(September 9, 2021 at 10:15 am)UniverseCaptain Wrote: I wondered what drives fellow atheist considering the meaning of life is extremely blurry when we don't consider there to be an afterlife. How do you approach anything? Every label, tag, mindset is in fact subjective too and can vary from one second to the next - what you find fun might change very fast. I am aware some of you have children and families, I suppose that will effect that massively. But in my personal situation I have never been bothered about pleasing anyone but myself, as a result I am yet to start a family - though it will be a consideration for me up until I'm about 50 if I find the right partner to start a family with.
Suppose the real question is what really gives meaning to life apart from reproducing ? Any ideas? I don't consider things like fame and being remembered particularly relevant, once dead you're dead and seeking the acclaim of others whilst alive you are wasting time you could have spent focusing on yourself in my opinion.
I had a thought - to consider life has no meaning is double edged . If it means nothing you are lucky you've even been born - in which case life means everything (including each second). Slightly complicated and believe this is in the right section. I'm sure this has been discussed before (hopefully not recently), just wondered thoughts for the present moment in time.
Why does there have to be a "meaning" to life? And what does "meaning" even entail? Some form of higher purpose? Reason for existence? Explanation for life, the Universe and everything?
Isn't the fact that as a human you are here, breathing, loving, helping, learning, teaching, reproducing, observing, shaping, enjoying, laughing, struggling, persevering, triumphing, crying and philosophizing by asking this very question enough? In my view all of these experiences give me more than enough "meaning" without having to have the faery at the bottom of the garden as well, yes.
Let me turn this around - even Christians don't find meaning by your definition. They might think they have been given the answer to how they came to exist, however the reason / purpose / goal for their existence is still completely unclear and as "unknowable" as God's will and plan - they have just one more thing to worry about than me - having to spend a good portion of their life trying to second guess and please a benevolent / malevolent boss who ultimately decides their fate at their ultimate annual review and who gives no progress reports.
In my view theists just go through life thinking they have the secret to the "meaning" of life, when really they simply have a 2000 year old instruction manual written by people, which tells them they have an imaginary friend sitting on their shoulder all their life who they can talk to to give them courage and solace if they only truly believe it, and make them feel better about having a potentially shit life by promising them a better one as long as they follow the instructions well enough. This in my view is not finding true "meaning" or fulfilment or purpose.
