What is the purpose of my existence?

[GaryKelly]

There was such a brilliant reaction to my past new topic that I figured I'd court some more brain cells. I'm currently writing a murder mystery that features a couple of teen super sleuths in 'The Inevitable Murder of Horace Fink' (which I'll publish free soon on www.kellytrader.com ). In a recent chapter, the main character - Dickson Bottoms - hehe, I couldn't resist - wonders about his role as an individual and the purpose of his existence, so he has a little chat with himself late at night after difficulty sleeping. The 'other' voice in his head argues the point and suggests that purpose is not part of the existence package and that an individual has to search for that himself...that the age-old question of 'who am I and what the hell am I doing here?' is irrelevant. What do you think?

[Krista]

Hello,

 

From your short description of this story it seems interesting and complex. Probably not something I would pick up at first glance, but would probaby read and enjoy. The Title is also catchy.

 

 

Anyway, Welcome to GA

 

 

Lol - since I completely missed the reason for this post (been known to be a ditzy blonde on occassion) let's see what I can come up with now.

 

Personally, people need a purpose in life to feel accomplished and fulfilled in one way or another. Some people look for these large grand schemes and fall short and others don't see how important they really are. Some people could be afraid of their purpose or hate it altogether.

 

I believe a person needs a purpose in life. It was forces people out of bed in the mornings to strive to accomplish it. So they can either move on or be happy - either way fulfilling your purpose is what drives you on. I also don't see a purpose to life being what defines a person.

 

As for myself, right now my purpose is to help out at home so the needs of my little brothers and sisters are met. When I move in with my boyfriend soon my purpose will be to hopefully become the person he's going to want to spend the rest of his life with. It will be the one thing that I will be striving to complete. So my purpose in life will be changing as time passes.

 

 

Krista

[Graeme]

An interesting question, but a lot tougher to answer.

 

While we all feel better if there is a purpose to what we do, I don't think we can ever "know" if we have a purpose, or what that purpose is. However, if we act as if there is a purpose, and preferably a noble purpose, then I think that suffices.

 

If you like, we search for our own purpose, and it should be one that satisfies us -- even if few others consider it worthwhile or interesting.

 

On that basis, I have several purposes (father, husband, writer) which can be bundled together into one statement:

 

I'm going to show the world that I'm the best gay dad that I can be.

[Camy]

42 - according to 'The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. As good an answer as any.

[MMandM]

IMO life's only purpose is for each of us to make of it what we will, you can be an observer or a participant, you can be a constructive contributor or a destructive critic, you can be a friend and neighbor or a murderer, you can make history or you can read history, it is your choice.

Edited May 23, 2007 by MarkInAlisoViejo

[Menzoberranzen]

Life has no inherent purpose. (Yay for nihilism) Most people live only to die and be forgotten. What purpose did they serve? That is up to the individual to decide. Ayn Rand raised this point in her defense of selfishness as a moral option. We have no higher purpose than ourselves, and therefore it is a moral imperative to pursue our own happiness. I'm not saying I agree with everything she says - and complete selfishness leads to unhappiness anyway - but it is the most rational 'purpose' that I have heard so far.

[Andy]

42 - according to 'The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. As good an answer as any.

 

No, No, NO. that is the answer to the greatest question of Life The Universe And Everything. Theres a difference (one possible solution to the question posed by the answer to the greatest question of life the universe and everything involves Base 13...)

 

 

In answer to the original question. Who knows? How can anyone really know?

 

Um, and anthropic prinicpal? We exist as we do so that we can question why we exist.

[Luc]

I believe that the purpose of my existence is to die, at which point my body will:

• Provide food for various other forms of life
   
  
• Provide material necessary for the growth of other forms of life
  

In essence, I am food and fertilizer. Maybe that sounds like an unpleasant purpose, but it doesn

[colinian]

Again, to quote that great philosopher, Popeye:

 

I YAM WHAT I YAM!

 

That makes sense to me. Add: be a good person, be honest, be trustworthy, help people when needed, be happy, tell your partner every day that you love him/her and mean it.

 

Life is good when you laugh, life is better when you make someone else laugh.

 

Colin

[JamesSavik]

Seen on a mens room wall in Texas:

 

 

I sTink, therefore I am.

 

 

Texans are such philosophers...

[Adrian Michaels]

My, what deep questions we've been asking on the forums... And its sooo late for me to be trying to discuss this.

 

I guess, in all honesty, I don't really know what my purpose in life is. Perhaps I'm too young to know. I mean, I have some ideas on what I would like to happen, but only time well tell.

 

Until a few months ago, I wanted to be a doctor. I was going to become a world-famous surgeon. My techniques would be effective and medical schools all across the country would be teaching my methods to new surgeons. Of course, I also realized that I would like to have a social life, so being a surgeon wouldn't be the best choice. I walked away from a dream that I've had since 5th grade. It was very hard.

 

But, now I think I've found something better. I've always been good at public speaking, and things like that. I'm also pretty interested in how politcs work and how goverments are run. So now I'm Pre-Law...

 

My dream goal?? I'm a Legal Studies major with a emphasis in Criminal Justice. I'm going to Law School (Not sure where, but U Wisconsin and U Minnesota are top choices... of course it all depends on the LSAT.) and then I'm going to be a lawyer. I'd love to get polically active, fighting for civil rights, especially those affecting the LGBT community. I'd then become a judge, run for congress, pass new laws, etc.

 

I'd probably end up assassinated or something... But then they'd make a movie about my life. So I guess that could be cool.

 

Of course, there's always the chance that by the time I'm in law school, the whole civil rights thing will be accomplished. Then where would I be?? Who knows.

 

I believe that as long as you leave the world a little better than it was before you got there, then you have a purpose in life. Reach out and touch others. You don't have to make a huge impact, as long as you are making a postive one.

[GaryKelly]

IMO life's only purpose is for each of us to make of it what we will, you can be an observer or a participant, you can be a constructive contributor or a destructive critic, you can be a friend and neighbor or a murderer, you can make history or you can read history, it is your choice.

 

Yep, that was my question: is purpose a divine bequest or something that one needs to discover for oneself, and I think you answered that question in your final four words.

[GaryKelly]

I believe that the purpose of my existence is to die, at which point my body will:

• Provide food for various other forms of life
  
• Provide material necessary for the growth of other forms of life
  

In essence, I am food and fertilizer. Maybe that sounds like an unpleasant purpose, but it doesn't seem so to me. If you look at the "Earth" as a living thing and not just a rock we happen to inhabit, then everything on the Earth and within its atmosphere exists so that the Earth can continue to exist. Each substance exists to be used in some way by another substance. This is not a bad thing. There is constant recycling of material. Perhaps the Earth also exists to "feed" a larger "organism" or system.

 

So, you might wonder, why do we have the ability to think and contemplate and question such things as our existence if we only exist to die? Possibilities:

[*]To make the time pass as pleasantly as possible so that we will not be tempted to terminate our existence early

[GaryKelly]

My, what deep questions we've been asking on the forums... And its sooo late for me to be trying to discuss this.

 

I guess, in all honesty, I don't really know what my purpose in life is. Perhaps I'm too young to know. I mean, I have some ideas on what I would like to happen, but only time well tell.

 

Until a few months ago, I wanted to be a doctor. I was going to become a world-famous surgeon. My techniques would be effective and medical schools all across the country would be teaching my methods to new surgeons. Of course, I also realized that I would like to have a social life, so being a surgeon wouldn't be the best choice. I walked away from a dream that I've had since 5th grade. It was very hard.

 

But, now I think I've found something better. I've always been good at public speaking, and things like that. I'm also pretty interested in how politcs work and how goverments are run. So now I'm Pre-Law...

 

My dream goal?? I'm a Legal Studies major with a emphasis in Criminal Justice. I'm going to Law School (Not sure where, but U Wisconsin and U Minnesota are top choices... of course it all depends on the LSAT.) and then I'm going to be a lawyer. I'd love to get polically active, fighting for civil rights, especially those affecting the LGBT community. I'd then become a judge, run for congress, pass new laws, etc.

 

I'd probably end up assassinated or something... But then they'd make a movie about my life. So I guess that could be cool.

 

Of course, there's always the chance that by the time I'm in law school, the whole civil rights thing will be accomplished. Then where would I be?? Who knows.

 

I believe that as long as you leave the world a little better than it was before you got there, then you have a purpose in life. Reach out and touch others. You don't have to make a huge impact, as long as you are making a postive one.

 

Adrian, when I was your age I knew zip...now I know zip plus a tad more hehe. Whatever you do in life, mate, do it not only for yourself but also for others. That way, purpose will knock on your front door.

[Adrian Michaels]

Ok, all of this talk about Purpose has got me SOOOO close to singing that song from Avenue Q. But I won't so you won't have to put up with the ramblings of a crazy theatre kid.

 

Aww, Gary, that's really nice of you to say...

 

PS: YAY 100 POSTS!!! WHEEE

[glomph]

Somehow the question caused the word "gestalt" to pop into my head. I'm not completely sure why it did, but if you've ever had the word "gestalt" to pop into your head, you know how painful that can be.

 

The human brain puts things together and tries to make sense out of them. If you look at the landscape while riding in a car and listening to music, it can become like a movie soundtrack, and what you see will begin to fit with the music. Similarly, if you listen to music while watching an unrelated TV show with the sound turned down, especially if there is a lot of movement on the screen (such as a sporting event), the brain will make the two go together, like a ballet even.

 

If you look at life, you'll usually see a pattern, even if your brain has to invent it. If all you see is that we die and are forgotten, well, that's a pattern, too, and quite a strong one. And even if you find no purpose in most individuals' lives beyond that, you might be staring at one tile looking for meaning and missing the picture the tiles form in the mosaic.