Reason in life (33)

1 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-08 10:55 ID:sfiwlgYX

When I was young, I would always hear people say "what do you want to be in life?" Upon hearing that, I usually answered "I don't know."

I felt as if I was slow, and needed to catch up with others. They all knew what they wanted to be when they grew up, and I still didn't? How would I ever succeed?

However, around the start of Junior high, I had decided I would be a lawyer when I grew up. Why? Well, my mother had told me that my father had wanted to be a lawyer before having to choose his current career, and also they were paid pretty decently. I was decided! During junior high, anytime I was asked what I would be when I grew up, I proudly exclamed "A lawyer!" It was so great having caught up with everyone else.

Too bad it didn't last.

By the time high school came around I had enough knowlegde to actually consider the career goal I had so called "decided on." "Lawyers cheat people, do lots of paperwork, don't get steady pay, and even try to defend people that they may not like or who may actually be guilty," I thought. It was clear that I couldn't keep that as a career goal and be happy about it. I was back to square one. In fact I was worse off, because I was now a high school student!

High school slowly passed, along with me hoping that sooner or later my purpose in life would come to me. I soon found myself taking classes at the local community college during high school, finishing high school early due to that, and continuing classes there due to the convience. Sure, I probably would have been accepted to quite a few four-years, but I wasn't yet willing to give up the life of going to school while living at home... besides, I had already started there, and I wasn't even sure what I wanted to major in.

One year passes and I decide on a major. A half of a year years passes and, just when I only have one more semester left, my parents decide to move, wanting me to move with them. Not having anyone else that I know nearby, not wanting to be left behind, and not really liking my current area, I go with them, hoping for the best.

I transfer to a new community college and find that the same major has different requirements, and it would take me about 1.5 years to take care of them. Then, after talking it over with my parents, I decided that I should switch to a similar major, one that was more popular and would pay end up paying more... but would also take me at least 2.5 more years to transfer in. Two years pass, and that brings me to today.

2 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-08 11:14 ID:sfiwlgYX

"I still haven't found out what I want to be in life," I think. I don't have extraordinary dreams like wanting to teach children about life, wanting to help sick people or people in other countries, or thinking I can play a part in helping the run the economy better.

Also, what's the reason in life anyway?

I guess I could just go about on my daily routine, interacting with people, hanging out with friends and keeping up friendships, but what would be the point of it all? What's the point of doing anything if you don't have a certain goal you're striving for, or something you want to accomplish?

I could graduate, get a job, and get a loan on a house, but what would the point of that be? In the long run, all I would end up doing is sustaining my own life.

I could help better the world "for the future generation," but what would the point of that be? Just so they could do that for the next, and them for the next ad infinitum?

We could discover new worlds and galaxies, discover time travel and better technology, but what would the ultimate point of all of it be? To just better our own existence and aide our own survival?

In the end, we're no better than the cavemen, and in fact, worse. While most cavemen may not have knowingly worked for the future, at least they couldn't contaminate the world in any way.

So, what exactly is the purpose of out lives?

PS: I should probably note that I am in no way suicidal. Suicide probably cause more harm than good if you're after the age of say, three.

3 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-08 15:17 ID:EhZopTZW

Things aren't always so complicated. A purpose is as simple as just wanting to be happy and make others happy.

4 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-08 15:28 ID:P9UmjqKB

>>3

Agreed. And happiness can have so many different meanings for different people. Know what makes you happy and just go with it.

5 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-08 23:05 ID:sfiwlgYX

>>3

So you're saying as long as they're happy, humans don't need a goal or purpose in life? That they don't need to strive for anything, and in essence should just waste time while waiting for their death?

When you say "things aren't always so complicated," you actually mean "most people don't care to look at that and/or question their, and society's, reason for existing."

6 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-08 23:07 ID:sfiwlgYX

>>4
You know what would make me happy? Knowing what the purpose of our existence is.

I could then adjust my life accordingly.

7 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-09 07:22 ID:Heaven

>>3

But what if your not happy?

8 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-09 19:12 ID:Heaven

>>6
Your purpose in life can now be finding out what the purpose in life is? :D

9 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-10 18:20 ID:s7zXYHOI

http://xkcd.com/c167.html

I just saw this in my RSS feed reader, I thought it would fit in here niceley.

10 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-11 12:33 ID:BGh9Qoti

Depends on which reason would you like to hear. Scientific, religious, psychological, sociological ?

Maybe this helps: http://sysopmind.com/tmol-faq/meaningoflife.html

11 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-11 15:01 ID:rMinlnBI

purpose of live is to exist in this world

12 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-11 16:13 ID:IdTlNsk2

I'm 31 and still don't really know what I wanna do lol. I enjoy working at the bookstore I manage then I go home and play games, surf the net, watch anime. People ask me all the time when I'm going to grow up. I realize what everyone thinks growing up means, to almost everyone growing up means having a family and that's not something I ever plan on having so for me I'll never grow up. Having a career without a family is pretty unneccessary so unless you plan on having kids I wouldn't plan on anything. Just enjoy life till it's over I say.

13 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-11 21:04 ID:bDaBKXJg

I think the purpose of life is to leave the Earth in better condition than it was when you arrived.

Clean up the environment, invent something, help little old ladies across the street, write the next great american novel, be a famous actor and make some kid with cancer smile, work on ending poverty, whatever. The WAY you help is up to you. But I think that's the way you reach your potential.

They're not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they're destined for great things, just like many of you, their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? - - Carpe - - hear it? - - Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary. -- Dead Poet's Society

14 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-11 21:36 ID:32VLYfDx

>>12

To me 'growing up' means more about taking on responsibility. If you just go to work every day and you don't shave or keep up your personal hygiene and your apartment looks like it's recovering from hurricane Katrina, those are things you probably need to work on. But 'growing up' doesn't mean that you have to have a family. It's just about not acting childish (expecting others to do things for you, like mommy and daddy used to, etc).

A good example of people that don't grow up are some of my best friends ex-roommates. They would leave lights on in the apartment when they would go home for the holidays. They wouldn't do dishes on their own very often, or even vacuum, or pick up after themselves. They were very much used to mommy and daddy doing things for them, and now that they were on their own they were just expecting things to get done on their own.

As long as you get the things done that you need to get done, fulfill your responsibilities and such, I think that you've 'grown up.'

Some people might view where you are as being 'stuck in a rut' and that you don't want to 'grow up' because you're life isn't in motion according to them. But if you're happy where you are then so be it. My only advice is to plan for retirement of some sort. Take a few finance classes to help you understand how to better your financial situation and save for the future. Just having a 401k doesn't do much if you don't know how to use it. And putting money into IRAs and such.

15 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-12 17:22 ID:IdTlNsk2

I guess. But seriously after several hours of conversation for the nth time with my parents, brothers, sisters in law, cousins, aunts, uncles, whatever about "Growing up" it all comes to the same conclusion. I'm not married.

I taught high school for 2 years and still wasn't "Grown up" so having a career wasn't what my family was looking for, having my own apartment, having a job with benefits and a retirement set up (not much, it WAS teaching after all) nothing matters to most of my family if I'm not married. My father got married when he was 50 for the first time (to a girl 25 years younger btw) so I don't see why everyone's on my back. Lame i say.

In fact, now that I think about it, my dad's the only one not pressuring me to start a family. Way to go dad.

16 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-12 19:14 ID:Heaven

>>15

Well, then your family has a screwed up idea of what 'growing up' means. Most people don't equate 'marriage' with 'adulthood.' Getting married/becoming a parent doesn't make you an adult. There are plenty of example of people in bad marriages or people that abuse their children because they aren't 'grown up.'

Not to bash your family, but I almost feel sorry for their spouses/children if the only reason they got married (or started a family) was to prove that they were 'more adult.'

That's almost as bad as those 14 year old girls that have sex with 30 year old guys and are purposefully trying to get pregnant (as in doing things like puncturing condoms). They are just trying to prove that they are 'adult' and 'mature,' but they really will end up being the trashy horrible mom because they weren't ready to be a mother at all yet (if they ever would have been otherwise).

17 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-12 19:16 ID:32VLYfDx

Oops didn't mean to sage... wow, I got a sweet id though.

18 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-12 20:01 ID:32VLYfDx

Errr... nevermind about that id thing... ^^;; I'm a little new here.

19 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-13 13:38 ID:Heaven

>>16

Does girls of 14 years of age or whatever young age they are wanting to get knocked up by adults exist?

Where did you hear this from?

20 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-16 08:01 ID:32VLYfDx

>>19

A long time ago I saw some talk show while flipping channels where the girls wanted to get pregnant. If I remember correctly, at least one of the girls was 13 or 14. It was one of those things where they bring the parents and the kid on, and the kid just keeps saying that she'll keep having sex and tearing the condom or whatever (no matter what her parents try to do). I guess talk shows aren't that much to be believed, but it wasn't something completely off the wall like Jerry Springer.

As for 30 year olds, I don't know how old the boyfriends of those girls were. I got the impression that maybe 17-19 was the age, but I've met plenty of girls that all had encounters (of their own choice) with guys that were in their late-20's while they were 14-16. Of course, I'm hearing this once they are older so I dunno.

Both of these situations are basically young girls trying to do adult things to somehow prove that they are mature and grown up. I just assumed that there is probably some cross-over between the group of girls that want to date guys twice their age to seem more mature, and girls that want to become mothers to prove their adulthood.

21 Name: Anonymous : 2006-10-16 18:41 ID:QZZ4bOxS

>>15

tell your dad that he wins an internet

>>19

i remember when i was 14...i knew a few girls (okay, actually one to be exact) who were like that way back then. didn't understand it then, don't understand it now. I'm inclined to agree with >>20 though....

Or maybe they're just psychotic and need treatment. Body dysmorphic disorder? Frontal lobe impairment, disinhibition, hypersexuality? The world may never know...

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23 Name: imperfect : 2006-11-07 11:43 ID:ra1euoxP

the reason for our existence is that we are the work of god how else can you explain the infinitly complex world and body that we live in, nothing can make or create itself it has to be created, recent dna research related to the everyday dna paternity test has proven that all men alive today are descended from the same man in the distant past (checkout the national geographic channel website)there are many ways to prove the authenticity of the bible so with all the evidence for intelligent design underlying everything it seems a logical conclusion that god exists also there are 3 billion and more people who believe in a creator, so many people cant be deluded or insane ,read the bible it offers alot more than what most people think,it was as it claims authored by god to explain the meaning of our lives, start with the new testament god will not solve all your problems i still smoke pot everyday live on my own and rarely go out but i know that i have hope,good luck

24 Name: imperfect : 2006-11-07 11:48 ID:ra1euoxP

hi

25 Name: Anonymous : 2006-11-08 21:55 ID:Heaven

>>24 hi

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29 Name: soumynonA : 2007-05-17 12:44 ID:WYs94ynK

let life come to you. look around... wander. you never know.

[this message may sound sappy to some but i don't care]

30 Name: Anonymous : 2007-05-17 14:34 ID:MUQVn40O

I'm satisfied to have the purpose to simply live. To live, and sustain my own existence independently, to produce values and enjoy them. Read Ayn Rand :D

31 Name: Anonymous : 2007-05-17 21:42 ID:vMdBucuk

I'm baffled that noone already answered this.

The answer to all your questions about life, universe and the rest is Forty-Two.

32 Name: Lif : 2007-05-17 23:09 ID:N8RxZtYN

You make your own reason to LIVE, whether it would be to serve a fictional character like "God" or be better and live for yourself.

33 Name: Anonymous : 2007-05-18 18:43 ID:oB/3BvHN

>> 32

lol existentialism

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