What is the purpose of your life?

Valmont

I think 'happiness' is a poorly thought out answer to this question. I know a man who recently 'followed his heart' and left his wife and two young sons to go live with another woman and her two daughters. My partner knows his wife and she is really struggling and their sons are distraught and don't understand. He was just doing what made him happy. Above all else I think your purpose needs to be tied up in strongly held convictions. I want to be happy, yes, but I'd rather take a harder road with more pain as long as I know that it's good. I suspect that's the lasting road to a more integral happiness, anyway, or at least I hope so.

_Whimsical_

Valmont wrote: »

I think 'happiness' is a poorly thought out answer to this question. I know a man who recently 'followed his heart' and left his wife and two young sons to go live with another woman and her two daughters. My partner knows his wife and she is really struggling and their sons are distraught and don't understand. He was just doing what made him happy. Above all else I think your purpose needs to be tied up in strongly held convictions. I want to be happy, yes, but I'd rather take a harder road with more pain as long as I know that it's good. I suspect that's the lasting road to a more integral happiness, anyway, or at least I hope so.

I think that you're exactly right, happiness is by its nature passing anyway. I don't think it's something you can rely on or strive for at the expense of everything else. I think that finding meaning in your life is the only thing that really anchors you through the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune". Whether it's your family, some "work" or contribution you feel is important, doing the "right thing", being a person you can be genuinely proud of, it has to be something that sustains you on some level through happiness or sadness or whatever comes. It's not always easy to find though, it takes work and thinking and effort, particularly if the things you'd wanted for yourself like love, children, health, whatever it is doesn't materialise. It's strange really how that's a struggle we all share but it's not something we really talk about much in any real way. It's a pity.

myshirt

We're all on the hedonic treadmill.

FizzleSticks

This post has been deleted.

Jesus Wept

Inc0nnu wrote: »

This post is gonna be super cynical but anyway, the way I see it, the purpose of life for every single creature on earth is survival of themselves and the species. That's it. You're born, you survive long enough to pass on your genetic information and then you die. Why would humans be any different from everything else? The belief that humans aren't subject to the same meaning as every other creature is kind of arrogant imo.

I also think trying to persue happiness is a pointless endevour. I don't think it's possible to totally happy with what you have. The best example for this that I can think of is the fact that we live in the greatest time in human history in terms of wealth and quality of living, and yet so many people are dissatisfied/depressed/anxious. Making happiness the meaning of life is setting yourself up for dissapointment imo. Discontentment is the norm.

A lot of people seem to have this idea that if they accumulate a certain amount of money they'll achieve happiness, or if they get famous, or rise up the career ladder they'll be totally content. But rich/famous people still have problems. Nice problems to have from some people's perspective but they still have a negative effect on their ability to be happy.

I think the truth is, once someone achieves what they initaially want, pretty soon they're only left desiring more. So the solution is to formulate and chase *new* goals, believing that this time they (even though it didn't work the last time) will give them this elusive happiness they seek. It's like heroin or something.


tl;dr - I don't think there is any meaning to life. If you want meaning I think you have to create it yourself. It's kind of liberating in a way. There's no set path so you gotta pave your own. Reminds me of a quote, "The literal meaning of life is whatever your doing that prevents you from killling yourself."

There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.'

NinetyTwoTeam

To walk my dog.

I gave her a haircut today, too. I think I did a good job, during our evening walk a boy dog came over and sniffed her bum.

Noveight

To spend the years I get doing things that make me happy, with people who make me happy, in the places which make me happy. As these things change with time, so too does the purpose of my life; nothing was written in stone the day I was born.

If on my deathbed I can say I did that then I'd die a happy man.

jk23

I tried my best in sport to succeed but failed to achieve what I wanted. It was my fault should have pushed myself more and not mentally tough enough at the time. I really don't know my purpose. I try to be nice to everyone I can and not be an annoyance to anyone as life is hard enough without that bull. I hope I can someday be in a job I don't hate, I have applied to a few areas I would like to work in but no luck so far. As long as my family and friends are safe and happy then that's a huge amount of reason to keep getting up most days.

RobbingBandit

To pass butter. OH MY GOD!

Pac1Man

NinetyTwoTeam wrote: »

To walk my dog.

I gave her a haircut today, too. I think I did a good job, during our evening walk a boy dog came over and sniffed her bum.

FanadMan

My purpose in life is to get up every day. There are a hell of a lot of times that I don't want to get out of bed, answer the phone, talk to anyone or even eat. But if I get out of bed then everything else is that little bit easier. There are still times that I ignore the phone or can't face eating but after a mental kick in the arse, I at least eat.

I'm still trying to get a hold of my differing states, from high to low but as long as I get out of bed and eat every day I'm going to keep going.

bilbot79

I'm kinda multi-tasking on the purpose of life stuff. On one hand I'm pretty regular, want to bread win, have a family, meet expectations and make people happy.
On the other I have slight self esteem issues from childhood and I'm working hard to sort my s;!t and beat the naysayers down. They'll know who I am when they feel the power of my material goods!

LadyMacBeth_

FanadMan wrote: »

My purpose in life is to get up every day. There are a hell of a lot of times that I don't want to get out of bed, answer the phone, talk to anyone or even eat. But if I get out of bed then everything else is that little bit easier. There are still times that I ignore the phone or can't face eating but after a mental kick in the arse, I at least eat.

I'm still trying to get a hold of my differing states, from high to low but as long as I get out of bed and eat every day I'm going to keep going.

You're doing the best you can do every day, no one can ask for more

That's what I try to remember for myself.

FireFoxBoy

The purpose of life is to know that you know nothing. Free yourself of expectations and you will be a happy man.

RobbingBandit

FireFoxBoy wrote: »

The purpose of life is to know that you know nothing. Free yourself of expectations and you will be Jon Snow.

FYP, You know nothing Jon Snow.

RedTie

I've got it down to three things:

• Love
• Travel when you can
• Don't be a cúnt

The rest is superfluous.

caniask86

I used to think all these romantic notions when I was younger. Now I am older and wiser and realize honestly I cant do much to change the world but I can change sometimes around my circle of family or friends etc.

Now my main purpose is raising my child as the best possible adult. I worry about the future a lot now for him.

topper75

To get my duffel coat on, get out of the house, buy fags in the shop, sit on a park bench and watch a crow peck at an empty crisp packet.

That could change tomorrow. Flux, baby.

Joey Jo-Jo Junior

I don't think I have a specific purpose in life. Do no harm and try to get out alive :P

Raven Runner

to find a person who loves me and I love them

Schwanz

To be and end it happy.

Dr Crayfish

No one has a purpose really i think it's arrogant to think we're anything more than the product of evolution and happen to have become sentient.
However I think trying to enjoy life as much as you can and taking it one day at a time is a good way of life, and not sweating the small stuff.

Dr Crayfish

Raven Runner wrote: »

to find a person who loves me and I love them

Putting a lot of pressure on the person you may never meet.

hank scorpio89

pangbang wrote: »

The purpose of life is to attain immortality.

Seeing as we haven't found the elixir of life yet, immortality is achieved through children. Tied to that is gaining the resources necessary to provide your children with the means to successfully reproduce and carry on your genetic immortality.

Everything is geared toward it, from the reward of a thrilling orgasm to the satisfaction of a better job/house/partner etc. Going against the grain means elimination.

Pretty dry reality, but it is what it is

Watching Emmerdale at 2pm during a weekday is a sign that somethings fundamentally fupped. Suppose nature never went away, we've just gotten very good at ignoring it.

Have you watched death become's her recently ?

hank scorpio89

Ulysses Gaze wrote: »

That's my plan and I'm sticking to it. :pac:

It's either that or crush my enemies, see them driven before me and hear the lamentation of the women.

OK calm down conan

LordSutch

I think my purpose in life has changed over time, although maybe it was always destined to be for procreation, because that seems to be the biggest contribution to far, apart from 'work stuff' which seems so insignificant by comparison. Love, Companionship & friendship too I guess, which are very important in this short life or ours.