Discussion Does anyone feel like cbting because they don't see any purpose to life

[helloparty]

I am wondering if anyone else also feels like I do. I try to be optimistic but I always end up thinking what is the point ? One day all of us are gonna die. I don't get it when people say they have a purpose in life and they can't go untill it's fulfilled. If it is to help another human that human is also gonna die so what is really the purpose ? Sorry if the question is vague

 

[Uselessatbest]

I agree. What is the point of living? To suffer and be a slave to the government who will punish us if we do end our lives while innocent lives are taken who want to live. I don't know man. I see no point if you're unhappy and unable to change it only by medicine or people cope by drinking and doing drugs.

 

[RealHumanBean]

How far can our reach even go to affect positive change? One person? One community? Unless you're born into an excess of resources I find that we are not allowed influence beyond a certain point. We're just worker ants and there are millions of us.

 

[esse_est_percipi]

I am wondering if anyone else also feels like I do. I try to be optimistic but I always end up thinking what is the point ? One day all of us are gonna die. I don't get it when people say they have a purpose in life and they can't go untill it's fulfilled. If it is to help another human that human is also gonna die so what is really the purpose ? Sorry if the question is vague

I think people can make up their own small purposes in life, like to succeed at whatever, raise a family etc, but that's different to the question whether there is a general purpose to life.

Maybe it helps being religious, as you already have a pre-packaged purpose, which is doing God's will, obeying his commands to get eternal life in heaven etc for the monotheisms, or e.g. following the eightfold path to eventually liberate yourself from desire and the cycle of death and rebirth for Buddhism.

But if you reject the religions as man-made systems of social/psychological control, it is difficult to see a purpose to life generally, at least with our limited access to whatever reality is.

You could create your own system of values and purposes like Nietzsche said, but this would still be just a subjective artefact, and would only have meaning for the individual as a sort of existential experiment/coping mechanism to an apparently absurd universe/artistic endeavor.

So either there is no purpose to life and there is ultimately no point to anything and the universe may just as well not have existed, or there is some objective purpose to the whole unfolding of life on earth, but this can never be known by anyone, at least not before death.

So, given our state of limited knowledge and relative ignorance, my subjective system of values is simple: just try to be kind (especially to animals) and try not to cause too much suffering for however long you have left in this universe, which I hope is not very long, as the bus is waiting. If there really is no purpose to the whole thing, I won't have lost much in just trying to be kind.

 

[Shinkansen]

there are very few people in the world who have the privilege of living the life they want, rich and powerful people, all the others are nothing but slaves who work to survive and enrich those few privileged people who live the life they want.
the world is divided into slaves and slaveholders, slaves are the largest part of the population.

 

[TheSoundofTime]

I am wondering if anyone else also feels like I do. I try to be optimistic but I always end up thinking what is the point ? One day all of us are gonna die. I don't get it when people say they have a purpose in life and they can't go untill it's fulfilled. If it is to help another human that human is also gonna die so what is really the purpose ? Sorry if the question is vague

If you look from the perspective of death then obviously there is no point. Death renders everything meaningless forever. But if you look at each small thing, you would find a bit of purpose in whatever it would be. For example : friends, family, hobbies, goals in life may bring some fulfilment and purpose of being here although there is none

 

[Silver]

I know what you mean. I feel everything is pointless too. Governmental and societal goals are for everyone to be busy working, creating wealth for others; while workers grow ever poorer. Few chances are given to self-improvement, and actively punished sometimes (looking at you, UK benefits system). So much of our lives revolves around acquiring stuff and everything just seems so trivial and superficial. There's no real point of us living here on Earth. We're just coincidence. we are a parasitic, invasive, cruel species who is cruel to our own species as well as abusing others. We are wrecking the world through climate change because of our own avarice and wilful shortsightedness. No individual can do anything meaningful. Even the collective is isilenced by all-powerful, bribing businesses. The flora and fauna of our planet is doomed along us.

 

[Superdeterminist]

Purposelessness is a problem and it's certainly one source of suffering. Personally I could MAYBE live with feeling a lack of purpose, were there not so much additional suffering on top of that.

 

[sadghost]

Life is in the grand scheme of things quite meaningless - I guess the purpose of life is just to experience it. As a nihilist myself, I think that if we're not enjoying life then since life & death are equally meaningless we should be able to choose either. The negative connotation that has been prescribed to death is unjust imo. Death is inevitable, we are all going to die... so why demonize it?

 

[AllReturnsToNothing]

That's where I'm at. Ultimately there's no purpose to anything so you make it for yourself. However, all of my passions and dreams are unattainable for someone in my position.

 

[Silver]

I'm not sure why 'normal' people want to continue living though, even during hard times? Why they want to continue living, and we do not? (Or feel ambivalent about it)

 

[FrankieVallie]

I will very likely CTB not because I don't have a purpose in my life, but because I don't have my own purpose in life. Sadly, most people never realize that they are not living their life for themselves, but for the benefit of others. Our society will always tell people that they have a purpose in life. However, that purpose is always for the benefit of the others (the people at the top of society) and never for the benefit of the individual. Some might say, "Your purpose in life is to pursue your career and climb the ladder to the top" (this is the most common by far). How the hell does that help you unless you truly enjoy your job? It only benefits the rich and greedy individuals at the top of our society who make their living by exploiting others who are far too motivated to work for them. Others might say, "Your purpose in life is to raise a family". Again, how does this help the individual unless he or she actually wants to raise a family? Of course, more children means more people in the world to exploit and use for one's personal benefit.

For me, my purpose in life has been forced on my by my parents. I must become a rich, famous doctor at the top of society, then marry a Christian woman and have a family. This was decided for me before I was born, and they couldn't care less about what I want to do with my life. I have spent the better part of 8 years fighting as hard as I could to free myself from their purpose for my life, but I have been unsuccessful and therefore am ready to face death. I would rather die than be forced to live my entire life for others.

 

[Wayfaerer]

There objectively isn't any purpose in life. That doesn't mean it isn't worth living on its own, but there are many other good reasons for not.

 

[esse_est_percipi]

I'm not sure why 'normal' people want to continue living though, even during hard times? Why they want to continue living, and we do not? (Or feel ambivalent about it)

Maybe because 'normal' people/most people don't really think very deeply about things. They just go along with the norms and values of their society, fit into the social structures, do as they're told, and this is all sufficient for them to feel 'happy' and fulfilled most of the time.

 

[Dima2]

I could live without purpose if i had a good time ,

problem is with the meaningless suffering

 

[Nymph]

Yeah, I don't think I'll make it big in life since I have no motivation to work just to survive on this shit planet. I don't have a purpose and I never should have been born in the first place. I really hate this fact cause there's people who have terrible illnesses that wish they could go on and then there's people like me who r not sick and want to ctb. I wish I could trade my life with them.

 

[FrankieVallie]

Maybe because 'normal' people/most people don't really think very deeply about things. They just go along with the norms and values of their society, fit into the social structures, do as they're told, and this is all sufficient for them to feel 'happy' and fulfilled most of the time.

Amen to this. They're like sheep following a shepherd.

 

[Thinking]

I feel completely the same way. It's funny because our whole lives we are raised to work towards (essentially) one goal: getting into college and getting a job. Once you have those things, then what? The grand joke of it all is that life is completely meaningless. Every aspect of our society is created by humans who will, inevitably, all go extinct one day.

The point is, things only have meaning if you choose to inject meaning into it. Think of money. It's literally just paper. But because we all agree that it's worth something, money is valuable. Same goes for our existence

 

[FrankieVallie]

Yeah, I don't think I'll make it big in life since I have no motivation to work just to survive on this shit planet. I don't have a purpose and I never should have been born in the first place. I really hate this fact cause there's people who have terrible illnesses that wish they could go on and then there's people like me who r not sick and want to ctb. I wish I could trade my life with them.

I've felt this before as well. It makes me very upset that there are people who have a very strong will to live but die while I am not dead yet and haven't had any will to live for the past 8 years.

 

[Existingnotliving]

I am wondering if anyone else also feels like I do. I try to be optimistic but I always end up thinking what is the point ? One day all of us are gonna die. I don't get it when people say they have a purpose in life and they can't go untill it's fulfilled. If it is to help another human that human is also gonna die so what is really the purpose ? Sorry if the question is vague

I constantly think like this and it sucks and no one sever eems to understand my point when I try to explain it.

 

[helloparty]

I constantly think like this and it sucks and no one sever eems to understand my point when I try to explain it.

I totally understand what you are saying... and the more I try to make them understand my point the more I get told I am pessimistic and I should learn to be more positive in life

I've felt this before as well. It makes me very upset that there are people who have a very strong will to live but die while I am not dead yet and haven't had any will to live for the past 8 years.

Life does feel like a bitch sometimes.. it never gives something to the person that really wants it and hands it to a different person like a piece of cake

 

[Hammer]

I've mentioned this before on a topic about the afterlife and yes if I didn't believe in any form of afterlife I would think life is pointless. Sooner or later humans will go extinct either through man made or natural apocalypse. Or even just become near extinct, eitherway all that everyone has ever done and will do before then has been for nothing.

I personally believe in the Wicca teachings of life after death, essentially when your physical body dies you go to a place they call the Summerlands which is a place of peace and joy to both reconnect with loved ones if they are there and to evaluate your life before being reborn into a new life to learn more and become a better person.

If you think about it like the spirit is one thing, and your physical life now another, your spirit knows all your past lives (if you have any) and with each life you learn new things and how to be a better person. Like if you were someone who hated women and black people in one life your next life may be a black female so you can see it from their view and your spirit becomes better each time. Some believe that once you have perfected yourself you go on to greater realities that right now we simply couldn't comprehend, some believe you join with the gods, some believe you become a teacher or guide of sorts in the Summerlands to people to help new people who die and some believe that some or all of those could be options given to us.

Personnaly I think the idea is beautifull and I'm very glad I believe it.

 

[Leaving Logically]

Life itself is a fluke and inherently pointless. While there are pleasant aspects to it, they are far outweighed by the inherent cruelty and pain.

 

[Final Escape]

Yes I'm just over it :(" life sucks

 

[Harleyyy]

Well scientifically, it is about evolving through reproduction but a greater purpose? I don't know. Being spiritual is great if you would want to like to believe that you are part of something greater than yourself but then again life hits hard and you're back to hopelessness. i am religious too tbh and i like to hear all these stories about the religion and to an extent i do find peace in meditations and chants but overall? Not enough to make me Want to live. I don't believe that i will get punished for ending myself, I didn't ask for pain did i? Neither did i ask to be born. So i think it's alright if i want to quit. I do believe that there is energy in us and not every thing is chemical but I cannot be bothered enough to think about what will happen after i leave here, got enough on my mind right now.

 

[Bruces]

Yeah I have no purpose now

 

[FohPah]

You know the feeling when you're sitting and waiting for something, and it was only supposed to take a few minutes, but it's been over an hour, and no one can tell you how much longer it will be?

There's something uniquely unfun about that particular experience. It's not painful per se, and yet the time crawls and you can't wait for it to be over. There's no rational reason to feel bored and restless, and yet that's how that situation feels. For me, that's how life feels.

I wish I were content just to exist. There's no reason why sleeping and breathing and eating shouldn't be enjoyable. If I could make myself enjoy it, I would. But it's like wishing I enjoyed kale -- no matter how many different ways I try it, my taste just doesn't change.

It's not the lack of purpose per se that makes me want to die. There's nothing wrong with a purposeless existence. The boredom and restlessness are the problem. A sense of purpose would simply be one way to distract myself from those feelings. Since I don't have that, the feelings are harder to avoid.

 

[wanttodie]

Yeah I have no purpose in life

 

[alexit]

I am wondering if anyone else also feels like I do. I try to be optimistic but I always end up thinking what is the point ? One day all of us are gonna die. I don't get it when people say they have a purpose in life and they can't go untill it's fulfilled. If it is to help another human that human is also gonna die so what is really the purpose ? Sorry if the question is vague

I don't know if it's lack of purpose but I'm just not impressed.

 

[FrankieVallie]

You know the feeling when you're sitting and waiting for something, and it was only supposed to take a few minutes, but it's been over an hour, and no one can tell you how much longer it will be?

There's something uniquely unfun about that particular experience. It's not painful per se, and yet the time crawls and you can't wait for it to be over. There's no rational reason to feel bored and restless, and yet that's how that situation feels. For me, that's how life feels.

I wish I were content just to exist. There's no reason why sleeping and breathing and eating shouldn't be enjoyable. If I could make myself enjoy it, I would. But it's like wishing I enjoyed kale -- no matter how many different ways I try it, my taste just doesn't change.

It's not the lack of purpose per se that makes me want to die. There's nothing wrong with a purposeless existence. The boredom and restlessness are the problem. A sense of purpose would simply be one way to distract myself from those feelings. Since I don't have that, the feelings are harder to avoid.

Great post. My favorite description of the lifelong depression I've faced (caused by my circumstances) is "waiting for something that's never going to happen". My entire life, I feel like I've been waiting for the point where all my suffering finally pays off and my life starts to improve. Unfortunately, I've learned that there is no such point. We do not become happier as life goes on; we simply become more numb to the pain and find better ways of distracting ourselves from it.