The Meaning of Life

United States
March 9, 2010 3:45am CST
Its a well known question "What is the meaning of life?" Many people have attempted to find the answer. Some think they have found the answer. Its a pretty vague question. What exactly is being asked? "What is the meaning of Life?" I have always thought the real question was "What is the purpose of life?" But I don't think you can answer it so simply. I believe that each life has its own answer. So what I'm asking is. What is the meaning of your life? What is your purpose? What do you want to achieve with the life that you've been given?
11 responses
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
11 Mar 10
That's a tough one because there is no easy answer. I think that all life has meaning and it is not limited to the here and now. I think that the purpose of my life may not be for the moment...It may be for something to come in the future. Some purposes are never even realized.
• United States
11 Mar 10
yep. Thanks for the comment.
• Philippines
12 Mar 10
come to think of it. life has no meaning. we eat, play and sleep everyday. But the purpose of living is to make our creator happy. We were created in his image with the purpose to glorify HIM. And to tell everyone how great He is. Without God life has no purpose and meaning.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
12 Mar 10
Hi superspidy..I appreciate your opinion. I just can't believe that there is no purpose for all the trials and suffering that alot of people are exposed to. Life has not been eating, playing, and sleeping for everyone. I think that there is a bigger plan and it consists of more than sharing my religous beliefs. There are alot of causes and I think that people are taken more seriously by what they do than what they say. I think that life is a journey.
• Philippines
9 Mar 10
Wow. A very existential question, very tough! There is a difference though, between the question "what is the meaning of life" and "what is the meaning of MY life." The former offers many answers which each individual can respond to, based on their own understanding of what life is in the EXTERIOR. It can be answered by saying what one's priorities are and what things matter the most for each person - such as camaraderie, relationships, love, helping others, etc. Answers are not as deep and transcended though, since the question itself doesn't penetrate the deeper meaning of life inherent in each being. To answer the latter question though, is life long process, which one is only able to answer through the various episodes in life whe or she goes through. It is a lifelong process to know what the meaning of our life is, and sometimes we can even think that our purpose is to know what that is.
• United States
9 Mar 10
So you have not found the answer yet. Maybe some people aren't meant to know what their purpose is. hmm like wild cards. They're just there to mix things up a bit. You've given me more to think about.
• United States
10 Mar 10
Oh I think I know what my purpose is. I've always had the strange dreams, and other events, but its a little hard for me to believe, so I avoid it. I know if it is my purpose I won't be able to avoid it much longer. Good luck to you as well.
• Philippines
9 Mar 10
Yeah, actually I haven't. And true, maybe people aren't really meant to know what their purpose is, it can be that, because knowing it can be a bit too transcendental to know, too much for us to think about lol. Wow your questions sure got me thinking philosophically. Anyway, I guess everyone would like to know the answer to your question. Good luck on finding yours! Cheers!
• Philippines
10 Mar 10
For me, life exists within you when you can give hope, love and compassion to others. I think the very reason why we are given life, is so that we will be an instrument of good things such as love and compassion. I believe that not until i have lived this way, i can still not say i am living a life. For in our hearts is a desire implanted , the desire to love.This is why each of us was born in this cruel world.
• United States
10 Mar 10
Yes I think this is true about everyone. Some people don't seem to care what their purpose is, they're just happy with living their lives. Others feel empty, and unsatisfied, like there is something more they should be doing.
@besthope44 (12123)
• India
10 Mar 10
I feel life is a chance for us, to enjoy good and bad. Meet best and worst. Experience success and failure. Learn knowledge and non sense. To give and take. To love and hurt. You can enjoy all dimensions in a one life. So dont explore more what it is, rather live it..you will get the answers by urself.
• United States
10 Mar 10
You haven't found your purpose? Seems you're not interested in your purpose though.
• United States
10 Mar 10
This is the most tried and still unanswered question. You may find out later on, early, or maybe now. I am not to find because you learn it more into the future. I say to take your time and find clues
• United States
10 Mar 10
You haven't found your purpose yet?
• Malaysia
9 Mar 10
From my point of view, every human being, every animal has it's own role to play in this gigantic universe. We were born because the universe needs us to keep it in balance. We need to do our own part like go to school or go to work.. influence the environment and so on. and when we die.. it means that we have played our role and fulfilled our duty to the universe. In other words.. when we die.. the universe has no need for us anymore.
• United States
9 Mar 10
What is your role?
• Philippines
20 Apr 11
You'll be on your way knowing it. Human be remain human. and act like a human. Like human knows whats right from wrong. Human thinks, analize and conclude. Human eat, sleep, walk, speak and survive. Our role is to survie. I guess... you?
@23uday (2997)
• India
9 Mar 10
hi friend, The meaning of life is Love gives meaning to our lives – as do friendship, or art or faith in God. These are factors of true happiness, of inner peace, of feelings of harmony, allowing meaning to our existence. A man that is born falls into a dream like a man who falls into the sea. L-long life I- in F-for E-ever. have a good day.
• United States
9 Mar 10
What is the purpose aka meaning of your life?
@Detrox93 (106)
• United States
9 Mar 10
I haven't completely determined the meaning of my life yet. I am still trying to figure it out everyday, but I am sure mine is much different than anyone else's, or else I wouldn't be here. I enjoy making people laugh when they are sad, but giving people advice to set them straight. Later on they will be happy and thank me for the advice, because often people need someone to help them. I think I might be there to be a mentor for younger children, because I enjoy helping people out in a nice way and children are the future of the world.
• United States
10 Mar 10
Yes that could be it. You should get more involved in doing those things.
@megamatt (14291)
• United States
9 Mar 10
There are way too many meanings and interpretations to what the meaning of life entails. Many of us have guessed this over and over again for years and years. Has anyone gotten close to getting it correct? Perhaps they have in their own way, but can we really attach one meaning to something as complex with as many angles that life has to offer. I do agree that it really cannot be answered, as we have different experiences that will allow us to interpret the meaning of life. The meaning of my life is to live. To get the best out of my life with what has been giving me. Enjoy all of the highs in life and get the most out of the greatness that life has to offer. While at the same time, trying to make the most out of what is bad, by trying to apply myself to get myself in a better situation. Life is a mixture of both good and bad, but I have to get the most out of it. The meaning is pretty much what my purpose is. Like I said, to live to the best of my abilities. Get the most out of my life, rather it be the good or the bad or the indifferent. I think in many ways, whatever we decide to be our meaning of life is actually what our purpose will be. I hope to achieve the best that I can with what I have been given with life.
• United States
9 Mar 10
Do you think you have any purpose in life, other than just living for yourself? Like your here to help someone, or do something that effects humanity in some way?
@machivado (528)
• Indonesia
9 Mar 10
If only I knew the answer...But then again someone said that we already has the answer but still refusing it and eventually our mind will be more clouded than ever. So I try to appreciate things around me more while I still can. At present I believe the meaning of my life is whenever I feel conscious about myself.
• United States
9 Mar 10
I've thought this myself before too. But more detailed. There is a belief that all the souls already exist, and they are in heaven with God waiting for their chance to live their life on earth. Each has a mission. A purpose. A job to do on earth. But something happens, and people forget what they're suppose to do, or the get so caught up in the materials of the world, that they don't bother with it.
@didi13 (2926)
• Romania
20 Apr 11
The meaning of life .... Of course life can take on many meanings, from the perspective of a poor man limited angle of concerns and his own vision of things. One way we can include everyone can be self-experimentation with different ways that life offers us. Experimentation brings with it knowledge, understanding why birth (eventually). Maybe there's a great goal of humanity dedicated .. who knows, but we can not learn too soon when we have a primary level of awareness so people barely hit .. the difference between right and wrong. The sense that I see him on my bench is modest evolution, but a spiritual (from idea that the material world is an expression of the spiritual world). Everything we do, feel, think we learn something, nothing is wasted. Everyone has something to do in life, but a great one and do the same thing grow. And not only physiologically. If you look at history (one known) we see that humanity has undergone many men as manifestation is very diverse and sometimes falling, sometimes as high as that with these self-experiments and the world are born impressions that become the foundation of our knowledge. Whatever the truth about the meaning of life, human experience is a vivid, real, bringing knowledge and our luck that life just does not give us what we want, because then I remain very limited, stuck in preferences and attachments.