I don't understand when people say that life is worth living. What is so special about it?

[Darkover]

People often have the idiotic idea that their lives actually matter, this is the first and often the hardest hurdle to cross in life. The grimacing and cold hard truth of reality is that our lives on this evil planet do not count for much. Only when we acknowledge that our lives are of no greater purpose can we humbly accept our mortality So we can (on accepted the truth) take great solace in the fact that we are simply moving aimlessly through time, and nothing we do will have lasting effect and is of no great consequence.

To put it simply, life has no design, no purpose, no evil no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference! So these people that constantly try to convince others life has meaning are just deluded or are in denial. Many people refuse to accept that which is put Infront of them, I see it clearly. That is the great benefit of existential nihilism, it allows you to see the truth.

we are just stupid machines in even stupider environment

The total amount of suffering per year in the natural world is beyond all decent contemplation. During the minute that it takes me to compose this sentence, thousands of animals are being eaten alive, many others are running for their lives, whimpering with fear, others are slowly being devoured from within by rasping parasites, thousands of all kinds are dying of starvation, thirst, and disease. It must be so. If there ever is a time of plenty, this very fact will automatically lead to an increase in the population until the natural state of starvation and misery is restored. In a universe of electrons and selfish genes, blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won't find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference

 

[tiger b]

Nah.

Not in what you say but how you say it.

Anyone who proclaims they have 'the truth'...well, if they did, they wouldn't be so intent on preaching. Maybe you're trying to convince yourself more than anyone else. Fair enough.

You're welcome to your opinions, of course. And any superiority you might or might not get from it. If you're venting ok...just stick vent on it if a debate wasn't your intention. Respect.

 

[edu0z]

People often have the idiotic idea that their lives actually matter, this is the first and often the hardest hurdle to cross in life. The grimacing and cold hard truth of reality is that our lives on this evil planet do not count for much. Only when we acknowledge that our lives are of no greater purpose can we humbly accept our mortality So we can (on accepted the truth) take great solace in the fact that we are simply moving aimlessly through time, and nothing we do will have lasting effect and is of no great consequence.

To put it simply, life has no design, no purpose, no evil no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference! So these people that constantly try to convince others life has meaning are just deluded or are in denial. Many people refuse to accept that which is put Infront of them, I see it clearly. That is the great benefit of existential nihilism, it allows you to see the truth.

we are just stupid machines in even stupider environment

I dont care... i wanna live

 

[tiger b]

I dont care... i wanna live

'People often have the idiotic idea that their lives actually matter'.

People have the freedom to choose this. Or not.

 

[hellispink]

It is humans who make this experience a living hell. Not the world, not life itself. Life is just something that happened biologically, see it as a journey. However, if that journey is pleasant it depends on society. And society is rotten, humans have no limits whatsoever humans are the truth definition of evil and selfishness. If humans were kinder , then this experience wouldn't be as bad and i would accept their statement. But humans society is what it is and wont ever change, i say they are in delusional denial. They conforming to a life full of shit just because they fear being "dead" even though dead doesnt even exist after we pass away its just a name of the process of discomposing. There is no status such as "dead". They just cant accept the fact they dont exist. Humans tend to want to he the center of everything, knowing they dont exist and they not important hurts their ego so they stay around here to fake their existence matters

 

[FuneralCry]

Those who worship this futile and cruel existence really come across as the most delusional ones to me. All that existence is, is just meaningless and undesirable suffering, it's such a horrific tragedy how life even exists at all causing so much harm as a result. In my case I've only ever wished for the eternity of non-existence.

 

[edu0z]

'People often have the idiotic idea that their lives actually matter'.

People have the freedom to choose this. Or not.

I think the same as you... maybe he is trying to convince himself that his life is unimportant in order to fight the frustration of things he knows he could do(or need to) but doesn't want to do... or maybe the frustration of things he wants to do and cannot do for some reason... everyone's life is complex, and the machine we have in our heads is even more complex, anyone who thinks they are a 100% rational being is doing nothing more than rationalizing an emotion.

 

[DEATH IS FREEDOM]

The survival instinct forces people to live meaningless lives. We are all slaves under our creator - or life was created out of nothing. People who are forced to work and make a living do not have much time to think about the meaning of life. But their behavior is probably mostly due to stupidity. Humans keep getting dumber and dumber.

Inc.com: We are all getting dumber, new science proves

 

[sserafim]

I don't understand this either. Maybe it's because they're scared of death, and think that this is their only life. My mom recently told me "you only live once". The main factor I think is fear of death and unwillingness to accept their own mortality. Another factor is people's need to feel special due to hubris, and their need to achieve things to feel good about themselves. We also live in a capitalist society which encourages these things. People also believe that life is a "gift" and that you should be "grateful" to be alive.

Btw, what if this planet is intentionally designed to be evil? The fact that animals are getting eaten alive in nature makes me think that this planet was designed to be as hellish as possible. There are predators and there are also prey. It's the same in human society, but with oppressors and the oppressed. Most people are oppressed and forced to be wageslaves of capitalism for 50 or so years, and have to pay for the various costs of existence. I don't see how anyone could find life on this planet fulfilling or meaningful. I think that hell doesn't exist and rather is this planet.

 

[Spiritual survivor]

Have u ever enjoyed some really tasty food? Enjoyed the comfort of a pet and how adorable animal friends can be? Or u might enjoy being around small children, and getting joy out of making them laugh or playing with them? Have u ever had amazing sex with someone? Did u ever do something that helped someone else, and u felt that feeling that u did a good deed? Have u ever taken a road trip across the country and saw all the beautiful countryside? I think it's easy to miss that these are some things that can make life worth living. It will look different for different people depending on your preferences.

 

[Abandoned Character]

I like your words, you touched on some salient points that I often find myself contemplating. I will say, you do not seem interested in understanding what you do not understand (I suppose your question may be purely rhetorical, in which case I apologize for writing this up if you dont want this kind of response). You admit that there is no good and evil, yet you call this earth "evil," so which is it? This earth is evil and not worth living on, or the universe imposes nothing on its constituents and they are free to create their own meaning?

Would life really be worth living if we did have some grand purpose that we were all meant to serve? It sounds nice to have something "obvious" to look towards, but it also sounds exhausting.

Life can be worthwhile to some and not to others, and that is okay. Such is the beauty of the pro-choice philosophy.

Speaking literally, life is special. We have yet to find life anywhere outside the bounds of the giant rock we exist on today. I think that is pretty insane. I would find suicide a lot more appealing if my existence was identical to everything else in the universe, but that's just not the case. Human beings especially are incredibly complex and interesting.

What makes life worth living? Any answer is sufficient, if spoken honestly. What is there to not understand?

 

[R_N]

What we say as humans is mostly complete crap.

 

[sserafim]

I like your words, you touched on some salient points that I often find myself contemplating. I will say, you do not seem interested in understanding what you do not understand (I suppose your question may be purely rhetorical, in which case I apologize for writing this up if you dont want this kind of response). You admit that there is no good and evil, yet you call this earth "evil," so which is it? This earth is evil and not worth living on, or the universe imposes nothing on its constituents and they are free to create their own meaning?

Would life really be worth living if we did have some grand purpose that we were all meant to serve? It sounds nice to have something "obvious" to look towards, but it also sounds exhausting.

Life can be worthwhile to some and not to others, and that is okay. Such is the beauty of the pro-choice philosophy.

Speaking literally, life is special. We have yet to find life anywhere outside the bounds of the giant rock we exist on today. I think that is pretty insane. I would find suicide a lot more appealing if my existence was identical to everything else in the universe, but that's just not the case. Human beings especially are incredibly complex and interesting.

What makes life worth living? Any answer is sufficient, if spoken honestly. What is there to not understand?

Doesn't this make life an anomaly though? Out of all of the billions of planets in our universe, why is ours the only one with life? Doesn't this make life an accident or a mistake? If life was so "good", why wouldn't more planets have it?

 

[Abandoned Character]

Doesn't this make life an anomaly though? Out of all of the billions of planets in our universe, why is ours the only one with life? Doesn't this make life an accident or a mistake? If life was so "good", why wouldn't more planets have it?

Following this reasoning, if winning the lottery is "good," why doesn't everyone win? I do like the word anomaly, as it is more neutral than special. Wouldn't the calim that we are an 'accident' or 'mistake' imply a creator? There is no intention behind our creation, I believe, at least not in the way we understand intent. As you say, we are a statistical anomaly. You can roll a billion fair dice at the same time and eventually get a billion ones, given enough trials. Are snake eyes a mistake?

 

[sserafim]

Following this reasoning, if winning the lottery is "good," why doesn't everyone win? I do like the word anomaly, as it is more neutral than special. Wouldn't the calim that we are an 'accident' or 'mistake' imply a creator? There is no intention behind our creation, I believe, at least not in the way we understand intent. As you say, we are a statistical anomaly. You can roll a billion fair dice at the same time and eventually get a billion ones, given enough trials. Are snake eyes a mistake?

I'm just saying that there's no reason for life or why our planet has it. Personally I think life was a spontaneous reaction that occurred accidentally.

 

[tiger b]

Doesn't this make life an anomaly though? Out of all of the billions of planets in our universe, why is ours the only one with life? Doesn't this make life an accident or a mistake? If life was so "good", why wouldn't more planets have it?

Billions?

There are ~10 to the power of 25 planets that orbit stars, with some 10 to the power of 26 -10 to the power of 30 additional starless planets. That's only in the observable universe.

So billions is a bit of an understatement

As a famous writer once wrote famously: "Space is big".

Saying ours is the only one with life is quite an assertion. Of course, accidents don't have to happen just once. My lineage is living proof of that

 

[sserafim]

Billions?

There are ~10 to the power of 25 planets that orbit stars, with some 10 to the power of 26 -10 to the power of 30 additional starless planets. That's only in the observable universe.

So billions is a bit of an understatement

As a famous writer once wrote famously: "Space is big".

Saying ours is the only one with life is quite an assertion. Of course, accidents don't have to happen just once.

I meant billions of universes and known life or intelligent life. Personally I believe in the possibility of intelligent extraterrestrial life, but I'm not sure. If there are aliens, why haven't they contacted us already?

 

[tiger b]

See 'Space is big', above.

If you can accurately contemplate the vastness...you are the finest mind on Earth.

I reckon Sagittarius A is about 22K light years away from us, give or take. That's only to the centre of our own galaxy. And in the context of the universe, that's like a bunny hop on a first driving lesson.

 

[R_N]

Billions?

There are ~10 to the power of 25 planets that orbit stars, with some 10 to the power of 26 -10 to the power of 30 additional starless planets. That's only in the observable universe.

So billions is a bit of an understatement

As a famous writer once wrote famously: "Space is big".

Saying ours is the only one with life is quite an assertion. Of course, accidents don't have to happen just once. My lineage is living proof of that

Saying something exists is also quite an assertion with 0 proof.

I am not saying it doesn't or that it does. I am just saying we don't know. Only thing I can say for sure is that humans know nothing and always end up creating fantasies in their heads that are just pure speculations.

And by this I didn't mean to offend btw, this is just how I feel about everything.

 

[tiger b]

I think that's a healthy attitude. I'm just looking at the numbers...but I only know two things, and one of them involves tea bags!

It is what it is, regardless of what anyone thinks.

 

[sanlcx]

Doesn't matter that life is meaningless. Life can be good and enjoyable for a lot of people, and if that's you, great, keep living. But for those who don't want it anymore for whatever reason and want out i don't see what the problem is.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I've known people who loved life. They didn't try to force that opinion on others. It was just something that came across. They didn't have all together easy lives either, experiencing beareavement, ill health, family troubles but regardless of that, they still put a lot of value and gratitide into what and who they had around them. They loved their friends and they were incredibly generous. They have both died now. I actually spent most of today remembering them and thinking- probably most of my happiest times were with them.

You can think of people like them as delluded if you like but ultimately- you're talking about their emotional reaction to life. They happen to have a positive reaction to life. They may continue with that their entire life- no matter what beffells them. Ultimately- they lived a happier, more restful life than most of us here I imagine! I don't see how their outlook on life was detrimental to them. Quite the reverse actually. Still- I think we are what we are.

I guess I can understand being on the attack when these people are saying our mindset is delluded. I agree- then, it's fair enough I think to say- just take a look at the world around you! Still- if people are minding their own business just getting on with their lives, I reckon just respect their point of view.

Honestly speaking- if the awful shit that messed up your life (and I'm so sorry for that) hadn't happened- do you not think you'd experience and see life differently? Surely, most of us would be different if certain things had or hadn't happened.

Plus, unless you can do something with a nihilistic attitude, I don't see it as so beneficial. In fact- the nihilists on here are in torment all the time! Fine if it spurs you on to reducing the suffering in this world but I don't think it really does. Nihilists just seem to go round and around in cycles of depression stuck with the same frustrations, no answers and no way to distract themselves. I certainly have some nihilistic ideas but honestly- I'm relieved I'm not entirely nihilistic. It looks exhausting to me!

 

[disgustingmale]

So what if it is meaningless? The meaninglessness of life is meaningless in itself.

 

[sserafim]

People often have the idiotic idea that their lives actually matter, this is the first and often the hardest hurdle to cross in life. The grimacing and cold hard truth of reality is that our lives on this evil planet do not count for much. Only when we acknowledge that our lives are of no greater purpose can we humbly accept our mortality So we can (on accepted the truth) take great solace in the fact that we are simply moving aimlessly through time, and nothing we do will have lasting effect and is of no great consequence.

To put it simply, life has no design, no purpose, no evil no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference! So these people that constantly try to convince others life has meaning are just deluded or are in denial. Many people refuse to accept that which is put Infront of them, I see it clearly. That is the great benefit of existential nihilism, it allows you to see the truth.

we are just stupid machines in even stupider environment

The total amount of suffering per year in the natural world is beyond all decent contemplation. During the minute that it takes me to compose this sentence, thousands of animals are being eaten alive, many others are running for their lives, whimpering with fear, others are slowly being devoured from within by rasping parasites, thousands of all kinds are dying of starvation, thirst, and disease. It must be so. If there ever is a time of plenty, this very fact will automatically lead to an increase in the population until the natural state of starvation and misery is restored. In a universe of electrons and selfish genes, blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won't find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference

Don't forget the animals being farmed by humans and raised for slaughter…

 

[jackrussell]

life only had meaning when i was a kid . life was then enjoyable.

 

[sserafim]

life only had meaning when i was a kid . life was then enjoyable.

Same

 

[ijustwishtodie]

life only had meaning when i was a kid . life was then enjoyable.

I really wish I could say the same about my life as a kid but mine wasn't enjoyable at all

 

[starlightsun]

During the minute that it takes me to compose this sentence, thousands of animals are being eaten alive, many others are running for their lives, whimpering with fear, others are slowly being devoured from within by rasping parasites, thousands of all kinds are dying of starvation, thirst, and disease.

I think this all the time when I look outside. People say "oh the natural world is so beautiful" and it is, but it's mostly horrifying. I mean just imagine for a minute what it would be like to be trapped in the body of an earthworm. Constantly out in the elements trying to survive each day. Pursued by things that want to eat you. Instinct forcing you to propagating more sentient beings, continuing the suffering. The evidence is plain in front of us but we've been taught to romanticize/not see things as they really are, "oh isn't nature beautiful" (yeah, for the ones only observing it).

I've kind of realised that I wish I was still "deluded" into thinking my life had meaning because it would give me a chance at being happy. It being hard to see any meaning just fuels my desire to ctb. I guess life is objectively meaningless because "meaningfulness" and "pointlessness" are abstract human constructs anyway...

 

[idk3]

Billions?

There are ~10 to the power of 25 planets that orbit stars, with some 10 to the power of 26 -10 to the power of 30 additional starless planets. That's only in the observable universe.

So billions is a bit of an understatement

As a famous writer once wrote famously: "Space is big".

Saying ours is the only one with life is quite an assertion. Of course, accidents don't have to happen just once. My lineage is living proof of that

Probably the most mind blowing thing I've ever heard is that there are more planets in the universe than grains of sand on earth