"Why do you get up in the morning?" "To go to work." "Why?" "To earn money." "Why?" "To buy things." "Why? So I can survive a comfortable existence. Why?" "'Cause... Go away! I don't even know you!"

The question posed here is why do we do anything. What's the point? What do we hope to achieve? What part of our mind controls the Don't Die Cause That's Bad bit that drives us through everything we do? I guess what i mean is not 'What's the meaning of life?" but rather "Why do we continue to live?"

Answers on a postcard or -more simply- down there in that little white box.

Why not?

... Touché.

Answers to that will be accepted in addition.

Copy and pasted from the global warming thread.

Shivari:
In millions of years we may be extinct, but does that make our lives completely useless? We're here, we should make the best of it. If we can make the world a better place than why the hell not? If none of us really matter why aren't we all killing ourselves? Because we don't want to die. Why don't we just sit in a room and stare at the wall for the rest of our lives? Because that's a waste of your life.

I hate that "Oh nothing we do really matters at all" philosophy. Maybe it's true, but living just like everyone else except being a prick about it doesn't seem like a good way to use this life.

To enjoy myself. Why? Because it makes me happy. Why? Because I'm enjoying myself. Why?

Well, you see where I'm going with this. Yes, the pointlessness of all life in the long run ("nihilism, woo!" I say, my voice spitting sarcasm like snake's venom) is not a stranger to me, so I may as well simply enjoy myself and work in a way to make myself feel better while I'm alive.

I'm pretty sure my posts in the "global warming/oil" thread is the reason for this thread.
Booyah!

Until I find sufficient reason not to.

Amnestic:
To enjoy myself. Why? Because it makes me happy. Why? Because I'm enjoying myself. Why?

Well, you see where I'm going with this. Yes, the pointlessness of all life in the long run ("nihilism, woo!" I say, my voice spitting sarcasm like snake's venom) is not a stranger to me, so I may as well simply enjoy myself and work in a way to make myself feel better while I'm alive.

Shivari:
Copy and pasted from the global warming thread.

Shivari:
In millions of years we may be extinct, but does that make our lives completely useless? We're here, we should make the best of it. If we can make the world a better place than why the hell not? If none of us really matter why aren't we all killing ourselves? Because we don't want to die. Why don't we just sit in a room and stare at the wall for the rest of our lives? Because that's a waste of your life.

I hate that "Oh nothing we do really matters at all" philosophy. Maybe it's true, but living just like everyone else except being a prick about it doesn't seem like a good way to use this life.

Nihilism: failing to compensate for human nature since the 18th century.

To answer it personally, the fact that everything is transitory in some way isn't reason to baw and refuse to do anything because it'll be gone in a few millenia. That isn't a practical approach. Looking at Plato, Aristotle, Shakespeare, Machiavelli, and Thomas Aquinas - they did something fantastic, each of them, and have affected millions of people over centuries (in some cases, more than a millenium), and you know what? The prospect of being able to do that is quite enough to brush aside the incomprehensible reality of everything dying under the tread of time's march.

Clever you Maet. Have a biscuit.

I personally remain alive because I know that death is just as uneventful, but I hear it's kind of long and broing so I choose life. Why I'm alive though is based on a lot of biology and some physics and chiemistry too.

the whole point in live is to be around and make sure that we keep on being, all we are is bags of flesh designed to keep cells alive, just what happened with evolution, in hind site it seems very futile but what more can you do? because of our genetic programming we don't want to die, we want to live a good life, learn things, it's beyond our control.

here's something that annoys me though, so the whole point in life is to be happy? we work hard during childhood so we can go to uni or whatever and get a job that will make us money thereby making us happy or we think we will enjoy it with out the money, but then everyone else thinks that about the same jobs so there's competition to get in so you have to work extra hard to get there, taking the fun out of that portion of your life. then when you get their there's more competition from other people in the same line of work so you have to work a lot harder so you stop enjoying the work, and because of the competitiveness there's less money in it. and the people who didn't make it our just as depressed because they never got the chance to prove themselves..

Nihilism FTW?

Obligatory Discworld reference:

++Because Everything++

{OUT OF CHEESE ERROR: REDO FROM START}

We are on a rock, spinning at thousands of miles an hour through nothingness around a ball of burning gas. Water vapour flies through the skies above us. Another giant rock loops around our rock every day. Continually, we release energy using some of the millions of individual parts of our body by burning it. We crush the very items of being; we explore the galaxy. Each individual pinprick of light in the sky is its own burning ball of gas, with its own rocks spinning around it. Some have two of these flaming balls rotating around each other. There are points with infinite gravity, and particles that pass through things without being seen.

Why do I get up in the morning? Because there's so much to see.

If we didn't do anything, then life would be boring. You only get one shot at it, so have some fun.

I live for sarcasm, so basically... I do it for the lulz.

Johnn Johnston:
We are on a rock, spinning at thousands of miles an hour through nothingness around a ball of burning gas. Water vapour flies through the skies above us. Another giant rock loops around our rock every day. Continually, we release energy using some of the millions of individual parts of our body by burning it. We crush the very items of being; we explore the galaxy. Each individual pinprick of light in the sky is its own burning ball of gas, with its own rocks spinning around it. Some have two of these flaming balls rotating around each other. There are points with infinite gravity, and particles that pass through things without being seen.

Why do I get up in the morning? Because there's so much to see.

Put it in a poem and get yourself a fortune!

Nihilism: Who cares? So life is meaningless. So was that run through Sonic 2 I made earlier, but it sure was fun.

I just ate a cinnamon bun and drank a cup of tea. It won't solve any of the worlds problems, it didn't even help me that much, since I ate earlier and could have survived a good while without it. But the cinnamon bun was very tasty and the cup of tea was simply fantastic. That's enough for me.

Maslow's Hierachy of Needs

Plus, doing nothing seems like it would take one hell of a lot of effort.

Johnn Johnston:
We are on a rock, spinning at thousands of miles an hour through nothingness around a ball of burning gas. Water vapour flies through the skies above us. Another giant rock loops around our rock every day. Continually, we release energy using some of the millions of individual parts of our body by burning it. We crush the very items of being; we explore the galaxy. Each individual pinprick of light in the sky is its own burning ball of gas, with its own rocks spinning around it. Some have two of these flaming balls rotating around each other. There are points with infinite gravity, and particles that pass through things without being seen.

Why do I get up in the morning? Because there's so much to see.

Pfft, that too.

If I was offered the chance to find the answer to every question that had or would ever have been/be aked, I wouldn't. I'd prefer the scenic route; learning everything I can by research or makiing up reasonable answers based on logic until a better solution can be found. And that's why I get up, not Chris Moyle's voice in my ear at half six. Though that does help.

I'm not quite sure what I get up for in the morning. Simply for the things I enjoy I guess, good films, interesting books, fun games... These are the only things that really occupy my time really. The thing is, people say 'make the best of it' but for me, making the best of it means doing as little as possible of what I don't want to and doing what I enjoy when I feel like it.

I can't help that I look at life as just pointless. I can understand how those who can embrace religion are happier. I can understand how those with 'simpler' minds are happier (not to sound like some sort of intellectual elitist). I can understand how those with someone or something to really care about in life are happier. I'd rather be ignorant and happy than be logical and miserable, I really would.

I know probably few if any will read this but it just feels good to write down how I feel, it helps get my thoughts in order if nothing else.

Cheesus333:

Johnn Johnston:
We are on a rock, spinning at thousands of miles an hour through nothingness around a ball of burning gas. Water vapour flies through the skies above us. Another giant rock loops around our rock every day. Continually, we release energy using some of the millions of individual parts of our body by burning it. We crush the very items of being; we explore the galaxy. Each individual pinprick of light in the sky is its own burning ball of gas, with its own rocks spinning around it. Some have two of these flaming balls rotating around each other. There are points with infinite gravity, and particles that pass through things without being seen.

Why do I get up in the morning? Because there's so much to see.

Put it in a poem and get yourself a fortune!

Next time I post something like that, I really need to actually remember what I was thinking when I typed it. Ah, now I remember.

Life has whatever meaning you give it, so if you're too lazy to come up with one, then there are no reasons why, and as a response, everything they see is twisted into something less than awesome. I've decided my reason for existence is to have fun, and if it's not, screw that. That is my why, it's because it sounds like it might be fun, or it's the easiest way to open up more opportunities for fun.

Johnn Johnston:
We are on a rock, spinning at thousands of miles an hour through nothingness around a ball of burning gas. Water vapour flies through the skies above us. Another giant rock loops around our rock every day. Continually, we release energy using some of the millions of individual parts of our body by burning it. We crush the very items of being; we explore the galaxy. Each individual pinprick of light in the sky is its own burning ball of gas, with its own rocks spinning around it. Some have two of these flaming balls rotating around each other. There are points with infinite gravity, and particles that pass through things without being seen.

Why do I get up in the morning? Because there's so much to see.

This. Although it would be better to actually be doing the exploring than sitting here doind mundane things......

Amnestic:
To enjoy myself. Why? Because it makes me happy. Why? Because I'm enjoying myself. Why?

Well, you see where I'm going with this. Yes, the pointlessness of all life in the long run ("nihilism, woo!" I say, my voice spitting sarcasm like snake's venom) is not a stranger to me, so I may as well simply enjoy myself and work in a way to make myself feel better while I'm alive.

You are an absurdist.

You absurd, absurd man.

Imitation Saccharin :

Amnestic:
To enjoy myself. Why? Because it makes me happy. Why? Because I'm enjoying myself. Why?

Well, you see where I'm going with this. Yes, the pointlessness of all life in the long run ("nihilism, woo!" I say, my voice spitting sarcasm like snake's venom) is not a stranger to me, so I may as well simply enjoy myself and work in a way to make myself feel better while I'm alive.

You are an absurdist.

You absurd, absurd man.

Please elaborate.

Amnestic:

Please elaborate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdism

Imitation Saccharin :

Amnestic:

Please elaborate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdism

I suppose to an extent that's true. However perhaps rather than me "stating that the efforts of humanity to find meaning in the universe ultimately fail" I should rather state that my efforts to find meaning in the universe have failed, and I'm fine with that. Perhaps humanity does have meaning, I couldn't tell you. I might have meaning, again though, I couldn't tell you. Any real search I've had for this "meaning of life" has come up dry and tired, and so I've resigned myself, gladly, to instead searching to live a fulfilled life and die at the end of it knowing that I had fun, a good time and (hopefully, one day) left a good life for my kids.

So perhaps I'm not absurdist, after all, could I not state that my meaning in the universe is simply to enjoy myself and work to fulfil some personally set standards?

I do things to benefit me, as I am actually rather selfish, self preservation baby...f*ck yeah.

Amnestic:

So perhaps I'm not absurdist, after all, could I not state that my meaning in the universe is simply to enjoy myself and work to fulfil some personally set standards?

That is absurdism. Finding and enjoying arbitrary goals in the face of universal indifference.

The classic example by Camus himself is of Sisyphus forever pushing a boulder up a hill. Rather then be saddened by his task, he finds his own pleasure in the boulder rolling down every time, laughing as he goes to catch it.

To be remembered. People do there best and live their lives in the hopes that they will have done something worth remembering, that people will remember them years after they die.

The meaning of life is to create meaning. The only meaning that exists is the meaning we create.

But life is not a search for meaning, the why of life is life. Living is the goal unto itself. Not your life of course, your just a random byproduct of life, your individual existence is irrelevant.

I continue to live for two reasons:

1. I generally enjoy it.

2. I know I will die soon enough, so I may as well wait.

Obviously, if I contracted a horrible incurable/terminal illness then I would not wait for natural causes, but engineer my demise.

Shivari:
Copy and pasted from the global warming thread.

That's taking th lazy way out... good job.

Why? To enjoy another persons warmth. I like that one.

I do things because I need closure, just saying nothing means anything won't make a difference to me I still have to make up for alot of the things I have done and I still need to fulfill the promises I have made myself. So yeah I need to get my goals done thats about it thats all I want to do if I can do that then I'm happy.

Imitation Saccharin :

Amnestic:

So perhaps I'm not absurdist, after all, could I not state that my meaning in the universe is simply to enjoy myself and work to fulfil some personally set standards?

That is absurdism. Finding and enjoying arbitrary goals in the face of universal indifference.

The classic example by Camus himself is of Sisyphus forever pushing a boulder up a hill. Rather then be saddened by his task, he finds his own pleasure in the boulder rolling down every time, laughing as he goes to catch it.

Guess I'm an absurdist then. Awesome, learn something new every day.

Amnestic:

Imitation Saccharin :

Amnestic:

So perhaps I'm not absurdist, after all, could I not state that my meaning in the universe is simply to enjoy myself and work to fulfil some personally set standards?

That is absurdism. Finding and enjoying arbitrary goals in the face of universal indifference.

The classic example by Camus himself is of Sisyphus forever pushing a boulder up a hill. Rather then be saddened by his task, he finds his own pleasure in the boulder rolling down every time, laughing as he goes to catch it.

Guess I'm an absurdist then. Awesome, learn something new every day.

Wasn't Slartibartfast from Hitchhiker's Guide also an absurdist?

That's pretty cool, although I'm not an absurdist myself (or, I won't be until I finally finish doing the things I think I have to do)