I'm starting to think, that maybe the 'mass' of people that do stuff without thinking too much about the reason behind their actions, actually have a decent way of living. Perhaps this group that make broad sweeping generalisations against, secretly realise that there isn't much point questioning.
I spend time thinking about how things will contribute to my life rather than just getting on with things. Now I have to ask: Is there actually any real benefit to figuring out why we do stuff?
We make our choices based on what we value, and a true choice is the result of rational deliberation, (otherwise, our action would be the result of what is essentially a coin toss, and that is not even close to what is meant by 'choice'). It is natural then, as we deliberate over what we value, to want to know that the choices we make actually are valuable, that they actually do help us obtain good things in our lives, that what we are doing helps us lead a good life and not a life that is not good.
So, it either is or is not possible for our rational deliberation about the value of this or that choice to actually furnish us with the truth about the values of different actions we can take; if we conclude that rational deliberation cannot furnish us with this knowledge, then there is no point to thinking about why we do what we do, and we might as well let a coin toss determine all of our actions, because if we live in a world where our power to reason can not penetrate the nature of value, we live in a world where there is no true choice, but, at best, the illusion of choice. (Seriously, the Dark Knight was such a kick ass movie. I could so go off about Two Face and the Joker and the nature of evil as portrayed in that movie... but I digress).
However, if we believe that our cognitive powers are sufficient to deliver to us the value of this or that action, then thinking about why we do what we do is of the utmost utility. For then it would be by our use of reason to make distinctions about what is or is not good for us, and thereby discovering what is or is not valuable for us to do, that we would be enabled to make wise choices that would help us to create and sustain a good life, full of value, and rich in the truest sense of the word.
Mmm. Well I'm going to pick up activities since I'm sure many people will say: Go out and do something. I'm just surprised it works so effectively but even without doing things, I'm already thinking: So I'm just meant to distract myself with things I enjoy somewhat.
It seems rather sad...
That satisfaction is all about distracting ourselves from silence with fun activities. Yeah, that doesn't seem right for some reason.
Edit: Wait a second I've somehow been sidetracked.
The question was about whether there's much value in asking: Is there purpose behind doing stuff.
And here you change tack in your thread. Your original question was:
Is there actually any real benefit to figuring out why we do stuff?
Now you ask whether there is purpose behind doing stuff, not if there is benefit to figuring out why we do stuff. Interestingly, you make this move after observing that satisfaction comes from distracting ourselves from silence with fun activities: and this is the essence of an amusement park: a + muse = not + think. In an amusement park, we try to fill the emptiness of our intellectual life, the silence that results after we deny that our reason can tell us what is valuable, by filling our time with activities that are meant to distract us from using our reason to find what is truly valuable. That is, it is in our nature to make choices, not coin tosses, which means it is in our nature to use our minds to weigh the value of this or that action, but if the life of the mind is an illusion, we have to deny our nature as creatures that make choices, because there is no choice; and so we must turn off our minds in amusement parks.
My mind is constantly thinking - Just thoughts tend to sort of go round in circles like tadpoles in a pond. Not the most effective way of thinking.
Guess I'll pre-occupy myself with some new activity for the time being, and the seek a new activity to pre-occupy myself with, then... seek another new activity to pre-occupy myself with... then...
*explodes*
Why not play Russian Roulette?
You believe that you are going to die? Do you also believe that it is impossible for your mind to provide rational justification for the "choices" you make? If you don't, then there is no way to say that life is more valuable than death, and if death is the inevitable end, then why not just go straight to the end? Why bother going through a valueless, meaningless life?
