[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Life. (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 12/2/2010 2:01:15 AM EDT
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This is meant to be a somewhat serious thread, but this is GD so I know it will turn for the worse eventually.
Does anyone ever just get completely dumbfounded by life? I frequently find myself wondering what it's all about. I can't really explain what I mean in text, but does anyone understand what I mean? Why are we all here? Why is everything the way it is? Why why why? I honestly would like to know. |
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Have a family. You'll understand. That sounds lovely and all, but surely that isnt the reason we're all here. I honestly hope there's some deep meaning, but I cant help but think that life is just a big pile of bullshit. Quoted:
Ah yes, the meaning of life. Clearly this is the place for such a discussion. I know right. |
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Have a family. You'll understand. That sounds lovely and all, but surely that isnt the reason we're all here. I honestly hope there's some deep meaning, but I cant help but think that life is just a big pile of bullshit. I'm not religious so I can't help you with any of the fairy tale feel-good stuff. In the real world, the meaning of life is to live. Because you are are going to die, the point is to have a family. That is life. |
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Have a family. You'll understand. That sounds lovely and all, but surely that isnt the reason we're all here. I honestly hope there's some deep meaning, but I cant help but think that life is just a big pile of bullshit. I'm not religious so I can't help you with any of the fairy tale feel-good stuff. In the real world, the meaning of life is to live. Because you are are going to die, the point is to have a family. That is life. Nor am I, but I cant help but think that there's some insane reason that we are here. Maybe it's something that nobody has ever thought of. Maybe there is no reason at all. I doubt we'll ever know though. |
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All the time now.
I wonder how I can possibly be at my age and seeing the things happening to this country that I see happening. I see my future when I get older being even more of a question - if things are like this now? How will they be then? It is hard as hell to make it by now - there is no such thing as hard work paying off anymore in America. Work doesn't even exist, and work ethics on both the employer and employee side have slid so far I bet they never come back. I see no real hope for the future.... and at this point I feel like it just has to be accepted and to drag along another day. |
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Really want to blow your mind? Consider this.
The universe is thought to be around 14 billion years old. You'll live to be, what, maybe 100 if you're lucky? Your entire lifespan will be 1/140,000,000 of the entire universe's. Now, what were you doing before you were born? If we consider death to be the point at which we turn into nothing, then it's fair to say that birth was the point at which we turned from nothing into life. So, you were nothing for almost 14 billion years. And then you were born. So, let's pick a random point in that time frame for you to be conscious at. For you to think "this is now", or a point which you would think "this is now" if you were alive for. What are the odds that that point would be during your life time? 140,000,000 to 1? Statistically speaking, we shouldn't be experiencing life right now. We should be way back in 8,000,000,000 BC, right? We shouldn't be having a discussion, because we should be nothing. And that presumes that the universe ends when we die. If it keeps going, then the odds of "now" occurring within our lifetime are effectively 0. I guess my point is, if we look up at the universe and think ourselves insignificant compared to the it, then why is it that the universe's lifespan seem to revolve around our own? I choose to believe that "now" is significant, not just for us, but for the universe. We were nonexistent for so much of the universe's history, why is it that we're sitting here having this discussion, clearly halfway through our lives? Why is now now? |
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Really want to blow your mind? Consider this. The universe is thought to be around 14 billion years old. You'll live to be, what, maybe 100 if you're lucky? Your entire lifespan will be 1/140,000,000 of the entire universe's. Now, what were you doing before you were born? If we consider death to be the point at which we turn into nothing, then it's fair to say that birth was the point at which we turned from nothing into life. So, you were nothing for almost 14 billion years. And then you were born. So, let's pick a random point in that time frame for you to be conscious at. For you to think "this is now", or a point which you would think "this is now" if you were alive for. What are the odds that that point would be during your life time? 140,000,000 to 1? Statistically speaking, we shouldn't be experiencing life right now. We should be way back in 8,000,000,000 BC, right? We shouldn't be having a discussion, because we should be nothing. And that presumes that the universe ends when we die. If it keeps going, then the odds of "now" occurring within our lifetime are effectively 0. I guess my point is, if we look up at the universe and think ourselves insignificant compared to the it, then why is it that the universe's lifespan seem to revolve around our own? I choose to believe that "now" is significant, not just for us, but for the universe. We were nonexistent for so much of the universe's history, why is it that we're sitting here having this discussion, clearly halfway through our lives? Why is now now? I like you. That's the kind of stuff I wanted to hear in this thread. |
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Last time I asked those questions (while walking and looking up), I looked down and immediately found a purse which eventually led me back to church. It's a longish story, and I need to go to work. Suffice it to say, the answers lie beyond yourself. Try developing a relationship with God if you haven't.
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Last time I asked those questions (while walking and looking up), I looked down and immediately found a purse which eventually led me back to church. It's a longish story, and I need to go to work. Suffice it to say, the answers lie beyond yourself. Try developing a relationship with God if you haven't. I'm fine with you believing in a deity, but don't insist that I do. I don't insist for you to be atheist. Also, I found the "relationship with God" part to be laughable. ––––––––- I wonder if the true answer is so incomprehensibly complex, that upon learning, our heads explode. |
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Last time I asked those questions (while walking and looking up), I looked down and immediately found a purse which eventually led me back to church. It's a longish story, and I need to go to work. Suffice it to say, the answers lie beyond yourself. Try developing a relationship with God if you haven't. I'm fine with you believing in a deity, but don't insist that I do. I don't insist for you to be atheist. Also, I found the "relationship with God" part to be laughable. ––––––––- I wonder if the true answer is so incomprehensibly complex, that upon learning, our heads explode. try does not equal insist |
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Last time I asked those questions (while walking and looking up), I looked down and immediately found a purse which eventually led me back to church. It's a longish story, and I need to go to work. Suffice it to say, the answers lie beyond yourself. Try developing a relationship with God if you haven't. I'm fine with you believing in a deity, but don't insist that I do. I don't insist for you to be atheist. Also, I found the "relationship with God" part to be laughable. ––––––––- I wonder if the true answer is so incomprehensibly complex, that upon learning, our heads explode. try does not equal insist On that note, I sometimes feel like God left this earth long ago... |
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None of us know the 'meaning' of life.
Every one's life is different but I believe that we can all gain some purpose or meaning in our existence. . Some people find 'meaning' in church on Sunday and some people find 'meaning' with a head full of psilocybin resting in the forest. |
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Really want to blow your mind? Consider this. The universe is thought to be around 14 billion years old. You'll live to be, what, maybe 100 if you're lucky? Your entire lifespan will be 1/140,000,000 of the entire universe's. Now, what were you doing before you were born? If we consider death to be the point at which we turn into nothing, then it's fair to say that birth was the point at which we turned from nothing into life. So, you were nothing for almost 14 billion years. And then you were born. So, let's pick a random point in that time frame for you to be conscious at. For you to think "this is now", or a point which you would think "this is now" if you were alive for. What are the odds that that point would be during your life time? 140,000,000 to 1? Statistically speaking, we shouldn't be experiencing life right now. We should be way back in 8,000,000,000 BC, right? We shouldn't be having a discussion, because we should be nothing. And that presumes that the universe ends when we die. If it keeps going, then the odds of "now" occurring within our lifetime are effectively 0. I guess my point is, if we look up at the universe and think ourselves insignificant compared to the it, then why is it that the universe's lifespan seem to revolve around our own? I choose to believe that "now" is significant, not just for us, but for the universe. We were nonexistent for so much of the universe's history, why is it that we're sitting here having this discussion, clearly halfway through our lives? Why is now now? That is the biggest crock of nonsense I have ever heard. Now is now because now is the only time we are around to experience it. Our existence is significant of nothing but our existence. |
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Really want to blow your mind? Consider this. The universe is thought to be around 14 billion years old. You'll live to be, what, maybe 100 if you're lucky? Your entire lifespan will be 1/140,000,000 of the entire universe's. Now, what were you doing before you were born? If we consider death to be the point at which we turn into nothing, then it's fair to say that birth was the point at which we turned from nothing into life. So, you were nothing for almost 14 billion years. And then you were born. So, let's pick a random point in that time frame for you to be conscious at. For you to think "this is now", or a point which you would think "this is now" if you were alive for. What are the odds that that point would be during your life time? 140,000,000 to 1? Statistically speaking, we shouldn't be experiencing life right now. We should be way back in 8,000,000,000 BC, right? We shouldn't be having a discussion, because we should be nothing. And that presumes that the universe ends when we die. If it keeps going, then the odds of "now" occurring within our lifetime are effectively 0. I guess my point is, if we look up at the universe and think ourselves insignificant compared to the it, then why is it that the universe's lifespan seem to revolve around our own? I choose to believe that "now" is significant, not just for us, but for the universe. We were nonexistent for so much of the universe's history, why is it that we're sitting here having this discussion, clearly halfway through our lives? Why is now now? That is the biggest crock of nonsense I have ever heard. Now is now because now is the only time we are around to experience it. Our existence is significant of nothing but our existence. What you said is no more proveable than what I said. You can't understand life until you start trying to figure out what goes on before and after it. |
| "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations. And, finally, here are some completely gratuitous pictures of penises to annoy the censors and to hopefully spark some sort of controversy, which, it seems, is the only way, these days, to get the jaded, video-sated public off their fucking arses and back in the sodding cinema. Family entertainment? Bollocks. What they want is filth: people doing things to each other with chainsaws during tupperware parties, babysitters being stabbed with knitting needles by gay presidential candidates, vigilante groups strangling chickens, armed bands of theatre critics exterminating mutant goats. Where's the fun in pictures? Oh, well, there we are. Here's the theme music. Goodnight". - Monty Python The Meaning of Life (1983) |
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Really want to blow your mind? Consider this. The universe is thought to be around 14 billion years old. You'll live to be, what, maybe 100 if you're lucky? Your entire lifespan will be 1/140,000,000 of the entire universe's. Now, what were you doing before you were born? If we consider death to be the point at which we turn into nothing, then it's fair to say that birth was the point at which we turned from nothing into life. So, you were nothing for almost 14 billion years. And then you were born. So, let's pick a random point in that time frame for you to be conscious at. For you to think "this is now", or a point which you would think "this is now" if you were alive for. What are the odds that that point would be during your life time? 140,000,000 to 1? Statistically speaking, we shouldn't be experiencing life right now. We should be way back in 8,000,000,000 BC, right? We shouldn't be having a discussion, because we should be nothing. And that presumes that the universe ends when we die. If it keeps going, then the odds of "now" occurring within our lifetime are effectively 0. I guess my point is, if we look up at the universe and think ourselves insignificant compared to the it, then why is it that the universe's lifespan seem to revolve around our own? I choose to believe that "now" is significant, not just for us, but for the universe. We were nonexistent for so much of the universe's history, why is it that we're sitting here having this discussion, clearly halfway through our lives? Why is now now? That is the biggest crock of nonsense I have ever heard. Now is now because now is the only time we are around to experience it. Our existence is significant of nothing but our existence. What you said is no more proveable than what I said. And yet what I said makes infinitely more sense. |
You will get many "answers". 
Here's one: The purpose of life is to know God as your Savior and to Glorify Him. We are most satisfied in life when we are glorifying God and serving Him. As John Piper so well says it, "Join us in this pursuit of satisfaction in God, because God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him." |
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Last time I asked those questions (while walking and looking up), I looked down and immediately found a purse which eventually led me back to church. It's a longish story, and I need to go to work. Suffice it to say, the answers lie beyond yourself. Try developing a relationship with God if you haven't. I'm fine with you believing in a deity, but don't insist that I do. I don't insist for you to be atheist. Also, I found the "relationship with God" part to be laughable. ––––––––- I wonder if the true answer is so incomprehensibly complex, that upon learning, our heads explode. OOO.... KAY....... 
You asked for insight. I gave mine. I didn't "insist" on anything, I recommended that you "try" something. Something that helped me. So, something at least I don't consider "laughable". Wow. My comment was written in kindness. Feel free to ignore it if you want. You may also want to look into anger management. |
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Always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the bright side of life Some things in life are bad, they can really make you mad Other things just make you swear and curse When you're chewing on life's gristle, don't grumble give a whistle This will help things turn out for the best Always look on the bright side of life Always look on the right side of life If life seems jolly rotten, there's something you've forgotten And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing When you're feeling in the dumps, don't be silly, chumps Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing So, always look on the bright side of death Just before you draw your terminal breath Life's a piece of shit, when you look at it Life's a laugh and death's the joke, it's true You see, it's all a show, keep them laughing as you go Just remember the last laugh is on you Always look on the bright side of life And always look on the right side of life Always look on the bright side of life And always look on the right side of life |
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Quoted: Really want to blow your mind? Consider this. The universe is thought to be around 14 billion years old. You'll live to be, what, maybe 100 if you're lucky? Your entire lifespan will be 1/140,000,000 of the entire universe's. Now, what were you doing before you were born? If we consider death to be the point at which we turn into nothing, then it's fair to say that birth was the point at which we turned from nothing into life. So, you were nothing for almost 14 billion years. And then you were born. So, let's pick a random point in that time frame for you to be conscious at. For you to think "this is now", or a point which you would think "this is now" if you were alive for. What are the odds that that point would be during your life time? 140,000,000 to 1? Statistically speaking, we shouldn't be experiencing life right now. We should be way back in 8,000,000,000 BC, right? We shouldn't be having a discussion, because we should be nothing. And that presumes that the universe ends when we die. If it keeps going, then the odds of "now" occurring within our lifetime are effectively 0. I guess my point is, if we look up at the universe and think ourselves insignificant compared to the it, then why is it that the universe's lifespan seem to revolve around our own? I choose to believe that "now" is significant, not just for us, but for the universe. We were nonexistent for so much of the universe's history, why is it that we're sitting here having this discussion, clearly halfway through our lives? Why is now now? "Now" is "now" only because humans developed the concept of "now". Otherwise "now" is just the nameless state of being the universe naturally assumes. I'm more interested in the concept of consciousness. If it's just a combination of the right chemicals and conditions, then "I" should be able to pop up again sometime down the road when these chemicals come together again, correct? We seem to believe that we only get one shot at life, but there is really nothing to support that theory other than religion, which provides no concrete proof about anything anyhow. What it comes down to is: "I" am now. The fact that "I" exist is proof that "I" can exist. Therefore it is possible for "I" to exist again. |
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holy shit. If my senses could perceive the entire spectrum of people who died of boredom while listening to that guy, I would be horrified. |
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Really want to blow your mind? Consider this. The universe is thought to be around 14 billion years old. You'll live to be, what, maybe 100 if you're lucky? Your entire lifespan will be 1/140,000,000 of the entire universe's. Now, what were you doing before you were born? If we consider death to be the point at which we turn into nothing, then it's fair to say that birth was the point at which we turned from nothing into life. So, you were nothing for almost 14 billion years. And then you were born. So, let's pick a random point in that time frame for you to be conscious at. For you to think "this is now", or a point which you would think "this is now" if you were alive for. What are the odds that that point would be during your life time? 140,000,000 to 1? Statistically speaking, we shouldn't be experiencing life right now. We should be way back in 8,000,000,000 BC, right? We shouldn't be having a discussion, because we should be nothing. And that presumes that the universe ends when we die. If it keeps going, then the odds of "now" occurring within our lifetime are effectively 0. I guess my point is, if we look up at the universe and think ourselves insignificant compared to the it, then why is it that the universe's lifespan seem to revolve around our own? I choose to believe that "now" is significant, not just for us, but for the universe. We were nonexistent for so much of the universe's history, why is it that we're sitting here having this discussion, clearly halfway through our lives? Why is now now? "Now" is "now" only because humans developed the concept of "now". Otherwise "now" is just the nameless state of being the universe naturally assumes. I'm more interested in the concept of consciousness. If it's just a combination of the right chemicals and conditions, then "I" should be able to pop up again sometime down the road when these chemicals come together again, correct? We seem to believe that we only get one shot at life, but there is really nothing to support that theory other than religion, which provides no concrete proof about anything anyhow. What it comes down to is: "I" am now. The fact that "I" exist is proof that "I" can exist. Therefore it is possible for "I" to exist again. Duuuude, thats some deeeeep shit bro 
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"now" isn't a theoretical.
It's the dividing line in consciousness between that which is potentially memorable and that which is not. It's an extremely important principle to sentient beings, and quite possibly to all living things. In fact, we don't really understand it very well. If we did, a whole hell of a lot of questions would be answered. Physics would get a hell of a lot easier, for instance. |
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This is meant to be a somewhat serious thread, but this is GD so I know it will turn for the worse eventually. Does anyone ever just get completely dumbfounded by life? I frequently find myself wondering what it's all about. I can't really explain what I mean in text, but does anyone understand what I mean? Why are we all here? Why is everything the way it is? Why why why? I honestly would like to know. Life = blank canvas, thus meaning it's what you make of it. |
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"Now" is "now" only because humans developed the concept of "now". Otherwise "now" is just the nameless state of being the universe naturally assumes. I'm more interested in the concept of consciousness. If it's just a combination of the right chemicals and conditions, then "I" should be able to pop up again sometime down the road when these chemicals come together again, correct? We seem to believe that we only get one shot at life, but there is really nothing to support that theory other than religion, which provides no concrete proof about anything anyhow. What it comes down to is: "I" am now. The fact that "I" exist is proof that "I" can exist. Therefore it is possible for "I" to exist again. See how you're attributing YOUR existence to a chemical combination. Let's say I invented a Star Trek type teleporter, which could scan your atomic composition in just a few seconds, send that data to a second teleporter somewhere, and have that device materialize a perfect copy of your atomic parts and positions and vectors. Like in the TV series Stargate. Someone steps into the stargate, their physical data is converted to information and sent across the galaxy. Then it's reconstituted elsewhere. But is that all that's involved in moving your consciousness? Or would your consciousness be destroyed, and a mere copy of it created on the other end? Do the characters in that TV series die every time they step into a stargate, and a perfect copy created at the other end, thus lending the appearance of a consistent history of consciousness? How would you know, in such a situation, that the copy was the original? The Prestige played with this concept a little. And it goes back to Heraclitus, who raised the point that you can't step into the same river twice. Our bodies are constantly changing, yet the consciousness carries through within them. Or does it? What happens when you go to sleep, or wake up? What holds consciousness together? And why is it so... important? It is actually very difficult to conceive of a universe that cares about "now". We care about it, but how can we notice it if the universe doesn't? How can you and I agree on what "now" is, and yet believe that "now" is a meaningless concept to the universe? Clearly it has broader meaning than just to us. |
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The answer to 'why' is chemistry. Chemistry begets molecular biology, which begets life.
The best objective answer is that we're here because the laws of the universe settled in a configuration that allowed the rise of the chemistry we observe. Because, if not, we wouldn't be here to observe it. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Really want to blow your mind? Consider this. The universe is thought to be around 14 billion years old. You'll live to be, what, maybe 100 if you're lucky? Your entire lifespan will be 1/140,000,000 of the entire universe's. Now, what were you doing before you were born? If we consider death to be the point at which we turn into nothing, then it's fair to say that birth was the point at which we turned from nothing into life. So, you were nothing for almost 14 billion years. And then you were born. So, let's pick a random point in that time frame for you to be conscious at. For you to think "this is now", or a point which you would think "this is now" if you were alive for. What are the odds that that point would be during your life time? 140,000,000 to 1? Statistically speaking, we shouldn't be experiencing life right now. We should be way back in 8,000,000,000 BC, right? We shouldn't be having a discussion, because we should be nothing. And that presumes that the universe ends when we die. If it keeps going, then the odds of "now" occurring within our lifetime are effectively 0. I guess my point is, if we look up at the universe and think ourselves insignificant compared to the it, then why is it that the universe's lifespan seem to revolve around our own? I choose to believe that "now" is significant, not just for us, but for the universe. We were nonexistent for so much of the universe's history, why is it that we're sitting here having this discussion, clearly halfway through our lives? Why is now now? "Now" is "now" only because humans developed the concept of "now". Otherwise "now" is just the nameless state of being the universe naturally assumes. I'm more interested in the concept of consciousness. If it's just a combination of the right chemicals and conditions, then "I" should be able to pop up again sometime down the road when these chemicals come together again, correct? We seem to believe that we only get one shot at life, but there is really nothing to support that theory other than religion, which provides no concrete proof about anything anyhow. What it comes down to is: "I" am now. The fact that "I" exist is proof that "I" can exist. Therefore it is possible for "I" to exist again. One thought that came to mind, I'm sorry if it comes across as dumb. If what is bolded is true, than it can be inferred that we have existed in one form or another in the past. If that is true how come we have no recollection of the past existence of "I", yet we are self-aware currently. Better put, how come we realize what we are, now? |
[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Life. (Page 1 of 2)
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