What to do when life is known to be pointless

[swordpath]

Well, I agree, teasing or not, so your refute is pointless!

 

[zarc]

 

[swordpath]

 

[Oberon]

What do you do when you suddenly realise that your existence is completely pointless? Quite simply, you live for a higher ideal. I had one of those moments today in the shower; I thought "what the hell; there is no point to life". Then I tried to come up with a solution. That was it; you live for something greater than your own preservation. Be it justice, helping the helpless, spreading the truth or giving people joy and happiness. It's the way you feel truly satisfied as a human being.

Once you have come to that conclusion, it is thenceforth inescapable. It leads inexorably to nihilism.

In short, you're screwed. The only way out is to re-examine your premise.

 

[Maverick]

In response to the title thread:

Deny reality.

You build one of your own.

Justice, equality, freedom, love, whatever. After all, if life really has no meaning, what's to stop us from creating one of our own?

Perhaps that's why life was born pointless. So that we may create our own point and meaning.

Me like. Very Nietzschean perspective

 

[swordpath]

Justice, equality, freedom, love, whatever. After all, if life really has no meaning, what's to stop us from creating one of our own?

S's

 

[Anonymous]

What do you do when you suddenly realise that your existence is completely pointless? Quite simply, you live for a higher ideal. I had one of those moments today in the shower; I thought "what the hell; there is no point to life". Then I tried to come up with a solution. That was it; you live for something greater than your own preservation. Be it justice, helping the helpless, spreading the truth or giving people joy and happiness. It's the way you feel truly satisfied as a human being.

I don't, I just keep living like I normally did. Which is to say, working towards the goal of my eventual satisfaction with my life. Now I would probably be a lot more satisfied if I were able to achieve a balance of both maintaining own happiness and contributing to the happiness of at least a few other people as well, but I will always come first. No, I don't think that this is wrong or selfish, because it's only natural for people to put their own happiness in the top priority. Don't be confused and think that people who get what they want out of life by being "evil" (not in the supernatural sense) are truly happy. Generally speaking, they are actually hateful, and they can only know short bursts of happiness such as what is given by drugs. And like drugs, they have to keep ramping it higher and higher and higher. This isn't desirable. What I see as desirable is living naturally, which for me (as I mentioned above) is primarily being able to be satisfied with myself as I am, and then drawing additional satisfaction out of the other people who's lives I may contribute to in the process.

 

[millerm277]

What do you do when you suddenly realise that your existence is completely pointless? Quite simply, you live for a higher ideal. I had one of those moments today in the shower; I thought "what the hell; there is no point to life". Then I tried to come up with a solution. That was it; you live for something greater than your own preservation. Be it justice, helping the helpless, spreading the truth or giving people joy and happiness. It's the way you feel truly satisfied as a human being.

You seem to have figured it out. My idea is the same, I live to do whatever makes me happy without hurting other people. I don't expect anything after death, so I intend to live as I want, not what I'm told is the correct way to do things.

 

[sassafrassquatch]

What do you do when you suddenly realise that your existence is completely pointless? Quite simply, you live for a higher ideal. I had one of those moments today in the shower; I thought "what the hell; there is no point to life". Then I tried to come up with a solution. That was it; you live for something greater than your own preservation. Be it justice, helping the helpless, spreading the truth or giving people joy and happiness. It's the way you feel truly satisfied as a human being.

DO NOT WANT

I'll stick with nihilistic hedonism.

 

[Grayscale]

i am confused as to what basis this discussion continues on.

look at any person's life... the "purposes" (or point) that it served are vast both in variety and depth of impact... note the lack of singularity. why must there be a single "point" anyways... "the point of my life is to do this"?

the only commonality between the lifetime of everyone who has ever lived is that they lived, so if you want to boil it down, the only true purpose of life is to live. if you do not want to live, then end your life. how you want to live is up to you... you will most likely have about 60-80 years, consisting of many 24 hour days.


compare it to painting. if you are placed in front of an easel and told to paint something, you can either refuse to paint, or paint something. why ask "what should I paint?!"... when everyone else is painting what they choose, else you are ignoring your freedom to make that decision yourself. why ask "why am I painting?!"... considering that you probably enjoy painting and by asking you are wasting time that could be spent painting. with that said, don't fling paint at other painters, keep it on your canvas, then paint whatever the fuck you want...

everyone who has ever lived and ever will live has the choice of what to do with their life. your life is your chance to define what living means to you. keep that in mind.

 

[Seanan]

compare it to painting. if you are placed in front of an easel and told to paint something, you can either refuse to paint, or paint something. why ask "what should I paint?!"... when everyone else is painting what they choose, else you are ignoring your freedom to make that decision yourself. why ask "why am I painting?!"... considering that you probably enjoy painting and by asking you are wasting time that could be spent painting. with that said, don't fling paint at other painters, keep it on your canvas, then paint whatever the fuck you want...

When confronting a blank canvas.... first you bleed.

 

[elfinchilde]

When confronting a blank canvas.... first you bleed.

Exactly. Hearts are worth more when they are broken. Just as life's worth more when it is no longer a tabula rasa.

Whether the paint is filled in by yourself, or by circumstances--or more likely, a mix of the two--the idea, always, is to wield your own brush, and be your own masterpiece.

 

[LaFeeVerte]

What do you do when you suddenly realise that your existence is completely pointless? Quite simply, you live for a higher ideal. I had one of those moments today in the shower; I thought "what the hell; there is no point to life". Then I tried to come up with a solution. That was it; you live for something greater than your own preservation. Be it justice, helping the helpless, spreading the truth or giving people joy and happiness. It's the way you feel truly satisfied as a human being.

You cannot prove God. But you can know Him.

 

[zarc]

You cannot prove God. But you can know Him.

I don't think there was any mention or implication of deities in the OP. But if knowing your God helps you to find your life meaningful, then lovely for you.

 

[wildcat]

You cannot prove God. But you can know Him.

Objection.
To know is to see.

Read your own stuff.
Then you see > know

 

[Butterfly]

You cannot prove God. But you can know Him.

I agree. The proof of God is in the Creation. Such perfect design can only be possible by an Intelligent, All Knowing, All Powerful , ONE Creator.
Just as this computer cannot exist without a creator, such a perfect universe also cannot exist without a Creator.!!

In the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and day are signs for those who contemplate.

How do we know God?? By our relationship with Him.

 

[Mort Belfry]

I agree. The proof of God is in the Creation. Such perfect design can only be possible by an Intelligent, All Knowing, All Powerful , ONE Creator.

That's of course supposes that we as humans were correct when we recognised and defined this system as perfection.

What if we were wrong? Because we can be wrong.

 

[Night]

I agree. The proof of God is in the Creation. Such perfect design can only be possible by an Intelligent, All Knowing, All Powerful , ONE Creator.
Just as this computer cannot exist without a creator, such a perfect universe also cannot exist without a Creator.!!

The design is actually quite far from perfect: the ability to biologically adapt gives us impressive flexibility.

 

[millerm277]

I agree. The proof of God is in the Creation. Such perfect design can only be possible by an Intelligent, All Knowing, All Powerful , ONE Creator.

This is perfection?

I completely disagree, but you don't seem open in the least to the possibility that you could be wrong, so I'll leave it at that.

Also, the reason for this thread seems to be that the person believes life is pointless, which also means they probably don't believe in god.

 

[LaFeeVerte]

This is perfection?

I completely disagree, but you don't seem open in the least to the possibility that you could be wrong, so I'll leave it at that.

Also, the reason for this thread seems to be that the person believes life is pointless, which also means they probably don't believe in god.

Well this world isnt perfect. When God created the world he gave us freewill. Without freewill love wouldnt be possible. But that also means that people can choose to do evil or good. And yes, it is very likely that the person who started this post doesnt believe in God. But he is asking what to do when life becomes pointless. He is crying out for something, for hope!