What gives your life meaning?
 

Just as the title says: what do you live for? What makes you wake up in the morning? What do you look forward to?
Is it your job? Is it your significant other? Is it the prospect of partying? Sex? Getting high? Gaming?

I'm just looking for input. This question has been bugging me for a while now and I'm curious to hear what some of the older members have to say. Not that I'm discriminating - I'm only 19 myself. Insights from all sources are most appreciated.

Music, however many aspects of my life are still unfulfilling.

Honestly, it's really a combination of many things that brings meaning into my days, and not a single, specific thing.

Of these, though, the most important one is getting into grad school. Most of my activities nowadays are directed at admission into graduate school -- applications, reading papers, talking to professors, etc. Even the job I'm interviewing for on Monday, that's so that I can have more money for graduate school later on this year. I'm working towards a goal (a Ph. D), and I think, for many people, that gives life its meaning.

And yeah, at the risk of sounding sappy, my girlfriend is another reason I keep going. I'm just going to say that she makes my life happier, and leave it at that.

Right now, the experience itself. I know I have other duties, and I do my best to fulfill them, but I don't do that at the expense of personal happiness.

If I'm not happy, I can't fulfill those personal duties, so there is no point in going with the workaholic/goal-driven lifestyle.

Basically I live for something new. Anything new. Whether it's a new place I haven't seen before in the forest behind my house, a new, interesting TV/Anime show, a new movie, or just a chance to get involved in a new activity. I get depressed when I don't have anything new to enjoy for extended periods of time.

Well, gaming is definitely one incentive for me to roll out of bed in the morning. Some days I'll wake up looking forward to getting home from class to play more of whatever RPG I'm into at the time. Obviously I wouldn't say that's my reason for living though. That'd be pretty sad if my entire existance was based around that.

The thing that keeps me going is seeing the unexpected twists that life takes. Single events can turn horrible days great, or great days hellish. Good or bad though, watching how things turn out is always interesting. It's a really cheesy answer, but also the most accurate I can think of.

School and career plans are also important of course, but I don't really live for them. I prefer to take it one step at a time and try not to stress out about things like grad school in the future.

Personally I find that becoming happy for simply being alive gives my life meaning. Usually this has to do with where I am; comfortable, peacful, and relaxing places can do this for me, finding beauty in just being here and now.

This accompanied with having nothing on the back of my mind as a result of completing all my tasks and having all my arrangements (work/school) in order and being without any worries.

Simply being alive and content. This is pretty hard to accomplish, but I've felt it at times, oddly enough sitting in the tub with the shower on taking deep breaths after accomplishing something great and meaningful (for me at least).

Hm, never thought this would be so hard to describe, I guess I'm complex in my simplicities (wow I'm so deep :puke:). The hope of achieving a state of absolutely NOTHING gives my life meaning, pretty weird!

Interesting...I've thought about this in regards to other people as well. I mean, I have my music and art to give me a reason to live -- but I can't really imagine what life would be like if I didn't have those abilities. I mean, art in many forms is what has formed most of my life (since 3 years old, that's long enough). It's what I do, what I've always done and what I [God willing] will do for the rest of my life.

Playing with people, creating things for others, using my art and music to help other people who don't have those abilities is what I love most in life. It also helps me to find new experiences and interesting people.

Maybe it's a crutch. I dunno... I like it, though.

There's a few things in my life that give it meaning.

First is the oncoming Singularity. My "religion" is singularitarian, meaning I believe that we will surpass the limits of human biology within our lifetime, and I am very excited about it. It's kind of abstract so it's not something I wake up for every day, but it does keep me going if I ever get down. To make it more physical, I read KurzweilAi.net for developments.

My job is awesome, I love it. I'm a freelance game music composer. It is an unbelievable dream job and I'm still amazed that I got the chance to do it. I am extremely thankful for that. Music in general also gives my life meaning.

Finally, I've got one or two friends that make me really happy. I've never been someone who kept friends for a long time, so the few people that I've managed to hold on to are very close to me.

I can't be 100% sure, because it's a mix of a lot of different things for me. This sounds very trite, but my children are the main thing for me. I really feel like I was born to be a mother, and they truly are the reason I live.

But then I've thought about what I would live for if I didn't have children, and this is where it gets complicated. It's so hard to imagine not having them, and I was SO YOUNG when I had my daughter that I almost can't remember who I was before I was a mother. I think that I love life and all its ups and downs. I know that I love the unexpected. Waking up every day and not knowing what is going to happen - good or bad - is a huge rush for me. Also, I love food and sex and sleep...a lot, and I can't imagine that Heaven would have anything to offer me that is more tempting than those three things.

The thought that tommorow will be 100x better than today keeps me going.

Connections! The more you give, the more you get back. Even if you're having a bad day, you can usually lift yourself out of it with the right body language and thought processes. My friends, family and the people I meet all make me happy. It's a big cycle of funtime bonanza to the max, etc.

Family
 

My family keeps me living. Even if they do bug the sh1t out of me, and It isn't really fun when I am with them

Everything that I enjoy doing is what gives my life meaning. Innovating ideas and striving to do things that are unconventional is another element that gives my life meaning.

Just seeing what's going to be next keeps me going. What does to world want to throw at me today, and how will I get around it? Knowing that I will succeed in what I want to do, and that some day, I may actually be able to sigh and say "I have everything I want right now", even if that feeling lasts for only a second.

And I'll be cheesy and add my boyfriend into the mix. He's part of 'everything'.

I live for the people around me. I also live for dirt track racing, and to see what my future will be like. I just love living, and love the happiness and great things that can happen in this life.

Self-improvement. If not for me than for my partner; he's the main motivational force in my life. If I think I am improving myself I am giving myself meaning, whether it be studying something or going out cycling. The feeling of achievement is what I live for.

What keeps me going is that everyday is one more day in which I can sensually experience the world. Whether it's a cuisine I've never tasted before (Indian food and Japanese food are pretty high on my list right now) for a mouth watering tongue-gasm, an eargasm of classical music, eyegasm (especially when I look at sunlight in the water ...keeps me busy for hours) or the myriad of other -gasms there are out there. Basically if I didn't have that, I would have killed myself a long time ago considering that nothing else is going right --with friends and work.

What keeps me going? A purpose. In this case, philanthropy, of all things.

If there's one defining trait of human beings, it's defiance. Humans simply will not allow themselves to be hampered by their limitations. We cheated our way to the top of the food chain, we've beaten back nature (damn near throttled her to death, even), overcome our inability to fly, and are even throwing the finger to death itself as medical science advances.

As the old adage goes, life isn't fair. I'm going to do something about that. I'm not smart enough to come up with any plans for world peace, or negotiate kindness into people's hearts, but what I can do is redistribute resources. It's not enough to just throw money at charities, you have to be intelligent about how you invest your funds so that it does the most good. I think I can do a better job than Bono.

But first, I have to establish a stable financial base for myself, and then figure out where that money's going to come from, in a way that doesn't fuck over the little guy and defeat my own purpose. So, one thing at a time. I'm not going to fool myself into thinking I'm going to radically change the world all by myself, but individual human achievement is measured in baby steps. It's when all those tiny individual efforts start to add up that you see progress, and I intend to do my small part.

I suppose, living up to my so called potential is my thing. I'm a religious bible type person but some times like lately the text falls short of giving me some higher calling byond meeting or exceeding my personal responsibilities within my sphere of influence. I can be called an angry type when others are depressed and i'm mad now and have been mad at the challenges of my life.
I hate feeling like a loser and mabe thats what keep me going.

What keeps me going is the ridiculous notion that one day things'll get better. But I try, and that's why I'm still here. My children give me meaning, and I live for the day I can see them again. Just to meet my daughter would be nice.

Things like the internet, Gamingforce in particular, and the gym keep things tolerable for me.

I have several goals in the future that I'm working to accomplish. My family is also a very important force at the moment, and there are a few things that I hope to do for them once I'm established.

I also enjoy each day in general. There are many places I still want to see, and I never lose interest in the opportunity to learn something new.

I live pretty much to see what will happen next. Life is like a video game and I want to get to the next level. Who wants to end the game on the second level? I want to drive a flying car like in the Jetsons.

...

well, there is my wife, my son and my family, too... haha if my wife reads this, it just might be Game Over for me.

I wake up and I have two basic choices: "I'll make this day great as best as I can" or "Fuck this. Shitty day, shitty mood, why bother with fuckwits around me?"

And I choose the former and find things to learn, to appreciate, to do. Just focusing on the positives a day at a time.

The possibility of beauty and positivity.

Music.

It's the only thing I've got left.

The knowledge that, well, this is it. I better make the most of it.

Still searching for the meaning. I'll keep going on until I find it. Once I find it, hopefully that will keep me going until the end.

Maybe that's why people never find it.

Because once they do, they'll stop caring.

Knowing that people care about me is enough to give my life meaning. It helps me sleep at night to know that I mean something to something, and know that it could feel just as important to give a damn back to them. Perhaps, it works in that direction towards them too. The more you give, the more you get back I guess...

knowing that I can help other people
doing good
God, Religion
family
..the things that give me meaning in live

Althought is there REALLY any meaning to life? We're here and we're alive, maybe that it is. I think maybe, as humans, we are a little self-centered thinking that we are the greatest life form on this planet and that it is all meant for us. There are other creatures here, yet we never think about what THERE meaning of life is, we just shoot 'em down, kill 'em off and build another mall and/or parking garage where there homes used to be...

My life is given meaning by the fact that the universe screwed us out of THE meaning, and it's my job to find A meaning. How does my life relate to the existence of God? What is the root of existence? What does it mean to be conscious? What is the connection behind the veil that connects us all, if there is one?

Granted, I don't think of that stuff every day. The meaning of my life on the off days is to eat a good muffin and not be such a jerk to people. You know, the day-to-day important stuff.

The things I want most in life are to travel, meet people to gain some great friends, find the woman of my dreams, and to be worth something to a lot of people.

I would like to travel to a lot of different places on Earth to photograph, and to record where I've been. Doing this as a job would be ideal. I don't know what drives this.. maybe the countless years of playing RPGs where you discover the secrets of the world, who knows.

Friends... I have one best friend, and about 2 or 3 really good friends. To be brutally honest, they really aren't that exciting. They don't go outside to be active nor to clubs/parties/etc. I don't feel a strong connection with some of them. I just want that kind of friend that's like a brother.

Women. In my mind, I'm looking for that woman you just click with, and feel comfortable with right from the time you meet. She's beautiful to match. I've had a taste of this kind of experience and it is phenomenal. I guess if there was an answer to why anyone does anything in life, this might be it.

These are what drive me. Finding a way to make these dreams a part of my life, I think that's what drives me.

I think true meaning in life is realizing that you are just a part of a larger scheme. People have lived for thousands of years. When we think of the people that lived in Ancient Eygpt and died to create the pyramids, we don't think of them as people with lives, with hopes, with friends, they are just things we read about in a history book and what makes us an different?

A thousand years from now, maybe someone will find a print out of this thread and maybe say "Wow, cool." and toss it in a box in his room somewhere and never think of us again.

Our life is just a footnote in history.

Finding the meaning of my life gives my life meaning. Truly I say that it is the journey of finding the self that allows me to cherish what I come across.

As of right now, I feel that I've finally grasped the essence of the self. Hopefully as I progress in my life and live to see yet another day, I'll expand on it, and ultimately, find my place in this world. :)

-----

What gives life meaning? Death. To know that it is not going to last forever, is enough for me to realize how valuable my life is.

myself, my goals, my family, my friends, music, smiles, laughing, hugs, dancing, breathing, enjoying the little things

Seeing what the future holds keeps me going, as do my family and friends. I suppose games and music do as well, but they are probably at the bottom of this little list I have here. My family give me the most meaning to my life.

Like what Capo said, the main thing that gives my life meaning is that either I do it, or I don't. I can either kill myself and extinguish my life, make an insignificant, and momentary impact on my friends and family...

Or live. It's really that simple.

Of course, I have other reasons (like money <3), but that's the main thing: I either live, or I don't. 'Cause, what else can I do, right?

My job. I work at a day care center, and I love working with little kids. It's so fun watching them play and learn and try new things. I'm always coming home with stories about the cute things the kids did that day, about the stories they told. Every day is different and exciting.
And of course my boyfriend, but that's no surprise...

What makes me wake up in the morning?...

I love talking to people, helping them sort out whatever problems they have, even though my advice might not be the greatest thing there is. But I think knowing that you can make a little bit of a difference in some one's life is really rewarding, and really makes whatever time you have on earth worthwhile.

Learning new things is also a great reason. Still in school and what not, and even though the day can get a little dreary, just learning new things about people, or about the way the world works is just awesome.

The beauty of the world. We've got so much going for us in the world, everything is just as it is, perfect, yet we're continuing to destroy it slowly, slowly. It's really sad. But, being able to get up on a clear Winter's morning is lovely, feeling the cold fresh air...

And finally, because of the people that I love. Because they love me (I think... *shifty eyes*) and sometimes they're going to need me. And if I just skip out on them... I couldn't do it.

So friends, family, and the boy... It's mostly for them.

Certainly not writing. It used to, but as my entry in War of the Words II will soon prove, you'd be hard-pressed to tell that that was once the case... But, soon it will again, hopefully. :)

Dr. Pepper, Giant Robots, and Women.

I agree with RainMan. Just the fact that I know that my time here is limited makes me want to get up everyday and do something that will make me feel that life is worth living. I'm not suicidal or anything, but knowing that I will eventually die gives me the chills and makes me grateful to be alive.

Used to be my better half. I shouldn't have relied on her for something like that... hindsight is 20/20. I have found that I can derive a temporary sense of fulfillment from challenging myself to do something new and succeeding. But meaning... I don't really think my life has any more meaning than a single grain of sand in the ocean.

Mostly, I think living has become a habit I can't bring myself to kick.

.............................

nothing.

But it's OUR footnote nonetheless...

Hope gives my life meaning. Living with a perspective of hope in an age of cynicism, fear and dispair provides the edge to for me to take risks and reap rewards.
My hope is that my God is helping me & my family at this moment.
My hope is that my future is one of victory over anything, even death so long as I persevere.

I find lots of meaning through ironic situations that occur daily. I laugh a lot at people's expenses.

Nearly nothing depresses or anger me for more than a few hours, and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm not an optimist, nor am I a go-getter.

Something that gives my life meaning as well is the thought that perhaps every event is predetermined and based off a series of previous occurances. I don't believe there are accidents. "Random" is a term we use to describe that which we can't explain because we can't predict highly complex patterns yet, and maybe it's determined that there will always be things that are meant not to be known. Regardless, everything happens for a reason, and everything is sequential. Because of this, everything can be interconnected. I'd rather get too deep into my personal philosophy, so I'll leave you with the above vague description.

I don't know that there is some higher deity, nor does it really change the outcome of my life, because really I've had no choice since its beginning.

In my spare time, I like to program, probably because it makes me feel like a god in the limited domain of a computer. I often attempt game development, but usually this results in failure. Either way, it's fun to learn and do.

I exist. That is meaningful enough.

the little things. like how the world is upside down in the beads of rain on the car window :)

my friends...my family...football....lol

Work.









My life's empty. :(

Writing. Enjoy living. Band. :D

A mixture of things really.

Music is definately a big part of my life. I wouldn't be whole, I wouldn't be me without it. Literature is another one. I can almost always be found reading. My friends are also really important to me, and my family as well.

GFF brings meaning to my life...j/k.

But to be serious. I really don't know if I have anything that brings to my life per ce. Maybe its a conglomeration of things. If I really had to be specific, I would say other people. Other people bring meaning to my life. In everything I do, I try to think of how it will interfere with and/or affect someone elses life and plans. If it hinders someone else too much, I generally don't do it. I find that everything I do can be traced back two the basic saying of "don't do anything to hurt anyone". Yah, so its other people who give meaning to my life. If it wasn't for them, I would just do whatever.

Enjoying life is the first reason... As well the idea that you might mean something for anyone could help me get out of bed. and of course: 'A day without laughing is a day without living...'

What wakes me up in the morning is that I'm not able to sleep long. As well as I wonder if today is the day that I die, how I will die, who else did and how they did.

I'm starting to find the whole concept of death fun or something similar to that. Not that I'm all suicidal, I try to enjoy whatever amount of time is meant for me. You might as well too, it's not like you're going to live forever.

People... I love meeting people, seeing the world move. Not just people, all of life and other parts of the world that just make me look at and say "Wow..."

I guess the fact that I am able to do things like go to school beyond high school and knowing I can make something of myself. And I live to get up and write. I love to write. And read...and my friends. I love my friends. They're moreso my family.

Writing for a living. Wasn't sure that it'd happen, but it did and I kinda feel like I've arrived. Had to skip states to do it, though. What a cliche.

My family,friends,pets, and most definitely OZZ and Albel. They keep me going.

My family is always there for me,esp. my daddy. ;d Leo,my maltese, is like my best friend. OZZ has helped me through so many things. Knowing that Im going to get to see him,that he loves me no matter what, or just hearing his voice helps me feel better. He's stuck by me so much. And of course Albel,the little bundle of cuteness, I know he is going to love me no matter what. ;d

Several things, but mainly just to see what the new day will bring. Will it be awesome? Will it suck? Will it be a release date for Spore? Will it be a penny on the sidewalk? A new song on the radio? The next episode of that awesome show? Who knows! Something happens every day, I just can't wait to find out what.

Nothing gives my life meaning anymore. I just live, because I'm alive. I see no reason behind anything that I do...or I'm just depressed again.

I still can and want to wake up in the morning just because I know life is precious, and I want to live it fully and truly.

Besides, I've got so much I want to do or to finish. I'm writing a novel right now, and it's still far from being finished. I also draw everyday (hopefully I can draw a manga). I also compose music. Ther are still other things I like to do, not as daily routines, but as life's essence. Why should I abandon these things?

Another day alive means another day closer to the future release of Final Fantasy XIII. I'm just kidding. But it used to be like that for me in the summer. Wake up really early and play games all day.

Now I live to go to school. I love the classes I'm taking and the peers I interact with. Another day in school is another day to meet new people and see familiar faces.

Well..

What gives my life meaning.....

I guess.. it's the thought of a bright and happy future -

At least at the moment.. I have the feeling that everyone is leaving - (not moving away to another city - more like.. they don't want to accompany me anymore)

Furthermore.. I used to like composing .. and photographing ... since there's nobody who would share my joy in it.... I lose it... and I end up alone .. just sitting.. and thinking about life and what I could do to change this situation... and that makes everything worse...

too bad -

Why should life have a meaning? Why do people think live owes us a meaning? I've often thought about the question myself but not an answer. I could come up with a list of 6 things but against the backdrop of the cosmos it seems extremely narrow. The best answer I can give and the only one that makes any sense is, I live for life. I live to see what the future will bring.

Why, doesn't that means you want to live for basically nothing; just depend on hands of Fate? People make goals and try to achieve them everyday...not just to get by and see the future.

Don't you wish to make your own future? It's better than only sitting and waiting.

I would say just the opposite. I think he makes goals like everyone else, but he does not base his meaning on them. Living for life, to see what will happen. Just think, how many things happened today that you were not expecting? Life is an adventure, you make it and it makes you. There is no other way around it.

I see what you mean. But sometimes you can't just wait and see what will happen to life. Some things are to be fought and to be made. I believe that things are controlled by God, but surely there are things we can make, we can earn, and we can change.

:tpg:


Back in the days of elementary school, I didn't believe I was useful for anything nor was there anything I thought I should live for (being constantly harassed by dumbfucks for peers was a major factor). But anyway...

I feel pretty confident that I'm here for a lot of reasons. One, like others have said, is music. It still amazes me how so many VGM and film composers can write a wide variety of material just for the sake of aural enjoyment... I grew up hearing the works of Kondo, Ishikawa, Wise and numerous others playing video games as as kid.

Another reason is getting a good education. I try to do my absolute best in high school, and nothing less, so that I can have the choice of going to university in the future, and more options on what job I'd like to have.

Lastly, but most important, is the friends I have. I hardly have any in real life but those who I am friends with on GFF and other places are simply the best I could have. I'd have to say that they are the reason for bringing me out of my state of depression that ended about two years ago. Life in general is just so much better when you have someone to talk to, and not just for personal problems.

Elevators.

I love riding in all sorts of elevators from around the world. What people really seek is a purpose that cannot be fulfilled in their life time, which gives a sense of eternity.

There are many elevators in the world, and I cannot possibly go on every single one of them within my lifetime. Therefore, my life has purpose and meaning.

How is it compatible that life could have meaning while under the influence of God? If God exists then humans are a pathetic lot indeed. Every choice you make is the outcome caused by God. If things are controlled by God then there is nothing you can make, earn, and change. All of these things are planned out even before your birth.

The failed counter argument is that God gave us free will. That is wholly incompatible with God's omnisicience. Free will can only merely be an illusion. God already knows every choice and their outcome long before you ever make the choice.

People often say they wouldn't want to live in a universe without God. I wouldn't want to live in a universe where there is God!

How can you have a want to live in either when you don't have free will?

Unless you do the logical thing and diminish the qualities of God. Throw out omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, and benevolence and the problem with the arguments from pain or qualitative paradoxes go away. You're left with a potentially undesirable deity that lacks perfection, but a God nonetheless.

Man exists with the qualities we find undesirable in a God, why cannot a God exist in them as well?

With that said, I find that my "reason" is actually quite close to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The push through my day comes from the process of self-actualization, and namely -- learning. The ability to process sensation and information is one that I find drives me.

Socrates once said that the unquestioned life is not worth living. I hold that the life without learning is not worth living.

One thing for sure; GOD is NOT totally absolute. GOD does control most of our choices and path, but S/HE gives us something in return. S/HE gives us free will. In this part, I have to agree with you. But the thing is, GOD may have already made a path for anyone to be walked through, but the choice to do it or not (once again) lies in the hands of us. GOD is omnipotent, and GOD controls all, but after all, S/HE only creates templates, and the rest is for us. S/HE is flexible, after all.

You know, some people say and believe that GOD is actually a little kid who does nothing other than watching human, playing jokes on human, and laughs at us. Most certainly, I agree on these.

Here's the news people: Life has no meaning. There is no reason for you to be here. Our existence is without purpose. You know everything you do has no impact on human civilization. You are a blip. All things listed here are just time killers, things to do, entertainments. They are the things you do to occupy yourselves so you can forget that your life is inherently useless. Life, for all it's sound and fury, signifies nothing.

And I, for one, feel pretty good about it.

Then, do you agree with suicide and killing? If you say that life has no meaning, then it's OK to end it whenever we want to, with or without any reason.

Suicide? totally. I have no qualms if people want to end their own lives; it's their life to do whatever with.

Killing? as in other people? No. Killing is bad. Here's why: even though I believe life has no purpose, doesn't mean I don't enjoy living. I just don't delude myself into thinking there's a reason for me to be here. And I'm pretty sure most everyone else feels this way too (the bit about enjoying life). So really, it's just flat out mean to kill somebody else without their permission. I feel that the golden rule applies here; if you don't want anyone to kill you, then don't go killing others.

And if that's not good enough, well then, since life is meaningless, every action you take is without purpose, so killing somebody is just a waste of time and energy and why bother really?

What if you enjoy doing it?

well, some people do. But they're usually insane.

You know, Whinehurst, after giving a lot of thought about, actually you have claimed that life HAS a meaning. For you, the meaning itself is meaningless.

um, no: meaningless= without meaning To say that life has meaning by being meaningless is like dividing by zero.

If you really want to get down to it, the meaning of our lives is to propagate our DNA. Plain and simple. We only exist as a means by which our DNA can be passed on to future generations.

That's really irrelevant, though. Live life for life. Enjoy it while you can.

I'm with you all over the place on that one, Capo. i guess that's also my point, when i said I felt pretty good about it. I only think of it as meaningless cause the way i see it, something the exists only to insure its existence is pretty stupid.

But fuck it, here we are, it's a freebie. We don't have to do anything to earn life, we just have it. Go have fun.

Wouldn't the meaning of life to be to enjoy it as much as possible, then? =\

(Taking meaning to be the point of something.)

Well, the way i see it seems to be harder to explain than i thought. When i say meaning and purpose, i mean that we are here on earth to do a very specific thing. I don't believe that very specific thing exists. And i like that it doesn't exist, because it allows me to fill in the gap with whatever i want. So basically, i'm mostly agreeing with you, i'm just defining it a little differently.

I guess, here's the thing, I don't believe in a Creator thing that made humans. So how can i think that there was a reason for us to be made? Since i believe our existence is basically a fluke, i believe we just get to be alive and intelligent and conscious for free.

If there is no reason for us to live, then why are we created in the first place? It's just a waste of energy, time, and ingredients. We are breathing right now because we are to have something, even if we are destined to do nothing at all. THAT is the purpose of life.

Even if you say it's basically MEANINGLESS; OUT OF MEANING, you still give it one fundamental base; that life's meaning is null.

That's the thing, I don't believe in a creator. So that question's irrelevant. I believe we are the result of complexity, that life was not intended, it just is.

I don't know how to better clarify this, but I'll try: Either there IS meaning, or there IS NOT meaning. They are polar opposites. One can not be the other. It's like binary. It's either ON or OFF. You can not have something be ON because it is OFF. You can not have NOTHING and SOMETHING at the same time.

I'm not filling out a form (Meaning of Life: Null)
I'm saying there is no form ( )

Like I already said, we've evolved from the most basic lifeforms to better pass on our DNA from generation to generation. That is the fundamental "meaning" of all life on Earth. That should be meaningless, though, in the way with which you carry on your life. Live it to the fullest, because, really, what else have we got?

I definitely do not agree that each person is born into this world to do a specific thing, that's a silly thing to think. For one, I would find it pretty sad to be put here to do one specific task. Seems like an underutilization of resources, God. ;)

I do think that to have happiness you must have purpose. Purpose, in this case, is not an intrinsic mission you're sent on from high, it's what you yourself are striving to do. My purpose is to be a great computer programmer. One's purpose can change, too. For example, when(if?) I have children, perhaps I'll develop an additional purpose to be a good father.

There's already been a lot of argument in this space by philosophers going back thousands of years. It might be helpful to go back and take a look and see what folks smarter than you & I have come up with.

I was just reading some Vonnegut, and this line struck me as perfect for this thread.

"A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved."

=)

If you can't kill other people, then life has value, and if life has value, then any number of sophists could swing that around to have meaning. I'm not too sure there's any value in having that discussion though.

Myself, I get up in the morning to show off to people who are inferior to me. The problem with referencing love is that I'm not sure many people know what it is.

Well, if God creates you to be a slack off individual, it must be really sad. If you think that way and will not do anything about it, just watch things go by, it would be worse than a sad story. "The unexamined life is not worth living." I couldn't be agreed more.

What keeps me waking up is my significant other as you say. What keeps me calm of all the shit in life is music . Life is a dream to me sometimes. A dream I can never wake up from. But as Garra said "I never will cease to exist as long as there are people to kill." ! feel the same way except the killing part . But the answer to your question is you. you keep your life a meaning 2 live.We give meaning to our lives thats why we exist

After I gave a lot of thoughts (again...because of insomnias), I remembered what I claimed to be a meaning of life when I was younger.

It is to be a witness of life.

i would have to say, ditto ^_^ life just seems right and complete ^_^ that, and my hopes and dreams for the future (btw, i'm barely keeping my eyes open right now so if that post didn't make sense it's due to procrastinating sleep ^^; )

I suppose I should update this, considering my last post had my boyfriend as one of my major meanings to life... and he has since decided that he loves his girlfriend from four years ago more.

Anyways, I find myself focusing mostly on what I plan to do after college now. Only one more year, and my future needs to be worked on. As sad as it is to say this, that's probably one of the few things keeping me going at this point. I'm looking so forward to moving to NYC, working for a publishing company while working on my own writing on the side, and finally being able to do stuff for myself... so excited about it.

well, it's hard to get up in the morning i must say ^_^; i stay in bed for another 2 hours or so after waking up :P but maybe i'm just lazy that way. what does make me get up though is the thought of maybe seeing my bf later during the day. or just b/c i feel icky and have a headache from being in bed for so long :P anyhoo, i know i must put more meaning into my life right now :erm: that's how i feel anyway

The meaning of life? The Cosmos tends to cycle in increasingly complex patterns, and life refers to patterns of a certain level of complexity. For the purposes of this post, life means the conscious experience that we can agree upon.

I live to make positive changes in the lives of those who are close to me. I live to move human evolution forward. I live to grow, to love, to create, to shed light on redundancies in human behavior. I live to one day be the best father possible, and pass on what I've learned to later generations.

I live to witness human evolution, to see advances in technology. I want to know if our species is smart enough to survive it's own greed. I live to shatter ignorance and illusion. I live to make the future better. I live to give folk reason for optimism.

Continuing consciousness is the most important thing in the universe. I live to ensure that there are more opportunities for the universe to experience itself. I live to increase the chances that it's an enjoyable one.

Family, friends, and sports. Without them, I honestly would have no reason to get up in the morning other than pure motivation to prove someone wrong who doubted me.

At some point I hope to find a significant other that I can start a family with, which will give me more meaning to life.

What gives my life meaning
 

Music, that's for sure. My fascination for it has been growing since I've first touched the old piano in my house. Other things would be friends and family since its what you see everyday. Hope, choices and goals too give life meaning. These things give me a sense of direction. Surely if not for these I would probably be leading a fuzzy unclear life. Living life with the end in mind surely helps me see things from a broader perspective. :)

Every single thing about my life is what I live for. I'm just so simply happy to be in existence in the first place that every scent, sight, sound, feeling, and taste stirs up my blood and makes every day an exciting experience.

Simply being grateful for my position in life definitely contributes to this overall ecstasy that I derive from life. The fact that I am able to actually survive with little effort on a day-to-day basis is something that I cherish to no end. I think of all the people in this world who have the insufficient supplies to stay properly fed and hydrated and feel so bad that they are not able to live comfortable lives with the bare-minimum needs fulfilled. Then I reflect that unto my own life and always come to the same conclusion: I have no reason not to enjoy every single moment of my life, for everything is urging me to do so. In fact, with these requirements met, I have time to try and figure out ways to help those less fortunate than I.

Damn good point. :)

A while ago, it was video games, and music. Video games lost their charm. music is still important, but it doesn't give my life meaning. it's more of a hobby now.

My girlfriend is the one thing that gives my life meaning as of now. Unfortunately, I haven't seen her, talked with her, or had any kind of contact with her in over a week, because her parents are over protective. Trust me, it's and ugly ordeal. They even complained to the sheriff. Luckily, the guy was nice enough and was basically on my side about it.

It might be considered as a silly answer, but dreaming is the way to go for me.

Every night I can simply forget about myself and embrace night as deep as she is.

The world moves for love. So do I.

Is it sad to say that a girl that I've known for about five months now gave a totally new meaning to my life? Crazy shit, these women...