meaning of life

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[Nick]

to you, what is the meaning of life?

[laughingboy]

Nick wrote:
to you, what is the meaning of life?



42, I think is the going answer.

Alain

[Moth]

I believe that 42 is going strong however now that you know the answer, beware the question.

If I'm going to be a bit more serious I would say filling it with meaning.

-Gabriel

[Brian]

To quote my former geography teacher...

"The meaning of life is to be happy while striving for eternal happiness after it."

To quote a quite cynical friend of mine...

"The meaning of life is to eat food, make babies, eat more food, and die."

I like to lean more towards my teacher's interpretation.

[tedehara]

Nick wrote:
to you, what is the meaning of life?



There is no meaning of life. Like Joseph Campbell noted, when you say something has a meaning, that says it is a definition.

Life is not a definition. It is an EXPERIENCE!!!

[shadow]

want to know the meaning of life? I suggest you hire out a movie called well "the meaning of life" by monty python.......it should be able to answer all your questions I think.

[ian]

I'm afraid I have to side with ted. If there was some meaning to life I would feel like a dismal failure; I'm quite happy as it is.

[Nick]

so then perhaps you should strive to lead a better life as not to feel like such a failure?

Nick

[T'zur]

The meaning of life: Shouldn't the meaning of life have something to do with a higher calling? God? Other people? And what the junk is 42? ;)

[tedehara]

shadow wrote:
want to know the meaning of life? I suggest you hire out a movie called well "the meaning of life" by monty python.......it should be able to answer all your questions I think.

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"42" was the answer to the question "What is the Meaning of Life?". This appeared first in "The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams.
Legal Disclaimer: I (Ted Ehara) am not:

an owner of arcamax.com.
an owner of the above mentioned CD.
have ever or intend to play the mentioned CD.
have an answer to the posed question available for commercial distribution.



[Edited by tedehara on November 14, 2000 at 01:07pm]

[Catherine]

Let's look at this from a new standpoint. What is the climax of a person's life? That would have been the purpose of their life. But, realistically people, it is 42. And the secrets of life are contained in an orange! (Think before you eat!)

[ian]

in response to Nicks criticism of my failed life;

It's only because my personal standards are so high that I would feel this way.

[ian]

T'zur wrote:
The meaning of life: Shouldn't the meaning of life have something to do with a higher calling? God? Other people? And what the junk is 42? ;)

Surely higher and lower are relative terms. Also, if God is indefinable, he cannot be defined by his purpose, and therefore what is the point of following Gods purpose if he has none?

42 is the answer, 7 x 6 is the question (Hitch-Kikers Guide to the Galaxy).

Ian

[ian]

As far as consideration of other people go (on a serious note), as a biologist this puzzles me.

If we consider ourselves as just vessels for our selfish genes we come across a dilemma:
1. according to game theory, if we do not have more to gain (reproductively) from our altruistic actions, our genes will die out.
2. this is why kin selection occurs (e.g. gulls will only feed those young which they know to be their own, and therefore have adapted methods to identify their young. If there are infiltrators, they will affect the success of the gulls which help them, producing evolutionary pressure to identify and discriminate against individuals which do not have the same genes as you).

From human behaviour and human genetics this suggests 2 things:
1. we don't have to operate at the level of our 'selfish genes'* and can overcome such desires through the knowledge that, in the end, everyone will be dead and competition to reach a final goal is irrelevant.
2. humans are genetically so similar that we have a vested interest in protecting all members of the human race (you never know whether the most physically and mentally disabled person may have the genes which could save the rest of mankind from a fatal disease).

Currently this leaves me with the following belief:
3. as we do in aikido, be altruistic, but never let anyone take the advantage.


* I hate the phrase 'selfish gene' which is one of the biggest misnomers of modern science. Evolution is a process without desires as we think of them. Just as a chemical reaction would occur. If it wasn't for the fact that genes were 'generous' enough to die out, we would not have 'selfish' genes. (really gives you a taste of the yin and yang of evolution)


Apologies for the long e-mail,

Ian

[REK]

Ian, you sociobiologist, you! I love it. In answer to the burning question, hold a mirror to yourself. Perhaps you may begin to answer the question that way.






Or maybe not.

[Yo-Jimbo]

Change "t" upside to "f" downside and what is found at:
http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=life
is enough.
Speaking of biology. I believe that life is defined by five criteria, the first two were mentioned:
1. The ability to respire.
2. The ability to replicate.
Why play at semantics?

Meaning is what many try to give to their life.
I went through a phase when my quick answer to to this question was "progeny" (both physical and philosophical). In the true spirit of the question, I would now have to say that to ask the question at all is the answer. "We are the universe trying to understand itself."

The paradox is beautiful. Join in the hunt for the perfect Easter Egg when there are a semi-infinite number of eggs being left behind by a bunny that drops multiple creations for every one that is found.

[stratcat]

Don't mean to offend anyone, but, WHO CARES?

"It is like a finger pointing away to the Moon. DO NOT concentrate on the finger, or you will LOSE ALL THAT HEAVENLY GLORY!":p

Bruce Lee.

[Moth]

...the actuall phrasing would be,
What is the answer to life,the Universe and everything?

The answer is 42 and no person is known to know the question. If they knew it they would most probably die...

[ian]

I always like that story about the Buddha (I think its a zen story) when he gave his first formal lecture, he just held up a flower and said nothing.

I hope everyone is satisfied with a smiley face:

:)

[torokun]

The meaning of life. IMHO, this is a short way of saying "What my life will mean to me when it's all over". This depends on you. People are the only ones that can give meaning to their experiences, so they must begin with the clear ones, and move to the less clear ones... Every experience can have meaning, you just have to find it.

[Chuck Clark]

The meaning of life may very well be "to get ready to die" ...