Which is it?

[wildflowers1996]

Why was I born into this life?
Is it:

- I deserve it for being bad; it's my own fault - I'm being punished for being bad in a past life or in my current one.
- Pure chance and being unlucky.
- I'm not meant for happiness. I'm meant to serve others.
- This life is a test (which I'm failing miserably).
- I'm meant to be "learning lessons" in this life (which I'm not).

I just want to know

 

[Infinitespace_]

This life is just a test...the idea is can u be just a witness to what is happening rather than becoming so identified

 

[derpyderpins]

Number two is closest: pure chance. The world just "is". No one is pulling strings, you aren't "meant" to do anything except what you decide.

 

[No More Tears]

"I'm not meant for happiness. I'm meant to serve others."

This is my life. If they ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

 

[Darkover]

random chance our life experiences and influences are determined by random chance.

 

[wildflowers1996]

Number two is closest: pure chance. The world just "is". No one is pulling strings, you aren't "meant" to do anything except what you decide.

If there's no such thing as "meant", where do we even get the concept of "meant" from if that makes sense?

 

[Suicidal_manlet]

Whatever you are going through, it's not your fault, always the fortunate ones likes to say it's all your fault and it's all because you did something wrong and they say it because it fits their world view that whatever they have is by their pure "hard work" nothing else which is wrong they don't want to believe their achievements are there because they were lucky while it's the unfortunate truth. Everything in life is predetermined by the way you are rised, the things that happened to you and the place you are born in. And all of those are things you can't change but they determine almost everything, but my advice would be not take this life seriously, just chill out. We all gonna perish into nothingness one day, even the lucky people, they all will, this is the only thing that everyone is truly equal in.

 

[derpyderpins]

If there's no such thing as "meant", where do we even get the concept of "meant" from if that makes sense?

It makes sense. I gave you my opinion, but a lot of people - most throughout human history - have believed in some sort of religion or spirituality that would give them a designated path in life. That's given us a socially constructed idea of what we're "meant" to do, and that idea now bleeds over into non-religious contexts. Think of a children's movie where the hero is "meant" to save the princess.

From a practical, mechanical standpoint, we do create things for purposes, eg I made this toaster which is meant to make toast.

You can also strip away the religious aspect by considering a not literal interpretation when someone says "I'm meant to X". Life has infinite possibilities. Every second you're making a choice. Being "meant" for something could just mean "if you consider my situation, characteristics, talents, and interests, most paths I could take leading to success will involve me doing X," where X is what we're "meant" to do.

 

[FuneralCry]

I don't believe there is any deeper meaning or purpose behind existence, it's all just senseless with chance so cruelly determining everything with existing beings suffering all for the sake of it, I'd personally never wish to exist.

 

[andreamysk]

What you believe determines a lot of who you are. Obviously what you believe does not depend much (probably little) on your simple will, but it depends on a lot of things (essentially: on what has happened in your life up to now and on what the starting material was). Not all beliefs about the meaning of life (almost none) would pass the test of a scientific test, however some beliefs are more useful than others (if we mean 'useful' as something comparable to a placebo effect). Your list could be even longer and include, who knows, an evil god who enjoys tormenting his creatures every now and then (this would at least shift the negative focus from you to another responsible subject).

 

[divinemistress36]

Whatever you are going through, it's not your fault, always the fortunate ones likes to say it's all your fault and it's all because you did something wrong and they say it because it fits their world view that whatever they have is by their pure "hard work" nothing else which is wrong they don't want to believe their achievements are there because they were lucky while it's the unfortunate truth. Everything in life is predetermined by the way you are rised, the things that happened to you and the place you are born in. And all of those are things you can't change but they determine almost everything, but my advice would be not take this life seriously, just chill out. We all gonna perish into nothingness one day, even the lucky people, they all will, this is the only thing that everyone is truly equal in.

I needed to hear this

 

[HiddenPain]

I don't believe there is any deeper meaning or purpose behind existence, it's all just senseless with chance so cruelly determining everything with existing beings suffering all for the sake of it, I'd personally never wish to exist.

So true and I couldn't have put it better myself.

 

[Heavy Rain]

What you believe determines a lot of who you are. Obviously what you believe does not depend much (probably little) on your simple will, but it depends on a lot of things (essentially: on what has happened in your life up to now and on what the starting material was). Not all beliefs about the meaning of life (almost none) would pass the test of a scientific test, however some beliefs are more useful than others (if we mean 'useful' as something comparable to a placebo effect). Your list could be even longer and include, who knows, an evil god who enjoys tormenting his creatures every now and then (this would at least shift the negative focus from you to another responsible subject).

You can't scientifically test "meaning"
Maybe how your brain perceives it
It's not a scientific question
It's philosophy

If there's no such thing as "meant", where do we even get the concept of "meant" from if that makes sense?

It does
And It's an excellent question