what is the purpose of life?

[Jegan]

What is the purpose of life?.. I dont get it.. I havent found a purpose in life at all and im 22. IN the future I only see me, by my self, alone. just me. Not going further. Just stuck, while everyone is going forward with they're lives, having a family, a career, money. But im not chasing anything. In the past i've never had anyone wiht me, I grew up as a loner. And i still am a loner, and i know for sure its gona be like this for ever.
Do u guys have anything to say about it? or can anyone relate at all?

 

[SocialRetahd]

The purpose of life is reproduction and then making sure your children survive.

To me, personally, I disregard this question completely. I am too busy comparing myself to other people. It does suck that I am getting older and wasting my good years away. Though, I usually live vicariously through my online friends.

In the last 6 years, 50% of my time has been spent on message boards. This year, I am taking control. I have notebooks where I, almost scientifically, write out was for improvement. I write about my personality, intelligence, amongst other things.

 

[Thelema]

Yeah I can relate. I'm almost finished with a great book called Man's Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl. This is a guy that was in a Nazi Concentration camp. He had all the reason in the world to give up and just let himself die there, but he didn't. I can't even imagine going through something like that. His wife was killed, he saw his friends starve and die, he saw people just give up on life, he was beaten and more. Can you even imagine that fucking shit? Sit down and try and imagine that for one second! But some how he didn't give up.

 

[okkamsrazor]

wise words thelema guess that puts a load of stuff into persepctive.
Jegan - dont pressure yourself into finding the/a purpose to life! Every person you meet will have different opinions on that, that dont mean you're doing anything right or anything wrong. IMO the main purpose to life is to live it & you're doing that now! And aside from having SA we can still derive some kinda control over our lives which doesn't consist solely of stuff like medication. for eg:
Eating right, breathing right, sleeping right, excercising right; all these combined can have a dramatic effect on SA (mild or strong). It increases your energy, increases confidence, increases self-esteem. For some ppl, this kind of routine may be all thats needed to help hone a sence of direction.

 

[SilentType]

Yeah I would have to say that successful reproduction if the primary goal of everyone in the human race. However, many people (like a lot of social phobes) defintely felel this goal slipping. I, for one, find this goal a near impossible task due to the repercussions of my SA/agoraphobia. I don't even want to get involved in romantic relationships anymore because I know my SA will gobble it up just like all the rest. This is why I've had to search for other things to live for.

Here are a few of them:

1. Family - there are good days and bad days in family life, but most of us have the benefit of having a great family who tries their best to support us during this difficult illness. The may not fully understand what we deal with daily, but they are always there is we need a shoulder to lean on.

2. Love - No, not the love that you find between a man and a woman but the love for all things that have been given to us by mother earth. If you feel up to it, go for a walk and notice all that is beautiful that you may have taken for granted in your neighborhood. The world is full of beauty and if we can embrace it for what it in all its splendor we would all be etter off.

3 Self - Since we social phobics tend to worry way too much about what other people are thinking and how to please other people, I think its appropriate that we do our best to reward ourselves often. Keepin a job and a steady paycheck is important for this. We each need to build a world for ourselves that we're comfortable in. This can mean anything from having your own space in your parents house to having a big secluded home in the mountains.

To sum it up, just love your family and yourself to the fullest extent of your ability and everything else should fall into place.

I hope this helps someone.


Peace

 

[allieaust]

hi Jegan,

I think the purpose of life is to be happy and make use of yourself to others - finding your own uniqueness in this world and doing what feels right to you.. if that makes an sense..

I've just turned 25 and my life has been just as you described, everyone has gone forward whilst i have been stuck in stillness for years. All my friends have careers, been overseas, are in relationships and the little things like driving and going out often .. i have missed out big time..

It can be so hard but i have this year gone through so many changes but to catch up is really difficult.. esp to find work ... i've been housebound since i was 17 over ten years an now although i have failed in one attempt of making it in society .. i m getting back on my horse again very soon..
to make up for those years on ur resume is really scarey - so applying for a job is even harder..

what you need to do is dream and brainstorm all the things you want to do in your life and than come up with goals, than break them down so that they are in steps..

even achieveing the smallest goal can give you some pleasure..

good luck

 

[Infected_Malignity]

We've all got our own reasons for living. For me, I'm just here to have a good time, be happy, etc etc. Maybe raise a family some day...
You could go at any second - maybe even die tomorrow for that matter from a freak accident. So really, what do you want out of life? Or better yet, why are you still breathing in the material world?

There's a reason weather you know of it or not. You're not dead yet - make the most of your days, SA, SP, shy, HH, or not. I guarantee you it's possible no matter what problems you may have.

 

[Doomed2Die]

God of course! Duh :lol: . Surely the sovereign of the universe would be a itsy more important than our ego-rides through life, serious or not there are some things much much much more important.

If you really want to know the meaning and have plenty of time, drop your prejustices should you have any and pick up a bible and ask your local Jehovah's Witnesses for a study, without doubt you will make more friends than you can imagine :wink: .

Its oh so so so so consistant, its just a matter of looking past the common 'religion' nowdays and constant gibberish people spout when it collides with their personal views.

People have personal views apon things such as life sure and there is no problem about that, but to openly attack and downplay something they have in reality no experience with is foolish, even worse are those who lie to mislead others.

You want the knowledge? Pursue what I have told you of, I promise you and anyone reading this you will find the truth of things should you do this. But remember to hold to your heart, not the worlds myriad of likewise 'beliefs'.

(on another note I accidently deleated a much better post instead of copy.. but this will make due >< also ignore my screenname tis old indeed)

 

[applesewer]

ooo I LOVE this question!!!
First off I agree with okkamsrazor in that I think it's best not to let this question get to you too much. Some of the greatest minds throughout history have devoted lifetimes to this question and it's still steeped in mystery.

Also just the fact that you're thinking about this question I think is an admirable thing. Many people go through life blindly ignoring these issues, so it shows you're interested in the truth.

But in answer to the question, personally I believe the purpose of life is to love God and to love others.

 

[emilio9128]

hmmmmm well i used to believe that life was just about being happy too, but i read this book called Brave New World for my school and now i look at life differently

it showed me that life is more than just being happy all the time; its about truth and beauty---like figuring out truths about yourself and the world, gaining knowledge and wisdom. then expressing your knowledge through art, and eventually passing everything you know to your children....then, i guess, you've lived your life, the way God intended ? i dont know, but this is just what i think...and im only 16 so i guess i have a lot of time to figure all this out lol

 

[Doomed2Die]

Precisely! Knowledge, truth, wisdom, harmony.

Threading through the many lies in this weave thats this world we can all find hidden truths, with this combined with experience we gain wisdom and throughout all life there is harmony to be witnessed.

It is all simply indescribable beauty, this existance. Its just the challenge of true understanding holding everyone back. Heh, I'd say even our point in life is to find these truths and pursue what they say, do not doubt they are hidden though, and do not doubt they are beneficial in the extreme (for they surely are).

My belief? This world is designed to mislead us. With knowledge and simple facts investigated this has been proven true to my eyes.

 

[HH]

for me music is a great way of getting through troubles in my life. It was a bit depressing in a way seeing friends over christmas and there all got good jobs, girlfriends, there own places (or at least not living at home!) etc etc. and here I am, 27-soon to be 28 in a few weeks, no girlfriend (never had one), living at home, poorly paid job, one problem after another-i started getting hyperidrosis in my hands in october....every year is the same only slightly worse. But I guess I've got a lot to be thankful for, its just a struggle sometimes. But as i said, music helps me get through the hard times.

 

[Masamune]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[InDeepshit]

Jegan, have you seen Into The Wild? it's in the cinemas in Australia, and it follows the life of a runaway and what he figures out about life... you might find it inspirational.
I think because of my experiences and where im at, the meaning of life to me is to try to live it as i want and as fully as i can... so i have a lot of goals to fulfil, including getting over this fear. You might find this to be true for you aswell.

 

[Korexico]

I can definitely relate to this question, as I obsessed about it about a year ago during a period of depression mainly caused by social anxiety.

Truth is, there is a purpose of LIFE in general. That is obvious, it is to reproduce. That's it.

Of course, that's not very reassuring or uplifting, is it? The fact is, that for an individual human mind, we do not come equipped with some predefined purpose or goal. And we are, in fact, finite and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Even if you were the best that ever was, you will eventually be forgotten. Your achievements will be forgotten. Furthermore, the human race and the earth and the universe will most likely die out at some time in the future.

Yet does this mean that you can't enjoy the present? Can you not experience pleasure now? Were you bothered by the fact that you didn't exist for an eternity before you were born? Of course not. Death is nothing, and for that reason you should not be bothered by it.

I can't explain all of this, but the philosophy of Epicurus is something that profoundly changed my view of life and the happiness possible with acceptance of the finite life.
http://www.epicurus.info/etexts/ier.html

Here is another article on the meaning of life that I found true and satisfying without religion
http://atheism.about.com/gi/dynamic...s.org/library/modern/features/augustine1.html

I still believe the question is important. All the best.

 

[IknowIhaveSP]

My life sucks! There is no purpose of the world to me. Nor there is meaning of it to me. I wish the god has taken my life because I cannot do that. nor I have the courage.

 

[Doomed2Die]

You want bleak?

Yes we do die, yes death is the perfect opposite of life, and interestingly enough humanity today is taking a terribly extreme turn for the worse.

But, no there is more than simply reproducing oh-so-much more and dispite what some say the clues are not subtle in the slightest. It is merely because we are blind to it.

Think of it this way, if every person born in the world was blind we could only roughly grasp things unseen, stumble and get things wrong along without the full picture. We would find contentness in feasable theories, and yet still know nothing about these things unseen other than their presence.

And that is what we are or rather how humanity has shaped over time, blind, the inability to see and grasp the spiritual spectrum of life clearly.

That is but the base of basics, the possiblities and unfolding future are unfathomable to humankind. We are only but dust, and all is but theory. And yet... we have a guide willing to help us. It is only our pretty world of colours pushing him away.

 

[flake__]

I used to think about this alot but now i think this question is invalid.

What is important to you? To be happy. Just that.

Happy people don't ask this question--they don't care, because they are happy.

For example, if you decided that doing a, b and c is the purpose of life, and you went and managed to do all 3 of them perfectly (highly unlikely) then what would you say to yourself? Ah, i'm satisfied now!!

I will be happy with myself. I will express happiness and be happy.

There are easier ways to be happy .

 

[Doomed2Die]

Yes there is. For me however true happiness is only the by product of wisdom, and the other happiness? They are oblivious ignorance or the innocuous unknowing or even simple pleasure.

Hah, I once read happiness eludes the intelligent and yet those with smaller horizons are blessed with heaps of it. One way of being happy is simply lowering ones expectations in any case. Noteworthy because of modern societies 'more than human' take on things (ect. burn out and die).

 

[DDaKidd]

Hello Jegan.

Well, as some people have already said, the purpose of every "living thing" is to survive and reproduce.

However, we are much more complex than that. We are the only "living things" that are capable of understanding everything that happens around us (or almost everything), and even understand abstract things or things that don't exist in real life (like mathematics).

You will find that the happiest people have many purposes in life, more than just survive and reproduce. When you ask them what is there purpose of life, they will answer things like "graduate from highschool," "find ways to become happier," "be a football player one day" or "getting closer to God."

You might say to yourself that all these "purposes" are invented and that it doesn't help you understand life better. It's true, but these people believe it so much that it becomes their "purpose of life."

This is something I've found out recently about happy people.

In other words, if you ask me: What is the purpose of life for a human?
I would answer: The purpose of life is to find purposes that make you live your life a little bit better everyday.

:lol: Hope it made sense. :lol: