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Aim of life

R

Roni

New Member
I will ask a philosophical question. Did you find the purpose of your life? Does life have some meaning or do we live because we were born to live?
 
I wish I could help you on this. It is a personal decision about what do you want to do with your life. Nobody else can give you an answer. They can tell you what decision they took but you will have to take your own. It depends on what matters to you, what things are important and which ones aren't.
 
i don't think anyone can say they have found the purpose of life...i think we are always searching. i know people in their 50s still wondering what it is they should be doing and starting all over again. just try to have as much fun as you can as you stumble through!
 
I live each day as it comes! I find my purpose in life is to make people happy ! As long as my daughters are happy i take a lot of comfort from that,i feel that there happy kids and thats good they have been though a lot in there short lifes!
 
Roni said:
Did you find the purpose of your life?
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I believe I have. I'd have to agree with humanist/existential types that "self-actualization" is the goal of life. I believe that I have achieved that professionally. I enjoy helping others, as well as exercising my own capabilities in terms of knowledge of the material that I teach, as well as knowledge of other people in general. Without the latter, you can't do too well where I work. Personally, I have no idea how things could get any better. I'm very blessed with all that I have in my life and I'd have to say that I've reached the pinnacle there as well.

Does life have some meaning or do we live because we were born to live?
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I don't believe that life just gives us "meaning" in any sense of the word. There are many people who are lost, adrift in life, but not necessarily conscious "of" life itself. Life is only given meaning through our actions.
 
simple quesion roni.why are you trying to get into peoples minds? both threads are very much the same but written in a different way!
 
I do not think these are simple questions, ruby. A lot of people never think about the aim of his/her life only when it is too late to do or chande anything into proper directions. I do hope that these discussions can stimulte minds about life. As far as bringing happiness concerned, it is not the same as life mission.
 
Whatever you decide to do, don't take a decision now. Wait until you are feeling happy. When you are brokenharted, it is easy to take the wrong decision just because any change can make you feel better, but it could be something you'll regret in the long run. Wait until you are stronger.
 
I think it's really interesting how many people respond in generalities about other people or offer you advice, rather than answer the question personally, about themselves.

There are many different ways to interpret this question. For instance, I'm a good, attentive mother; in that sense, I fullfil that purpose (because isn't that one of your life's purposes if you have a child?).

On the other hand, I don't believe there is some great cosmic plan in which I have a defined role that I have to find and fulfill. I've tried to develop my natural talents. I also hate a certain number of people, which can't be good for me or for them, but I don't care. I still hate them--this is aimed at specific people, not populations. What it is to be human, to me, is to battle through the daily shit, protect and nurture the people I love, create something worthwhile, and have a decent time, i.e., don't let the bad overwhelm the good.

I think people who claim to have found their mission and answered their calling basically have tunnel vision about their lives.
 
I think people who claim to have found their mission and answered their calling basically have tunnel vision about their lives.
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I would agree IF the given person didn't struggle at all or hadn't tried other means of finding meaning.
 
"Did you find the purpose of your life?"

As a battered child, my goal was to survive, to get to adulthood when I would be in control and this would stop. Now I have a feeling of freedom every day, and it seems to be fulfilling. I'm not sure, however, if that would exactly be called a "purpose." I suppose it would be more that I have met my goal.

"Does life have some meaning?"

Hmm...not sure about an answer, but the book I found most interesting on this question was Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl.
 
interesting question, difficult to answer. When I was young my purpose in life was to survive my situation and make it to safety, when i reached safety my purpose was to remain there and do anything to make sure that I wasn't sent back. I'm now at the stage in my life where on the one hand I have a deep sorrow about life and I see the futility of it and on the other hand I realise the lessons that i've learned. I'm no longer searching for an exact purpose or meaning for life - but i do feel that somethings missing in me and i'm trying to figure out what that is.
 
I will have to give the question some thought. One thing that I am pretty sure of though is that one's purpose changes as the years go by.
 
Roni said:
I do not think these are simple questions, ruby. A lot of people never think about the aim of his/her life only when it is too late to do or chande anything into proper directions. I do hope that these discussions can stimulte minds about life. As far as bringing happiness concerned, it is not the same as life mission.
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Oh I don't know about that. I understand it's a question people often ask themselves at midlife.
 
To be able to ponder the question of the aim of life says a lot about where we are as a society. What we say might say something about where we are in life.

When I was younger, the most important aim in my life was to insure my children had food on the table and cloths on their back. When the Lisk sisters disappeared, my aim in life was to ensure my daughter was safe. When our sons were older, we worked to ensure they had educational opportunities to obtain their goals.

When I think about goals now, I think about doing what I need to do to ensure my wife and I will always have enough money to do the things we want to do when the house is void of children, and then again when it’s time to retire.
 
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