What Is Your Life's Purpose? Why Are You Here?

[Norfolk And Chance]

The answer to this question was obvious when I was a Christian: Love Christ with all my heart and lean on his understanding.  All the while proselytizing in his name.  And I did this with unfettered passion.  But when I jettisoned my Christian belief I found myself soul searching for a meaning.  After some time, I decided my purpose can be wrapped up in a pithy maxim: learn to give and recieve love.  Never try to draw attention to myself.  Don altruism at every turn sans falling into the trap of being a people pleaser.  By no means am I an advanced master.  I fall short again and again.  But it is my constant aim. 

Your thoughts?         

Very simple really - there is no purpose to my life.

I suppose scientifically, my purpose is to reproduce and protect my offspring.

There is nothing else to it.

Any purpose from there on in, is simply purpose that I have defined for myself, and is of no use to anyone else. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy living, or giving, or discussing, cos I do.

[Siz]

I think I am a lazy hedonist at heart.

Embrace it. Own it. Grok it!

"When one sleeps on the floor one need not worry about falling out of bed"
Anton Lavey

[Firebird]

And yes, I am two Dogfishhead IPAs in. Why do you ask?

60, 90, or 120-minute? I like Dogfish too. Though not all of their experimental stuff works out as hoped ( especially their bacon-infused beer that I had once ) they make some great stuff.

[Too Few Lions]

I think I am a lazy hedonist at heart.

Embrace it. Own it. Grok it!

"When one sleeps on the floor one need not worry about falling out of bed"
Anton Lavey

great quote Siz, I couldn't agree more with the sentiments. I'm hoping that lazy hedonists live long and happy lives, I'm 39 years into my own personal experiment and so far everything's pretty fine.

[SunshineSTATEofMind]

Why are we here? Because we're here. Roll the bones.

[Anne D.]

I think I am a lazy hedonist at heart.

Embrace it. Own it. Grok it!

"When one sleeps on the floor one need not worry about falling out of bed"
Anton Lavey

Embracing it does have its appeal. Although it seems like any of the better things in my life have come out of actively working against my inner lazy hedonist. 

And yes, I am two Dogfishhead IPAs in. Why do you ask?

60, 90, or 120-minute? I like Dogfish too. Though not all of their experimental stuff works out as hoped ( especially their bacon-infused beer that I had once ) they make some great stuff.

It was the 60-minute (thankfully; just read that the 120-minute has 15-20 percent ABV and the 90-minute has 9). I actually haven't tried much Dogfish Head. I really like IPAs, though, and have been working my way through the different ones they carry at our local grocery store (which has a surprisingly nice selection). Wow to the bacon-infused variety. I love bacon and beer but I don't know about together.

[The Magic Pudding]

[Sweetdeath]

So cute, Puddin'!

[pytheas]

[DeterminedJuliet]

I'm not sure what's happening in the picture, but I'm not sure I like it...

As for me, I don't think I ever responded to this thread, so here are my two cents. Here's my purpose:
To be better.

Yes, that's vague, but I think it has to be. I want to be a better person and better at the things that I do.
Better at writing, thinking, sharing, understanding.
Better at parenting, better at learning life-skills.
Kinder to people who deserve kindness, better at handling conflict for those that spurn kindness.
I want to find better ways of asking "why" and "how" and "what does it mean?"
And better at defining what "better" means.

That's it, just about. 

[Anne D.]

I'm not sure what's happening in the picture, but I'm not sure I like it...

As for me, I don't think I ever responded to this thread, so here are my two cents. Here's my purpose:
To be better.

Yes, that's vague, but I think it has to be. I want to be a better person and better at the things that I do.
Better at writing, thinking, sharing, understanding.
Better at parenting, better at learning life-skills.
Kinder to people who deserve kindness, better at handling conflict for those that spurn kindness.
I want to find better ways of asking "why" and "how" and "what does it mean?"
And better at defining what "better" means.

That's it, just about. 

I love your credo, DeterminedJuliet.

[En_Route]

The answer to this question was obvious when I was a Christian: Love Christ with all my heart and lean on his understanding.  All the while proselytizing in his name.  And I did this with unfettered passion.  But when I jettisoned my Christian belief I found myself soul searching for a meaning.  After some time, I decided my purpose can be wrapped up in a pithy maxim: learn to give and recieve love.  Never try to draw attention to myself.  Don altruism at every turn sans falling into the trap of being a people pleaser.  By no means am I an advanced master.  I fall short again and again.  But it is my constant aim. 

Your thoughts?         

Very simple really - there is no purpose to my life.

I suppose scientifically, my purpose is to reproduce and protect my offspring.

There is nothing else to it.

Any purpose from there on in, is simply purpose that I have defined for myself, and is of no use to anyone else. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy living, or giving, or discussing, cos I do.

Teleology alert! Science would and could never assert that your purpose is to reproduce.

[ablprop]

Truthseeker, I think the answer to your question isn't in any one response, but in the multiplicity of the responses here. WE make our purpose, individually and collectively. As a society, we may well judge some individual's choices to be unacceptable - a psychopathic serial killer is not allowed to live out his self-selected purpose, for instance - but we also as a society come to realize the value in allowing individuals great latitude in choosing their own purpose.

As for me, I am a big fan of Joseph Campbell, who said, "What people seek is not the meaning of life but the experience of living."

[Truthseeker]

Truthseeker, I think the answer to your question isn't in any one response, but in the multiplicity of the responses here. WE make our purpose, individually and collectively. As a society, we may well judge some individual's choices to be unacceptable - a psychopathic serial killer is not allowed to live out his self-selected purpose, for instance - but we also as a society come to realize the value in allowing individuals great latitude in choosing their own purpose.

Precisely adlprop.  That is why I did not phrase the question as "What is THE purpose in life".  Actually I think your post would apply to a number of different discussions here on this board as well as philosophical discussions everywhere.  The antithesis of your comment is where religion falls apart for me.  Religion, Christianity in my case, says you have ONE purpose and then preaches to you what that purpose should be.  Incidentally the purpose is always he same:  whatever they tell you it is.  The whole thing is bullshit. 

And I too am a fan of Campbell.  He viewed life without any type of colored lense.   

[Amicale]

Truthseeker, I think the answer to your question isn't in any one response, but in the multiplicity of the responses here. WE make our purpose, individually and collectively. As a society, we may well judge some individual's choices to be unacceptable - a psychopathic serial killer is not allowed to live out his self-selected purpose, for instance - but we also as a society come to realize the value in allowing individuals great latitude in choosing their own purpose.

Precisely adlprop.  That is why I did not phrase the question as "What is THE purpose in life".  Actually I think your post would apply to a number of different discussions here on this board as well as philosophical discussions everywhere.  The antithesis of your comment is where religion falls apart for me.  Religion, Christianity in my case, says you have ONE purpose and then preaches to you what that purpose should be.  Incidentally the purpose is always he same:  whatever they tell you it is.  The whole thing is bullshit.  

And I too am a fan of Campbell.  He viewed life without any type of colored lense.  

The part I emphasized is why, personally, I always want to try and be careful about not becoming 'religious' about my atheism. I don't want to feel like I have to give a certain reaction or set of canned responses that the skeptical community at large thinks I ought to. I've never set out to be a 'poster child' for any one group. The value I place on my life isn't defined just by what I believe, or don't. I value the connections I have with other people, and the world around me, much more. I like sharing ideas, but I'm reluctant to get dogmatic about any of 'em.

I think of someone like Richard Dawkins. So many people see him as this strict, narrow, slightly arrogant science-obsessed blowhard. Smart as a whip, but defined almost entirely by his profession. Nobody ever really stops and thinks 'oh, he's a dad, he has hobbies, he probably has funny little quirks, he has a favourite food, etc'. They just think of him and think of two words: science, and atheism. He has the right to present himself however he'd like to, and to keep his personal life personal... but none of us are just one-dimensional people.