What is our purpose?

[Soph0571]

Ghandi said that ‘The main purpose of life is to live rightly, think rightly, act rightly. The soul must languish when we give all our thought to the body.’

The Dalai Lama once said that ‘the purpose of life was to be happy’. He also said that is was ‘Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.’

What is our purpose? What is yours?

[handmade34]

1. I went to seminary...

I tell my story over and over… most don't understand... this is what I learned at seminary, this is what I know to be truth... Jesus' message was, and only was (my base interpretation of and simply),
"Life is tough and we all are here to help each other"


I think our purpose is not to be happy in the general sense, but to have joy in the real sense... the joy of commitment, the joy of working through hard times with others (loved ones and neighbors)...

[MineralMan]

2. The purpose of life is to survive and reproduce.

That's how most lifeforms operate. Humans have the unusual power of imagination. Because of that we can imagine all sorts of other reasons and purposes for our lives. It is a privilege to not have to worry about survival. Not all human beings have that privilege.

We can think of other purposes, so we do. But, they're human constructs, not imperatives.

[Croney]

3. Live, think, act rightly? Who TF gets to define

rightly? Hitler thought he was right. The orange pusball thinks he's right. You can stuff your rightlys in a sack. (Thanks, George.)

I agree with MM that our purpose is to keep humping and making more of ourselves. Magical thinking about souls and spirits and fairies in the sky help a lot of people get through their days and nights, and feel that they have control through beliefs (or knowledge, as they like to call it).

I don't actively try to dissuade people of these crutches; there is no point to simply making someone sad.

[LakeArenal]

4. Our purpose in life is science....

Figure it out. Use our evolved brain to figure it all out. Use it to benefit everyone and take everyone along with us for the adventure.

[c-rational]

5. From Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth..."The true or primary purpose of your life cannot be found

on the outer level. It does not concern what you do but who you are-that is your state of consciousness." He states, "your life has an inner purpose and an outer purpose. Inner purpose concerns Being and is primary. Outer purpose concerns doing and is secondary. They are intertwined and almost impossible to speak of one without referring to another."

"Your inner purppose is to awaken. It is as simple as that....Your outer purpose can chaange over time. Finding and living in alignment with your inner purpose is the foundation for fulfilling your oouter purpose. I is the basis for true sucess."

"Awakening is a shift in consciousness in which thinking and awareness separate. For most people is is not an event but a process they undergo...Awareness is conscious connection with universal intelligene. Anothree work for it is Presence: consciousness without thought."

[Voltaire2]

6. Why do we assume there is a purpose?

[DavidDvorkin]

7. I agree with you

That's the right question.

[Pope George Ringo II]

11. We go out in the world and take our chances.

Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That’s the way that lady luck dances
Roll the bones

Why are we here?
Because we’re here.
Roll the bones
Why does it happen?
Because it happens.
Roll the bones

[Iggo]

8. The Biological Imperative: Eat And Screw.

Philosophically, I guess it's: Help, Don't Hurt.

But when things get hairy, I think biology trumps philosophy.

[Jim__]

9. We are the most intelligent conscious species that we know of in the universe.

From my perspective, that puts a burden on us to try to survive as a species. I try to imagine the universe without conscious intelligence. It might just as well not exist. It is conceivable that an intelligent agent could change the fate of the universe and allow it to persist, if not forever, beyond the time when it would naturally collapse. We could be ancestors to such an intelligence.

[edhopper]

10. "To crush your enemies --

See them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women!"

"And in the end...the love you take is equal to the love you make."

[Act_of_Reparation]

13. lul

[uriel1972]

12. No intrinsic purpose...

Just biological imperatives and the overlays of intelligence that are put upon them.

[Lordquinton]

14. Life's what you make it

Religion exists because the answer to "why am I here" is unsatisfactory, and people insist there has to be more rather than accepting the facts and moving on with more knowledge.

There is no reason we're here, we are making it all up as we go along, the rules we make are only as good as the enforcement.

[NeoGreen]

15. For me: Leave it better than you found it.

Your mileage may vary.

[guillaumeb]

16. Physically, it is to live and reproduce.

Philosophically, my goal is to follow the message of Jesus to treat others as I wish to be treated.