Why do we exist?

[Athiest33]

Pardon me if there's another post with this topic.

We work, to eat, to have shelter. We sleep, to have energy for the next day. And the cycle repeats. And repeats. Until we are taken away from it for good. But why, in the first place, is there a world? Is there a point?

Many consider this a negative view on life. I for one, just am curious.

Tell me your thoughts on the subject here.

[AlP]

Pardon me if there's another post with this topic.

We work, to eat, to have shelter. We sleep, to have energy for the next day. And the cycle repeats. And repeats. Until we are taken away from it for good. But why, in the first place, is there a world? Is there a point?

Many consider this a negative view on life. I for one, just am curious.

Tell me your thoughts on the subject here.

I'll give you a cookie if you make your signature about 20% the height it currently is =). It is an awesome video though.

I have two answers.

My first is that we are thinking creatures able to ask this question. Therefore we necessarily evolved that way. And here we are again asking the question.

My second answer is that although we evolved that way, there was no reason; nobody reasoned it. In other words there was cause but not reason. Nature is indifferent. Life is without inherent meaning or purpose. The meaning and purpose we have is the meaning and purpose humans have created for themselves throughout history. Some people draw it from things external to themselves like religion or science or TV. Others make it up for themselves. I do a bit of both but I prefer the latter.

[michael]

No, there's no point to existence -- at least not a point that is given to us from outside of ourselves.

And, really: Isn't it BETTER that way?  For example, let's say that you're a robot.  A scientist has just created you, and we'll assume for the sake of this example that you are self-aware, intelligent, etc. -- just like a human.

So which is the better robot to be: Robot A, who DOES have a point to his existence given to him by his creator (the scientist)?  He is supposed to serve the scientist, do what the scientist tells him, etc.

Or is it better to be Robot B, who was built without any outside purpose?  Robot B is free to create his OWN purpose and reason for living.  Robot B is free to explore all of the wonderful options available to him as a free, intelligent being.

There's an much-overused saying that "the purpose of life is to have a life of purpose".  Over-used, but true.  Each human being needs to find that purpose that makes THEM happy, not some invisible god in the sky.  Maybe they decide that their purpose is to be a writer.  Or the world's best father.  Or a great husband or wife.  Or a computer programmer.  Or a combination of several things.

It doesn't matter what it is.  What matters is that it's HIS/HER purpose, and not someone else's.  And that it makes them happy.

What do you guys think?

[Matrix]

To complete the life cycle. We're part of nature and everything else in it completes a life cycle. We can make ours more interesting, mind you, but at the end there is still that awe-inspiring 0. We exist to further our species along, but given our advanced brains, we find other and more facinating things to do. I think we exist for ourselves and for our species.

[NaturaLCalamity]

From a biological standpoint, the purpose of life is to reproduce, as with every living species on Earth. In my opinion, it seems that the purpose of life is to make money nowadays. While I agree with what everyone had to say, making money is probably the most important. Sucks, I know. But other than that, everyone should find their own happiness to benefit their needs and desires. If you're happy, go for it. If you're not happy, keep searching; you'll eventually find it.

[AlP]

From a biological standpoint, the purpose of life is to reproduce, as with every living species on Earth.

I think genes are as indifferent as the rest of nature. Their purpose is not to reproduce. They have no purpose. They might make their host less likely to be eaten. They might make their host more likely to mate.

In my opinion, it seems that the purpose of life is to make money nowadays. While I agree with what everyone had to say, making money is probably the most important. Sucks, I know. But other than that, everyone should find their own happiness to benefit their needs and desires. If you're happy, go for it. If you're not happy, keep searching; you'll eventually find it.

Yes! An external source of values. Literally a miserable source if you ask me. Like when people actually think a bottle of wine tastes better when they think it is more expensive. Swap the price labels in an experiment and they are tricked into thinking what is in truth inexpensive wine tastes better than it did before. What was valuable to them, the flavor or the dollars? How disheartening...

[disposablechild]

I actually am not going to add another thought into this post as my belief towards our creation or evolution or point or reason or sense or redundancy or redundancy, but. I don't think i really think much of the past. Our creation, or even past A.D. 1600s, I think i live my life now. What happened then, or why its happened, is then. my life is now, and later. That's what i try to worry about.

[rlrose328]

Why are we here?  Because we're here... to quote Rush.  I don't think there's anything more to it and I'm okay with that.