The Meaning of Life

[warmouth]

To you, what is the meaning of life? What defines you as a human being? What makes you look forward to waking up and gives you hope? All of these questions run parallel to each other.


*DISCLAIMER*- Please do not make this thread anything that it is not. NO FLAMING for personal beliefs or religion. I will ask for this thread to be closed if it starts. All members feel free to share your belief on the subject and please respect the opinions and beliefs of others. I would just like to get to know you guys on a deeper level and see what keeps you motivated in life.

Lets get the Lounge jumping!

[OdinsOtherSon]

For me, that changes from day to day. Today, my purpose for existence may be to pass my literature final. Tomorrow it may be to repair my car that's broken down on the side of the road, next week perhaps I'll delve into some deep, existential examination of self and of higher callings beyond those of bring home rent and grocery money. Na, rent and grocery money are occupying my thoughts these days!!

[warmouth]

Thanks for the input guys! Good stuff. I am not a big proponent of organized religion, as I feel it actually whores down individule belief and who is to say who is right? I am 100% christian, and Iam not ashamed of that. I do however feel it has become just "another" religion, when in fact true biblical faith is far from religion. Man has interpreted it in so many ways over the last 2000 years that it has almost lost its meaning, although it will, if it is true, always be.

But on the death questions........Does it scare you to think that once a person dies they no longer exist? Of that they will forever be forgotten, and their existance will never have been known?

[warmouth]

For me, that changes from day to day. Today, my purpose for existence may be to pass my literature final. Tomorrow it may be to repair my car that's broken down on the side of the road, next week perhaps I'll delve into some deep, existential examination of self and of higher callings beyond those of bring home rent and grocery money. Na, rent and grocery money are occupying my thoughts these days!!

Lol! I know money for me is always scarce and I always wish I had just a little more. Crazy thing is I always end up with just enough to pay bills, although many times it is the day of. I never have an abundance of money. Oh well, sometimes people are lees fortunate than others in one area, but excel in another.

[OdinsOtherSon]

Bro, I'm right there with you. I seem to have just enough to eek by. Some catastrophe inevitably always crops up and any $$$ I had planned for savings goes down the tube with the catastrophe. Prime example, my step daughter's car has completely given up the ghost. Granted, it was due to HER lack of maintenance on the car but guess who gets to pay??? Yup!! Yours truly! I was just getting even with the world with plans of finally being able to start putting some cabbage back for a rainy day, but the rainy day came WAY earlier than expected AND it rains a whole fvcking lot around here these days!! LOL

[OdinsOtherSon]

Thanks for the input guys! Good stuff. I am not a big proponent of organized religion, as I feel it actually whores down individule belief and who is to say who is right? I am 100% christian, and Iam not ashamed of that. I do however feel it has become just "another" religion, when in fact true biblical faith is far from religion. Man has interpreted it in so many ways over the last 2000 years that it has almost lost its meaning, although it will, if it is true, always be.

But on the death questions........Does it scare you to think that once a person dies they no longer exist? Of that they will forever be forgotten, and their existance will never have been known?

Ok, I'm an old archaeology major...what does that have to do with your question??? Well, folks like me with my interest in history tend to also be keenly aware of their own personally history as well, ie, carrying on one's namesake. I have no kids of my own. I'll be 39 this summer and I'm never going to have my own kids. I married a woman with 2 kids, she doesn't want anymore. So, I thought the same thing you just brought up....will i be forgotten? Especially since I won't be "carried on." That notion of personally history and continuance is a killer. So, I thought, "what else could I do that would sort of memorialize my name sake and demonstrate that I was here and contributed significantly?" That kinda of thing has to be rather big. At 35, I tried to enlist...not just in "the army" but with the big boys...SF (special forces). I live less than an hour from Huntsville AL where, conveniently enough, resides a battalion of the 20th SFG. Just wanted a shot at it, you know? Nothing is guaranteed in that lifestyle for sure. But I went so far as to speak with the special forces recruiter down there and he essentially told me, "come on." Once the wife realized that I wasn't kidding and that this was actually a very real possibility she pulled the plug. So now here I am, on course for what is basically my extinction AND no memorial of," I did something special with lasting, positive results." So to your question, yeah, it scares me. So any of you young guys who might someday read this, think long and hard about how you want to be remembered and WILL you be remembered. There is so much more to life than a job, a wife, 2.2 kids, a dog, and a white picket fence...trust me.

[warmouth]

Ok, I'm an old archaeology major...what does that have to do with your question??? Well, folks like me with my interest in history tend to also be keenly aware of their own personally history as well, ie, carrying on one's namesake. I have no kids of my own. I'll be 39 this summer and I'm never going to have my own kids. I married a woman with 2 kids, she doesn't want anymore. So, I thought the same thing you just brought up....will i be forgotten? Especially since I won't be "carried on." That notion of personally history and continuance is a killer. So, I thought, "what else could I do that would sort of memorialize my name sake and demonstrate that I was here and contributed significantly?" That kinda of thing has to be rather big. At 35, I tried to enlist...not just in "the army" but with the big boys...SF (special forces). I live less than an hour from Huntsville AL where, conveniently enough, resides a battalion of the 20th SFG. Just wanted a shot at it, you know? Nothing is guaranteed in that lifestyle for sure. But I went so far as to speak with the special forces recruiter down there and he essentially told me, "come on." Once the wife realized that I wasn't kidding and that this was actually a very real possibility she pulled the plug. So now here I am, on course for what is basically my extinction AND no memorial of," I did something special with lasting, positive results." So to your question, yeah, it scares me. So any of you young guys who might someday read this, think long and hard about how you want to be remembered and WILL you be remembered. There is so much more to life than a job, a wife, 2.2 kids, a dog, and a white picket fence...trust me.

I like this. But my biggest thought on never being remebered, or the existance hasbeen forgotten is that for the 99%, we wont be remembered 1000 years from now. Heck, even 100 years from now. When I think back on history, there is only a fraction remembered, and even less when you go back to 1000 or more years. For me, and I suspect most of us, I have no idea who my great, great grand parents are, on either side. Now I should be able to find that info out, but anything later than that would be very hard. I think about this alot. In 100 years, more than likely, my descendants wont know who I am. They might know a little, but their children wont, and their childrens children wont know of my existance. It makes me think that there has to be something more. I just cant imagine dying and turning to dust without a recollection of who I am or was. As much love as I have towards people and the love shown to me, that has to be eternal. Even though I am a nobody, to some people I am everything. And there just has to be something more than blackness. Even thinking about my own consciencness makes me think my thoughts and memories wil be forever. Of course, thats me and my opinion, but love, joy, and purety has to be eternal. It is just too important not too. If it isnt, my life means nothing, nor does my joy and love.

So, what do yall think of my opinion????? LOL!

[Admin]

To you, what is the meaning of life? What defines you as a human being? What makes you look forward to waking up and gives you hope? All of these questions run parallel to each other.


*DISCLAIMER*- Please do not make this thread anything that it is not. NO FLAMING for personal beliefs or religion. I will ask for this thread to be closed if it starts. All members feel free to share your belief on the subject and please respect the opinions and beliefs of others. I would just like to get to know you guys on a deeper level and see what keeps you motivated in life.

Lets get the Lounge jumping!

To build big websites...

[OdinsOtherSon]

I like this. But my biggest thought on never being remebered, or the existance hasbeen forgotten is that for the 99%, we wont be remembered 1000 years from now. Heck, even 100 years from now. When I think back on history, there is only a fraction remembered, and even less when you go back to 1000 or more years. For me, and I suspect most of us, I have no idea who my great, great grand parents are, on either side. Now I should be able to find that info out, but anything later than that would be very hard. I think about this alot. In 100 years, more than likely, my descendants wont know who I am. They might know a little, but their children wont, and their childrens children wont know of my existance. It makes me think that there has to be something more. I just cant imagine dying and turning to dust without a recollection of who I am or was. As much love as I have towards people and the love shown to me, that has to be eternal. Even though I am a nobody, to some people I am everything. And there just has to be something more than blackness. Even thinking about my own consciencness makes me think my thoughts and memories wil be forever. Of course, thats me and my opinion, but love, joy, and purety has to be eternal. It is just too important not too. If it isnt, my life means nothing, nor does my joy and love.

So, what do yall think of my opinion????? LOL!

You're dead on. 99% of us won't be remembered regardless. I'm one of those that love genealogy. I know who some of my ancestor are from 400 years ago. Granted, I'm a freak who finds that stuff interesting. I love discovering my history...it tells me who I am, how I got here, what others may have done or paid for my being. For example...one of my 4th great grandmothers walked the Trail of Tears and was left for dead. When my grandfather found her, he took her for his wife. The census department of the time wouldn't allow him to count her as a spouse...didn't recognize her as being a human. She appears in the census as livestock. That's just a small part of my history. That woman DESERVES to be remembered. How many individuals who suffered the same or worse have faded into nothingness? And whose fault is that? Ours. We don't value our predecessors, what they did so we can exist. It's our responsibility to ensure that they are remembered. Unfortunately too many of us are too enamored with who's going to win this season's Dancing with the Stars or American Idol to focus even a modicum of our attention to those types of things. And that is an absolute shame on our part. Just my $0.02 and ramblings from a weirdo.

[OdinsOtherSon]

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Chicken bacon.

Very valid point!!!!!!!!

[warmouth]

I am a geneology freak myself. I found out that my great, great, great grandmother was a very prominent figure in the US and has a nationally recognized grave site about 30 minutes north of me. I love finding out thing like this. Being from the south, almost everyone says they are descendants of Robert E. Lee. Makes me so mad because there is no way 95% of the south are related to him as they claim.

[Henris]

The transience of all things can be a terrifying truth to face. However, it is this impermanence that gives urgency and value to our moments. I believe that in order to achieve balance, it is extremely important to develop a sense of mindfulness and gratitude. By accepting the present and recognizing the impermanent nature of both joys and sorrows, we can navigate the currents of life with greater stability. For those who are lost, perhaps our role is to offer compassion and to listen, as humanity's interconnectedness allows us to reach out to those in need. Our interactions and the connections we create can add to the richness of life's tapestry. And as we continue to explore and learn, let's remember that beauty lies not only in the destination, but in every step we take, in every relationship we develop, and in every moment we take. Thus, my friend, we create our own แทงบอลสเต็ป in the great game of life, and every bet testifies to our courage and resilience.