Why do we exist?

[GameCrazed]

Wow. You turned my stick figure into the Mona Lisa. Very nice.

 

[sexy.time]

damn man that was pretty deep. that must have took a bit of thought. I totally agree with what you said. I think a important purpose of life is for us to find what skills we have.
I mean why do some of us have to work so hard to get good at something and others just seem born good at it.
its obvious as individuals we have individual skills and talents.

Its up to us to find out what they are and use them to the best of our ability....yup thats my little bit of insight

 

[memento_mori]

ok to begin we need to lay out some truths

we exist

as far as we know we have existed for number of thousands of years.

because we have no record of how we came to be we ask these questions

for whatever reason we as a species are curious

curiosity being a very animal trate as it exists in many other species


that curiosity coupled with a capacity for abstract thought and complex cognative processes and a subconcious lead to theory and innovation.

that innovation causes us to create things with purpose and gives us the ability to find purpose and connection in everything we see. an understanding

we then look inward and try to find a purpose for ourselves ..because if everything has a purpose and a pattern and a path ..so should we.

we all have a built in need to belong to something. almost like other animals naturaly herd together.

so because we cannot find this purpose so easily we rey on our theory and innovation once again.

we come up with ideas and share them just like we are doing now.. the ones that make sense .. or cannot be prven wrong get passed on .

the best ones conitnue throuout our history until they evolve into common truths. these "truths" are what turn into religion.

a sense of purpose explained by introducng something greater than us.

be it god or allah or odin or zues.and the many myriad of gods thoughout history. these figures usually lead to a common idea .. and that the purpose of this life is to be a good person and to be socially acceptable, and to be humble because this phase of our lives is only the beggining ( or one section of a long path to nirvana)

and if we do what we are supposed to the goood feelings we experience now will be expounded upon in ways we cannot even begin to imagine

so frm all that ..my purpose .. is to be me.. and try t make this phase as good an experience for me and the peple around me

i agree, in any discussion we should define what we mean and come to a middle ground.

i could nitpick and argue against everything you said, but i'm just going to attack the religous parts. because i'm the forum's friendly neighborhood atheist.

obviously most religions have history, and they get passed down from generation to generation until it's just something we take for granted. although all religions are different, the ones you've mentioned do involve life after death. life after death was started by the pythagoreans, and became a pretty popular idea to reinforce social values and expectations. because if society doesn't catch you, the gods will. you can also see religions being used to enforce the right to rule by kings and dictators, showing a strong connection between religion and government that i hope doesn't pop up again.

 

[Bagel]

well you cant really talk about a huma purpose without touching wit the very impacting notionof religion.. before science could back itself up religion was playing on the natural intrigue of the metaphysical as well s the common fear of death being the end.

socialy we have many issues with good things coming to an end.. be it little things like a good vacation or huge things like the rough end of a relationship. and since we have no proof of what happens after death we have theories and religious faiths.

its like we are convincng ourselves that even though our lives are important..what happens nex is the real purpose. it attaches hope to the unknown..and by clearing up tis fear and uncertainy we gain a confidence that does lead to individuals feeling better about themselves and thier lives.

now if we could quit trying to force personal ideals on other people..we would be so much better. but tha is a discussion all its own

 

[memento_mori]

forcing our ideas on other people is how we prove our existence. it's the will to power. by getting people to believe your beliefs, your beliefs become greater than you. the great thing about culture is that we can transcend the time between our birth and death by getting our names in each other's memories.

 

[Keight]

I think We exsist to need and want to.....

If we didnt exsist this question wouldnt have been raised right? Can you imagine a higher power sitting where ever it is those things place themselves looking at us and thinking I have so totally come up with the ultimate debate topic that will have human beings discussing it For eternity.

We exsist because we can, and we make things easier and easier for ourselves everyday, hence making our exsistance easier.

I dont know if any of the above made any sense at all, and to tell you the truth I think we started off as toys and got more and more powerful over time.

 

[GraceAbounds]

Why do we exist?

According to my belief system, life is not worth living without love. I exist to love and be loved.

 

[Eridanus]

I have found the answers given so far very interesting, and thought provoking (I know, I haven't uttered my own thoughts yet)...the difficulty is not always in answering this question, but adequately defending the position one espouses in providing a reply...

 

[memento_mori]

i think it comes to

Existing: good or bad?

the cynics are going to be able to argue for days, the optimists will get more support.

 

[Eridanus]

I prefer to look on existing as a good thing. Maybe we are here for the sake of being and experiencing the inherent wonder and majesty of the universe. It is indeed a phenomenal place, regardless of how we think it came about.

 

[icecuban]

I have found the answers given so far very interesting, and thought provoking (I know, I haven't uttered my own thoughts yet)...the difficulty is not always in answering this question, but adequately defending the position one espouses in providing a reply...

if one cannot defend their position adequately, then i dont think they should have a position at all. to assume a position, i believe one should have thought through the subject enough to come to that conclusion, and in doing so, has the answers that led to such a conclusion.

 

[sharpies]

We exist simply to procreate & ensure the existence of our species. It is exactly the same reason why any living thing exists.

All the other crap in our lives is window dressing.

Allan

 

[icecuban]

We exist simply to procreate & ensure the existence of our species. It is exactly the same reason why any living thing exists.

All the other crap in our lives is window dressing.

Allan

to ensure the existence of our species, we have to act compasionatly and thoughtfully or else we will blow ourselves right out of here, so it like saying we exist to act kindly, since without it, we would certainly be doomed?

 

[sharpies]

to ensure the existence of our species, we have to act compasionatly and thoughtfully or else we will blow ourselves right out of here, so it like saying we exist to act kindly, since without it, we would certainly be doomed?

Actually that is not true. There are many living things on this planet & the fact is that most of them are openly hostile towards each other & they seem to survive quite well.

There is actually no reason to be kind to any other species or to your own species, except for the one you wish to mate with, to ensure your species survives.

Most species are extremely territorial, man included, & will attack any competitor that wanders onto it's home - remember it's survival of the fittest not the kindest.

Allan

 

[icecuban]

Actually that is not true. There are many living things on this planet & the fact is that most of them are openly hostile towards each other & they seem to survive quite well.

There is actually no reason to be kind to any other species or to your own species, except for the one you wish to mate with, to ensure your species survives.

Most species are extremely territorial, man included, & will attack any competitor that wanders onto it's home - remember it's survival of the fittest not the kindest.

Allan

yes, but we are talking about humans, and their capability of destruction. an ant or other animals cannot produce the atomic bomb. therefore we must find great methods of peace to ensure that we dont eradicate ourselves. you dont need to be the fittest to drop a bomb, so the potential dropper must have some sort of morals to prevent such a thing. hope i explained what i was saying correctly, i dont think i did, i can try again if i didnt....

 

[sharpies]

Your answer fits if we are talking about how we can exist for an extended period but is not relevant to why we exist.

'How we can exist' is a very complicated question which needs to take in to account the very many & different facets of the human psyche, but I still believe that the 'why we exist' has a very simple answer. It's an answer that most people may not like but that does not mean it is not true.

Allan

 

[icecuban]

Your answer fits if we are talking about how we can exist for an extended period but is not relevant to why we exist.

'How we can exist' is a very complicated question which needs to take in to account the very many & different facets of the human psyche, but I still believe that the 'why we exist' has a very simple answer. It's an answer that most people may not like but that does not mean it is not true.

Allan

Its funny, because oddly enough, i feel reproducing and ensuring the progression of the species is the how, and the ability to think about the Why is what is being ensured in the process. For example, if reproducing was my "how", then my "why" would be to help in giving the gift of the stars above, help in giving the gift of life and its senses. Of course, this wouldn't be what I think of as the only "why", nor the only "how".

 

[icecuban]

but this is just another example of the all the different interpretations.

 

[Bagel]

to make a point in agreeing with sharpie

we do exist to procreate

look deep in yourselves and find the core of everything that you do

and you will most likely find that at that core one of your higher aspirations is to have your own family

the need to be kind,the need for jobs and money and recreation are only there to support the idea that you will have a healthy happy family that you can provide for in the best way possible.

all of the education , the training in ethics and religion and morality are to aid you to find a good job, to find a mate you can live with happily and to provide a structure with which to produce another future adult with your same morals ambitions and reams and ultmately to carry your genetic legacy.

this throws back to my original post in this thread.. all that we do and beleive is there to add comfort to the lives that we lead, it is entertainment,structure, and a form of stress relief for some of our naturaly occuring desires.

so i say again, beleive and do what you will, but be mindful that you do this in such a way to make your time here as enjoyable as you can for yourself , your family and those around you.

 

[icecuban]

to make a point in agreeing with sharpie

we do exist to procreate

look deep in yourselves and find the core of everything that you do

and you will most likely find that at that core one of your higher aspirations is to have your own family

the need to be kind,the need for jobs and money and recreation are only there to support the idea that you will have a healthy happy family that you can provide for in the best way possible.

all of the education , the training in ethics and religion and morality are to aid you to find a good job, to find a mate you can live with happily and to provide a structure with which to produce another future adult with your same morals ambitions and reams and ultmately to carry your genetic legacy.

this throws back to my original post in this thread.. all that we do and beleive is there to add comfort to the lives that we lead, it is entertainment,structure, and a form of stress relief for some of our naturaly occuring desires.

so i say again, beleive and do what you will, but be mindful that you do this in such a way to make your time here as enjoyable as you can for yourself , your family and those around you.

if i was to be the person looking inside themself, then i would find someone who, if they could not find the perfect mate, that, to my standards, can be quite near impossible to find, then i will go without. thus keeping me from producing, i can help young minds produce great thoughts, but none would be mine, for i will not settle for anything less.