What is life?

Buzzov*en · 07-07-2011, 03:08 PM

Life is what we make of it, but life has no purpose. Yes we may have many different experiences, but at the end of the day that means nothing since we all die.

Guybrush · 07-09-2011, 04:57 AM

Life may have no ultimate purpose - it's a consequence of the way things are; order established from chaos through an ongoing evolution. But that doesn't mean we don't have a certain purpose. We get hungry and thirsty, so obviously we are "supposed" to eat and drink. We hurt and can get cold, so obviously we are "supposed" to stay away from injuring ourselves and exposing ourselves to harmful environments. We get horny, so we are "supposed" to have sex.

We're slaves to these things and so, even if one might say life is a consequence and has no ultimate agenda of it's own, you could still argue that we have a purpose .. I think!

djchameleon · 07-09-2011, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

Life may have no ultimate purpose - it's a consequence of the way things are; order established from chaos through an ongoing evolution. But that doesn't mean we don't have a certain purpose. We get hungry and thirsty, so obviously we are "supposed" to eat and drink. We hurt and can get cold, so obviously we are "supposed" to stay away from injuring ourselves and exposing ourselves to harmful environments. We get horny, so we were "supposed" to have sex.

We're slaves to these things and so, even if one might say life is a consequence and has no ultimate agenda of it's own, you could still argue that we have a purpose .. I think!

We do have a basic purpose to sustain ourselves and also to survive unless the individual has given up and doesn't care about surviving anymore.

Howard the Duck · 07-09-2011, 06:13 AM

Life is the inverse of death

Guybrush · 07-09-2011, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

We do have a basic purpose to sustain ourselves and also to survive

The trick, I think, is understanding and coming to terms with exactly why this is so.

djchameleon · 07-09-2011, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

The trick, I think, is understanding and coming to terms with exactly why this is so.

that's the thing, I don't get why it's so hard for people to just accept that's the way things are instead of trying to understand why it's happening.

Guybrush · 07-09-2011, 08:06 AM

I think science has got the why pretty much covered (that is, roughly why we evolve and why we've developed behaviours and "purposes" like those described above), but people generally don't try to understand it. As a biologist, I feel the why is pretty much covered, it's just the details of exactly how it happened which are hard to figure out.

The Batlord · 07-11-2011, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

that's the thing, I don't get why it's so hard for people to just accept that's the way things are instead of trying to understand why it's happening.

Because I can't. I can't help but sit around and contemplate my existence. It's just sort of a compulsion. I could give you reasons why we should be curious about it, but I think people that do question existence would do it regardless of whether or not they could come up with a reason.

~~[MERIT]~~ · 07-11-2011, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Because I can't. I can't help but sit around and contemplate my existence. It's just sort of a compulsion. I could give you reasons why we should be curious about it, but I think people that do question existence would do it regardless of whether or not they could come up with a reason.

I agree. It's hard not to contemplate and question your place in the universe and your reason for living, seeing as how none of us asked to nor wanted to be born, it was forced upon us.

Guybrush · 07-11-2011, 05:45 PM

More people should read the Selfish Gene

07-07-2011, 03:08 PM	#41 (permalink)
Buzzov*en Anxiety Hangover Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Gardenia Posts: 501	Life is what we make of it, but life has no purpose. Yes we may have many different experiences, but at the end of the day that means nothing since we all die. __________________ Save the environment, shoot yourself in the head. And when there is no hope I'll smoke some crack I'll shoot some dope.

07-09-2011, 04:57 AM	#42 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	Life may have no ultimate purpose - it's a consequence of the way things are; order established from chaos through an ongoing evolution. But that doesn't mean we don't have a certain purpose. We get hungry and thirsty, so obviously we are "supposed" to eat and drink. We hurt and can get cold, so obviously we are "supposed" to stay away from injuring ourselves and exposing ourselves to harmful environments. We get horny, so we are "supposed" to have sex. We're slaves to these things and so, even if one might say life is a consequence and has no ultimate agenda of it's own, you could still argue that we have a purpose .. I think! __________________ Something Completely Different Last edited by Guybrush; 07-09-2011 at 06:57 AM.

07-09-2011, 08:06 AM	#47 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	I think science has got the why pretty much covered (that is, roughly why we evolve and why we've developed behaviours and "purposes" like those described above), but people generally don't try to understand it. As a biologist, I feel the why is pretty much covered, it's just the details of exactly how it happened which are hard to figure out. __________________ Something Completely Different

07-11-2011, 05:45 PM	#50 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	More people should read the Selfish Gene __________________ Something Completely Different