Atheism and the meaning of life - what drives you?

[Astreja]

You know life is better with magic beliefs right?

That's true. An atheist tricking themselves into believing in a comforting afterlife, for example, is pragmatically superior than any other coping mechanism.

I disagree, Klorophyll.  There is nothing superior about tricking oneself, and at the level of the unconscious mind I feel that this is a recipe for disaster.

I would rather deal with unpleasant realities up front, in the open, than pretend they aren't there.