Are we truly living for nothing?

[Pointlesslife]

I often wonder this. What's the point of life? Why are we here? Shouldn't there be some type of ultimate goal to work towards. It seems that we're all living for nothing like there's no point to life.

 

[Umbrellaterm]

Yes. It's utterly meaningless and guess who think that's funny?

parents. The gatekeepers of a pointless existence drenched in pain, fear and misery.

 

[Quax]

And the answer is.......................42

 

[HelloHell]

I often wonder the same. life is truly meaningless. we live to finally die in the end, but not before we suffer

 

[SmellyRat]

H.P. Lovecraft said this
"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age."

 

[Spyware]

The more or less objective goal of an individual being's life is reproduction. The goal of life as a whole? There's none. Should there be one? "Goal" is a concept humans came up with. No other animals think about such nonsense

 

[Deleted member 94]

I often wonder this. What's the point of life? Why are we here? Shouldn't there be some type of ultimate goal to work towards. It seems that we're all living for nothing like there's no point to life.

My dad lives for money, my brothers live for money, my sisters in law live for money.

 

[stygal]

I think that life (of any currently existing being) is meaningless...the only thing we as humans are able to do is to give our presence meaning by being able to do things we individually truly enjoy.

 

[Ghost2211]

Much like any other animal or plant the point of existence is the food chain and reproduction. I think life started for no reason, and continues for no reason. I don't think we need a reason or purpose though.

 

[antigone_iris]

I often wonder this. What's the point of life? Why are we here? Shouldn't there be some type of ultimate goal to work towards. It seems that we're all living for nothing like there's no point to life.

This is something that I think about frequently. I believe that we can choose a goal to work towards, or not. It's a choice. I guess it's different for everyone. Some people live for wealth, others for finding a mate, others for a humanitarian goal, others for pleasure, others for adventure and so on... I guess life doesn't really have meaning until we give it one.

 

[ovaltinee99]

I also obsessed with finding the meaning of life. In the end I find that there might be no objective meaning after all - you decide it for yourself.

If I was on a road trip with friends and was having a great time, it doesn't matter what the point of the trip is, if there is a destination, or whether we reach it. If I was really enjoying the view, or say I was with someone who takes my breath away (and feel the same about me), and everyone is truly having fun then I would never want to stop that trip. I think we obsess with finding the meaning of life when the fun stops for us. We are forced to find a reason to keep going and plow through all the pain.

It might be crucial to sit down and think about what makes us happy anymore and try to achieve that. Of course depression makes that terribly hard because a depressed brain may not be capable of feeling pleasure anymore.

 

[Bauhaus]

My purpose of life is to gather knowledge.
And the worst thing about death is that I will never know the future:
Will mankind colonize the universe or will we destroy ourselves ?
Is there a "great unification theory" ?
Will we figure out quantum physics and emergency ?
What causes consciousness and emotions ?
Will we create true A.I. ?
And the one million dollar question: why does Reality exists ? Why is there "something" instead of "nothing" ?
A Reality without conscious beings to oberve and ask questions about all these wonders would be the most pointless, nihilistic view imaginable - not that I say there is a purpose (I don't believe in God).
So I disagree with Lovecraft. I understand what he's saying, but I don't think "ignorance is bliss" is the way to go.

 

[PointlessStruggle]

Always tended towards a religious answer rather than a absurdist or nihilistic one. If not any of those, then I would probably say reproduction

 

[StringPuppet]

That'd be putting it mildly

Plants live for nothing too but they're also not aware of that fact. Our high level of consciousness is what truly makes this world a prison

 

[Aurora]

I only exist cause two demented fools decided to fuck. Some of us are here by accident and not wanting to stay. My whole life I've felt like an unwanted guest at a party. It truly is a pointless existence when you live in constant pain with your health gone to shit.

 

[demuic]

Sadly there is no meaning. We all struggle, but in the end we struggle for nothing. There is no reward that will be granted to us equal to the pain we have endured.. only chains of duty and obligation bog us down.

We were just unlucky enough to gain intelligence and try and seek out meaning beyond biological imperatives.

 

[voyager]

Don't think there's a point to life in an everlasting sense. Sooner or later it all becomes meaningless. But I do believe we can find meaning on a personal level by fulfilling ourselves in whatever form that may be. If we can't do that though for whatever reason we're in serious trouble and suffer an existential crisis, ie ctb.

Having said that, death could be the missing conclusion giving meaning to life in some way. No one knows what's beyond. Not saying there is something, but for the present explaining death is about as hopeless as explaining the universe and existence as such. It might go beyond what is observable.

 

[cyan]

Life's a bitch and then you die.

 

[dropdeadfred]

To experience via a physical existence at the hands of the universe.

 

[Worndown]

I often wonder this. What's the point of life? Why are we here? Shouldn't there be some type of ultimate goal to work towards. It seems that we're all living for nothing like there's no point to life.

In the beginning we just exist. As we age, we give ourselves reasons to live. Some cannot retain those reasons and look for another option.

 

[Superdeterminist]

I'm honestly glad - given that it's possible, and in fact overwhelmingly common to fail at reaching goals in this reality - that there is no ultimate objective goal to life (that we know of). I would only be happy with such a thing if everyone was guaranteed to achieve it, and wanted to achieve it.

 

[Arthaniel]

I often wonder this. What's the point of life? Why are we here? Shouldn't there be some type of ultimate goal to work towards. It seems that we're all living for nothing like there's no point to life.

Everyone has different goals in life. career, love, passion. others don't, something will go wrong and they become homeless but want to continue living. it's very sad. For me than life itself, its quality is more important, if I am to live without anything that was important to me, I prefer not to live at all.

 

[_Kaira_]

I look at it from a scientific perspective.

The 'goal' of most creatures is simply to survive to reproduce. Nothing more, nothing less. Humans are no different than any other animal.

The difference between us and other animals, is that we have developed a higher cognitive level with high amounts of self-awareness. Thousands of years ago, humans didn't have such a high life expectancy. It was an absolute necessity to survive and reproduce as soon and as much as possible. We had lower survival rates, and a lot more dangers to fear. But now, we have gotten to the point were we have not only prospered, but conquered the very earth itself.

So what is left? There's so many of us, and life rates are still at their highest no matter what health complications or accidents that are thrown our way. Illusions of self worth? The thought of what the average person does contributes to anything? However you may see it, there are BILLIONS of people living today. MILLIONS of babies born each day. As life expectancy rises higher and higher...the meaning of living lessens and lessens....

People fill their lives with what they THINK they need (money, love, careers), because ultimately most people actually CAN'T 'live' without it. We all have our own reasons to be depressed/suicidal. But the most common reasons I see (outside of finding life pointless or traumas) is the lack of love/relationships or lack of jobs/money. Really makes you wonder how things could be different if the flaws of today's society were fixed...


EDIT: Perhaps I was overestimating when I said millions of births... but if you go to https://www.worldometers.info/ , the amount of births versus deaths estimated this year alone is crazy!

 

[Hermann]

There's not a real point in life that applies to everone. And because of this, no grand goals will be reached. Some people are just privileged to have some purpose. I tried finding purpose by trying to get a job that is fulfulling for me. But I simply don't get hired. So I should setttle for boring & unfulfilling work, but I can't be bothered. Made the wrong choices. I'm too tired to become succesful in any way. Might as well discard everything and don't start over.

 

[woxihuanni]

It is the lack of family structure that makes people go down that rabbithole.

You know who doesn't have to wonder about that? A couple who can produce science together, stargaze together, take nature trips together, eat together the mind-blowing food the wife lovingly and cheerfully spends hours making every day and who fuck and spoon to sleep.

And you know who destroys that? An idiot called my husband.

 

[Frauw]

Simply you are here to do whatever it is that you wish to do, whether that be good or bad is up to you. You make your own meaning.

 

[Symbiote]

You make it to whatever it is until you feel satisfied. If you're never satisfied and ran out of options, then you either become empty or you CTB. I found love, then heartbreak. I made money, I ended up homeless. I ran marathons, now I sit in the corner. I lived, now I'm looking for a way out. All other options do not apply.

 

[Gromit-CTB]

Used to think there was a point. Not anymore, seems life is endless disappointment.

 

[yetme]

My purpose of life is to gather knowledge.
And the worst thing about death is that I will never know the future:
Will mankind colonize the universe or will we destroy ourselves ?
Is there a "great unification theory" ?
Will we figure out quantum physics and emergency ?
What causes consciousness and emotions ?
Will we create true A.I. ?
And the one million dollar question: why does Reality exists ? Why is there "something" instead of "nothing" ?
A Reality without conscious beings to oberve and ask questions about all these wonders would be the most pointless, nihilistic view imaginable - not that I say there is a purpose (I don't believe in God).
So I disagree with Lovecraft. I understand what he's saying, but I don't think "ignorance is bliss" is the way to go.

Oh man, you nailed it! My greatest regrets in life are that I won't be around for:
Mar landing
AI rising
Techno singularity
Discovering life on exoplanets
Unified theory of everything
Explanation of consciousness

 

[Lilacmoon]

we live to benefit and profit those at the top of society. :)