What is the point of anything?

[emilynghiem]

Hi there, so this is my first post here. I won't bore you all with the details, but I've been on the way to deconversion for some time. There's one thing I struggle to get my head around though, largely because of my religious background (Catholic) I'm sure but it is something I do think about a lot.

Life. Living. What is the point of any of it?

No I'm not posting this while slitting my wrists to a Hawthorne Heights/Linkin Park mix, and it is something that crosses my mind whenever anything good or bad happens now. You built a sandcastle? What's the point? It's going to be gone when the tide comes in. You finished reading some novel? Well wasn't that a fine waste of an hour.

Yes..I know this sounds pessimistic, but this line of thinking goes on to higher levels too. Why bother building monuments when eventually either hundreds or thousands of years from now it's going to be gone. Why bother reproducing if the human race and the planet itself is inevitably going to pass away. In particularly ill moods I've even thought about whats the point eating or drinking to sustain yourself now if you're going to die anyway. Everything just appears ultimately pointless, staving off the inevitable and ultimately a complete and utter waste.

In a way I know I've cultivated this mindset myself, years of religious activity and several years studying Theology reinforces this mindset. Even still, I can't seem to come up with a good reason to do anything now. Of course I work, I eat and the like; I might not care but there are others around me who still do and I don't see a reason to "Break the Spell" as Dennett put it. Most of the time I wish I hadn't myself, and let doubts and remain just that.

Not exactly a cheerful post I know, but it is something I think of more and more. Have any of you got an answer or an idea, because I can't come up with one.

Hi Neil
I think starting with neutral is the best place to be.
You can see all the mountains and rivers, all the ups and downs in life.
Then when you want on or off the roller coaster or merry go round, you can do so and jump back off. Stay grounded in knowing that you are healthy, and have wonderful people around you to explore life together.
Just make the most of your relationships, and the resources available to you, and you will have a grand time making your journey as adventurous or as leisurely as works for you.
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the meaning of life:

"To understand and appreciate the beauty in everything and every person around you, the interconnected design of all elements in harmony with the greater whole, and the love and good purpose in everything in the universe."
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You can also look up the Unitarian Universalist principles
where they wrote out a secularized version of the greater good for humanity including
* the free and responsible search for truth and meaning
* the right of conscience and respect for the democratic process
* the goal of world community with peace justice and liberty for all
etc.

If I was going to take Christianity and spell it out in secular terms it would look something like that. Christianity = perfect charity for all, perfect conscience, Christ Jesus = Restorative Justice, Justice with Mercy etc.

The advantage of taking a secular position is you can translate back and forth from the religious symbolism to real life concepts. Not everyone can do that.

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Unless one also enjoys pooping. Then pooping is the reward for eating.

Yes, but after it's all been "pooped" any sensual reward follows it down the pan. Then you have to go through the chore of eating again. Unless you're into faecal transplantation, in which case not only do you enjoy being full of shit, you don't even care that the shit is not your own.

I've heard of
"Do unto others, then run"
or do unto others before they do unto you.

I guess your version is double of that.
Doo doo unto other before they doo doo on you!!!