficult, even having to work twice as hard compared to the average White person. The meaning of life is that it is not always going to be easy, and being Black in a White society further exemplifies that.
The novel initially begins with Meursault receiving a telegram that mentioned his mother’s death. The narrator provided a detailed step-by-step process of what his next plan was after realizing that he now has to go to a funeral the next day. Despite the fact that this was prior to the actual funeral, Meursault was nonetheless apathetic towards his mother’s passing and did not convey any type of common emotions an ordinary individual would present after finding out about a relative’s death. He acted as if he already experienced finding out about the death of his mother since he failed to show any signs of sympathy or interest. The incorporation of this scene
The story begins with “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know” (3). The lines introduce Meursault’s key personality trait, his indifference. He simply states the facts and has little emotional expression when talking about his mother’s passing. At his mother's funeral, he felt others expected him to talk and show emotion and it made him uncomfortable.
What is the meaning of life? Well known Greek philosphers such as Socrates and Plato believed that our purpose in this life was to gain knowledge in preparation for the next life. Other Philosophers such as Epicurus believed that pleasure is the main goal in life. After giving these ideas lots of thought, I have come to my own conclusion that the true meaning of life is far more complex than either of these; far too complex for any human to fully comprehend. In fact these two different philosophies are only part of the grand picture. If it were that easy for men to figure out our lives wouldn't be so messed up now. The meaning of life revolves around many different things. I
All of human life comes down to one thing, the making and breaking of relationships. These relationships are formed in order to feel emotions; love, happiness, sadness, anger, resentment. It is because of these feelings that people are able to form their own consciousness and find a purpose for themselves. Religions such as Christianity find the meaning of life to be forming a relationship with God and when you die, you are judged by your mortal sins and are forever sentenced to heaven or hell. Buddhism tries to find the meaning of life through enlightenment and the preservation of oneself throughout all existence. The meaning of life is at the same time the most discussed,yet taboo thing to talk about. The nature of having a volatile topic that is interpreted differently between people can be difficult, but it is needed in the preservation of the human race.
Life has no meaning if you don't have the urge to wake up the next morning to see the next day. Many people live their lives unhappy since they have no purpose or meaning to fulfill or satisfy their needs. Purpose to me is something to live for and something to look forward to in life. Without purpose and meaning in life there is no point of living at all. Recently in the existentialism unit we’ve been reading, I learned that without a passion to live, one’s life means nothing and is a waste of a soul. Based on the previous books I’ve read, I learned I am happy because I have things to look forward to in life and to wake up the next morning to enjoy the new day. Three elements that give me purpose and meaning in my life are my family, my
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.
Life is actually mesmerizing adventure and actually have no general meaning. Each and every person has their own meaning of life and it is oneself who renders the meaning of one’s life. Life is an opinion. It’s an idea. It begins with the birth of an individual. One day that body will die, but that opinion or idea brought by that individual is immortal. It persists in this world for many years.
Life as we know it could vanish within seconds. The next day is not promised to anyone that walks on this earth. As we live our everyday lives peacefully, we tend not to think what our mission or purpose in life is. Instead, we think what we must do for that to be a “successful” person. Despite this way of thinking, just think for a second. What makes life meaningful? What is life anyway? These questions dive right into the heart of the philosophical, psychological, and the biological aspects of life and what the true meaning of life is. This is a very arguable topic due to every person’s different perspective on life and what it means to them. In summary, I personally think that life is simply what you make of it and each person’s accomplishments has its own merit