Existential Malaise and the End of the Universe

[EdgeWiseInAnnArbor]

Hello,
When I'm having bad days, I get depressed by the ultimate fate of the universe (heat death, etc.). I know it's silly to have anything so far in the future affect me, but it still undermines the meaning of life for me (or interferes with cultivating a life of meaning, in positive psychology terms). I don't mind that my life is an eyeblink, or that I am insignificant, but to think that humanity and all life is ultimately doomed to fail to entropy, makes me very sad.

I do appreciate how lucky we are to be animate matter, to possibly uniquely be the very mind of the universe. I appreciate that each story must come to an end, but I am saddened still.

Can anyone relate to this? Does anyone have a tonic?

I do fine with a life of engagement, and a life of enjoyment, but my life of meaning is sorely lacking. Thank you.

[not your typical...]

Can anyone relate to this? Does anyone have a tonic?

Hello there. unfortunately, I cannot offer you a tonic, but I can say that by examining your life and filtering out what it ultimately unnecessary and adding more things that make you feel happy, can at least dull the sense of lacking purpose. What do you love to do? That one thing you can't live without? Do it. Often. That is the only advice I can really offer my friend. And while I'm at it, welcome to HAF. Glad to have you.
*Is proud cuz she beat Tank to it*

[Buddy]

Welcome to the forum! I would have to agree with not your typical..., when I feel down, I go do my favorite activity and I will feel loads better. 

[Tank]

Hi EWIAA

I think one's feeling of ultimate impotence in the face of nature/reality is the root of superstition and therefore institutionalised superstition (religion).

Welcome to HAF.

Regards
Chris

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[Asmodean]

Can anyone relate to this?

Welcome to HAF!

To answer your question, no, I can not. My life would more than likely have lost every single shread of significance long before the Universe we know ended, but it would not matter to me in any case, what with me being dead for who knows how many millions of years.

I guess I just don't look for meanings on a cosmic scale... The world we know and the time we live in is depressing enough.

[Happy_Is_Good]

EdgeWiseInAnnArbor,

Glad to see you here and sorry to here that a "Life of Meaning" is lacking.  

But...I think I can help.  See, years ago I think I discovered the "Meaning of Life", and I can also show you where to find it, too.  Yeah...I know that last statement seems arrogant on my part, why not consider it for a moment?

See...I figure the meaning of life is this: to Live, be Happy and Pass on some Goodness - as simple as that.  Not very Philosophical, huh?  Yep...it ain't.

Life begins and ends with a struggle.  We come into this world bald, confused, toothless and without bowl control - and that's how we leave.  That's the game of life, and from the game springs "Meaning".

Now...if you want to learn about the game, where do you go?  If ya' wanna' learn the Stock Market ya' go to New York, right?  Or...If ya' wanna learn how to gamble ya' go to Las Vegas, right?  I mean....aren't these the places where the "High-Stakes" games are played?

Consequently...if you want to learn about the "Meaning of Life", then what better place to go than a Hospital - where the "Stakes" are existential!?  In a Hospital, the winners get a new lease on life or, in the case of babies, a new life.  The losers get...all their chips taken away - forever.  

You go to a hospital and see this game - really see it - and it will probably help you see the "Meaning of Life".  Personally, when I truly realized the game, it was one of the happiest moments on my life.  I was walking out of a Hospital at the time, and I well remember how I felt.  I mean, on that partly cloudy day never had I seen the sky so blue.   Old people in wheel chairs and homely girls were beautiful.  The songs of the grayest sparrows were so sweet melodies.  Being alive felt good - for I realized life - a healthy life - was fleeting and so damned precious.  And I came to understand Life's Meaning.

This is just me.  I could be wrong.      

Why not go find out for yourself - it's don't cost nuthin'?

[Crow]

Does anyone have a tonic?

Crystal Meth

Hi EdgeWiseInAnnArbor, Welcome to HAF.

(wasn't being serious about the meth just in-case that didn't come across)

[DeterminedJuliet]

I try to have a very "in the moment" philosophy. Present experience is the most "real" of our experiences and most everything else (especially millions of years into the future) is conjecture.

If you want to get "deeper" than that, I'd just keep telling myself that everything that begins has an end and it's a waste of emotional energy to distress about the facts that you can't change.

[The Magic Pudding]

If life which stems from humans survives to see the last suns darken who knows what escape plans they may develop?
Of course your limitations don't apply to me, I'll just withdraw into pudding space where such limitations don't exist.

Hello

[xSilverPhinx]

Welcome!

Not that I think this will help, or if it's even possible, but one guy I read about online had an interesting perspective on all of it: that one of our purposes, as the conscious part of the universe, it to eventually create other universes (assuming it can be done, of course).

Though I do see the merits of thinking long term, I'm going to repeat what the others have said so far, it's rather pointless to think that far into the future

[BullyforBronto]

Welcome aboard!

I love the title of this post.

When I was an undergrad (a thousand years ago now) I wrote a paper for one of my literary criticism courses titled "Popeye's Ontological Crisis: 'I Yam What I Yam.'" I think I even cited Nietzsche, Heidegger and Derrida in it. Ha! I was very ambitious.

I haven't thought about that paper in quite a while. Thanks!

Eat your spinach; you'll be fine.

[xSilverPhinx]

Welcome aboard!

I love the title of this post.

When I was an undergrad (a thousand years ago now) I wrote a paper for one of my literary criticism courses titled "Popeye's Ontological Crisis: 'I Yam What I Yam.'" I think I even cited Nietzsche, Heidegger and Derrida in it. Ha! I was very ambitious.

I haven't thought about that paper in quite a while. Thanks!

Eat your spinach; you'll be fine.

What grade did you get for it?

[Too Few Lions]

Welcome to the forum, I really wouldn't worry about things that will happen so far in the future. Just try to enjoy your life now, and find meaning and pleasure in the things around you.

[Sandra Craft]

I do fine with a life of engagement, and a life of enjoyment, but my life of meaning is sorely lacking. Thank you.

I don't think life has any meaning other than the one each of us gives it, so you need to get busy on that.

[mjolnir]

Can anyone relate to this? Does anyone have a tonic?

I can relate.

The heat death of the universe would occur billions of years from now. If humanity can avoid destroying itself, and can continue advancing technologically - then my hope is that after billions of years of scientific and engineering advances, we will be advanced enough to control the fundamental forces of the universe and stop a heat death from occurring.