Our purpose, and why we exist?

[orogenicman]

I have a special purpose!

[Autumnlicious]

I'm pretty sure the "Pigs in Space" on the Muppets were supposed to have figured this out, but unfortunately the dinner bell rang before they reached the end of the universe (where they would find out the purpose of life) and eating was more important. Infer from that what you will.

Obviously life was a dream and eating was the message of the dream as everyone was really dead in an airplane crash... /whoops, I got "lost" here.

[thesummerqueen]

Obviously life was a dream and eating was the message of the dream as everyone was really dead in an airplane crash... /whoops, I got "lost" here.

I just figured it meant food was more important than philosophy. Any shmuck can be a philosopher...only talented people can make a good meal.

[Justtristo]

It seems to me that once you ask questions like, "What is our purpose or why do we exist," you have already jumped to the assumption that there is a higher reason and that it's up to us to figure it out, neither of which I think is true. Humans specifically nor the planet and all in it are here due to pure chance. Natural selection isn't random. Neither is it chance that something came from nothing. There is a scientific reason, even if we can't fathom what that might be yet. I think people often ask what our purpose is because they can't mentally process that there is no purpose or they aren't willing to accept that there is none. In fact, if there were some purpose in life (procreate, get married, leave ample resources for your children), the people who have not done these things by the time they die would have failed, so the idea of having purpose in life seems unpleasant and limiting to me. As Camus has said, "the point is to live." And there's nothing more under the sun.

I fully agree with your thoughts here everythingafter.

[downbeatplumb]

Obviously life was a dream and eating was the message of the dream as everyone was really dead in an airplane crash... /whoops, I got "lost" here.

I just figured it meant food was more important than philosophy. Any shmuck can be a philosopher...only talented people can make a good meal.

to a starving man any meal is a good meal.

But I tend to think of food as a poo I havent had yet.

[thesummerqueen]

But I tend to think of food as a poo I havent had yet.

Only if it involves corn or pumpkin...

And oddly, this potty humor brings me back to the original topic (sorta)...I suddenly remembered something from a biography on Ben Franklin that I was reading some time back... "The First American" by H.W. Brands. He mentioned that Franklin was influenced (not really for the good) by the prominent figure Cotton Mather who encouraged people to think holy thoughts even while taking care of bathroom business...ostensibly because such an activity was base and animal, and humans needed to try and escape such things. Pretty sure that's the gist - it's been a while since I read it and the book is somewhere in one of six boxes filled with books in the attic. I'll have to pull it out again.

Okay maybe it had nothing to do with the topic, but I think it's fair to say that religion gives rise to some crazy-ass suggestions. We're here. We eat. We poop. The only meaning there is in life is the one we create for ourselves.

We all keep quoting Carlin, here's one I like to remember in case I need perspective: "Life is NOT that difficult. You get up, you go to work, eat three meals a day, take one good shit and you go to bed!" Anything else we do in the meantime is up to us.

Anyway, now that I've proved the completely nonconstructive and random nature of my thoughts...

[downbeatplumb]

I spy a chance for a random rush track.

'Why are we here because were here roll the bones......'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dX5FejXYYg