Discussion asking people why they live

[ge0rge]

this could probably fit best elsewhere, but it doesn't feel like off topic material either.

in advance, I apologize if anything I write here is grimdark nihilistic edgy vomit, I do my best to avoid that tone since it often gives me colorectal cancer reading the novels' worth of edge on this forum.

ever since I became confronted with my (more or less impending) mortality, and having been CTBish for quite a while now, I've been feeling the need to ask people what their purpose is in living. the phrasing is a bit shit, since any talk of 'purpose' goes in either of two regrettable directions: religious, dogmatic nonsense or adolescent pessimism, but you know what I mean.

I've found a lot of them are simply alive in order to not be dead. the thought that living in and of itself isn't inherently good isn't something they contemplate much. obviously, they may have love and joy and passion in their lives, but their choice to live is pretty much passive. it's not an active and willful celebration of life and its possibilities (although it may well be, to an extent) , it's more of a quiet acceptance that the devil they know is better than the devil they don't. maybe going through a bout of ideation in order to more radically evaluate life and death isn't the way to go, but so much of their reasoning would fall to shit if they actually investigated it.

it's not that people should be Robin Williams in Dead Poets' Society, but so much of what they do, so much of how they live their lives, goes unquestioned. and for what it's worth, I don't think people would suddenly kill themselves in droves if they started investigating whether living is inherently good.

does anyone have thoughts on this matter?

 

[Ginnn]

I have come to the conclusion that no one knows what they're doing with their life. People go on living because they are afraid of death. They continue to live and have children because others do that. There is no real reason for humanity to exist. People just take the satisfaction of doing things and don't question anything. That's it, everybody was born yesterday

 

[catflowers]

this could probably fit best elsewhere, but it doesn't feel like off topic material either.

in advance, I apologize if anything I write here is grimdark nihilistic edgy vomit, I do my best to avoid that tone since it often gives me colorectal cancer reading the novels' worth of edge on this forum.

ever since I became confronted with my (more or less impending) mortality, and having been CTBish for quite a while now, I've been feeling the need to ask people what their purpose is in living. the phrasing is a bit shit, since any talk of 'purpose' goes in either of two regrettable directions: religious, dogmatic nonsense or adolescent pessimism, but you know what I mean.

I've found a lot of them are simply alive in order to not be dead. the thought that living in and of itself isn't inherently good isn't something they contemplate much. obviously, they may have love and joy and passion in their lives, but their choice to live is pretty much passive. it's not an active and willful celebration of life and its possibilities (although it may well be, to an extent) , it's more of a quiet acceptance that the devil they know is better than the devil they don't. maybe going through a bout of ideation in order to more radically evaluate life and death isn't the way to go, but so much of their reasoning would fall to shit if they actually investigated it.

it's not that people should be Robin Williams in Dead Poets' Society, but so much of what they do, so much of how they live their lives, goes unquestioned. and for what it's worth, I don't think people would suddenly kill themselves in droves if they started investigating whether living is inherently good.

does anyone have thoughts on this matter?

religion does not matter the only true way i will ever be happy is sn

 

[ge0rge]

religion does not matter the only true way i will ever be happy is sn

big same though

 

[catflowers]

big same though

I hate to say this but at some point i did the math and crunched numbers it's not that i cannot just that people would give a fuck about me

 

[Forever Sleep]

I think it has a lot to do with whether you are depressed or not. My Dad doesn't really enjoy discussing dark subject matter or questioning everything because he is too busy living- whether that be trying to enjoy life or trying to overcome problems. He has felt suicidal I believe- my Mum died which screwed up both our lives. He has always felt the responsibility to carry on for his family though and I suppose I have too- in that I feel like I need to wait for him to go before I seriously consider ctb.

I don't think it's always necessarily a goal or purpose that keeps people living- although it can help- a creative career has always been my wobbly crutch to get through. I think that likely the 'normies' do actually see life as worthwhile overall. No one really gets through life unscathed but maybe they have loving and supportive family members, a fulfilling career, hobbies they love.

I think the problem with depression- which I imagine most suicidal people have is that they simply don't enjoy or see value in anything anymore. So it makes a kind of sense that nothing is worth living for.

 

[ge0rge]

sometimes value can be seen and pleasure felt, but the overwhelming quality of the depression outweighs it all

 

[Nolife62]

Me personally, when you lose purpose, are no longer needed and due to health you no longer have the drive or ability, then it's time to go... I have what I need except for the nerve

 

[SexyIncél]

I agree, so many of our species passively suffer through life.. or determinedly grasp at the next minimal rung society offers them

The exceptions are illuminating, I think

Some exceptions enjoy life because they get to play. The beautiful essay "What's the Point if We Can't Have Fun?" explains this

Some other exceptions embed themselves in loving groups that help regulate their emotions & needs… but also had enough care that they can enjoy being alone with their imaginations for many hours

 

[ge0rge]

Some exceptions enjoy life because they get to play. The beautiful essay "What's the Point if We Can't Have Fun?" explains this

can't wait to read that, I love that publication!

 

[Tiberius85]

Manny seek - often in vain - for a deeper sense and grander purpose to their life. Me included. I have been thinking about the meaning of life often and ask the same question as you to people, to hear what their answer to the question is, curious to hear what source people generate meaning and purpose from.

My somewhat blunt, perhaps grim, unimaginative and possibly disappointing answer to the question is: there is no deeper sense to (human) life. The only purpose is actually a biological one. Procreating. Ensuring survival of the species. Ensuring our genes are passed on to the next generation. Humans are animals and in that regard no different to the animal world. That's what life is all about. Literally, the circle of life.

With that in mind: if there is no deeper sense to life for animals, then there is no deeper sense to human life either - unless one follows a particular religion or philosophical school. Those may provide for the feeling of a spiritual or moral meaning beyond the biological purpose of life. It's a superficial meaning, though. It's not real. There is no god, no devil, no afterlife. Humans, like all animals, are born to die. And in between have only one job: procreate.

Hence, your excellent observation of 'them' being "simply alive in order to not be dead" is as deep a purpose to life as can be. Because: not dying means survival, means the chance to either procreate, rear the offspring or help the family in whatever way possible to survive.

Reality is that humanity is so far removed from its actual "human nature" these days, in pretty much everything we do. We aren't living in accordance with human nature and neither nature itself. That's not a (moral) judgement. That's simply the way human life has developed. I firmly include myself in this assessment. I have no partner and no kids, and never will. My life is completely pointless. In fact, I am responsible for the genes of my family dying out. A complete failure of fulfilling the one and only purpose in life.

On a side note: I wouldn't really worry or think too much about what others - "they" - do or don't, how they live their life or don't reflect at all on deeper questions. It doesn't matter. None of what we do matters in the slightest, certainly not in the grand scheme of things. The universe existed without humanity and will do so once humanity has inevitably ceased to exist. Seeing it that way means ultimately there is no purpose to anything.

 

[Fadeawaaaay]

I wanted to live a rich and meaningful life with friendship love family and amazing experiences… But lost the wind in my sails…

 

[Pluto]

A lot of people keep busy to avoid asking this sort of question. There's also an unspoken consensus that we must censor discussions that might unravel the fragile fabric of people's world-views. People are forever chasing the next thing, never noticing that they never actually make it.

The few enlightened religious perspectives attempt to offer genuine solutions to the underlying tragedy of the human condition, though this risks leading to yet another future hope to chase endlessly through the darkness.

 

[Euthanza]

Because my parents had sex and they decided to keep me. I should have already dead 17 years ago. I have no purpose in life, nothing's really matter in my existence now but I have few money works to be resolved (luckily in fucked up way, it's not child things with a lifetime responsibility but for my partner). In the meaning time I feel like I also want to spread the word L.O.V.E -Legalization Of Voluntary Euthanasia, which will not happen where I live during my lifetime but that's okay too because then it only means I carry my own pathetic life to turn into a peaceful suicide.