What is the point to life?

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by SpaceBadger:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Atrocities:

*snip*
...if you know that the end result is just going to be death

*snip*
...if life after death is nothingness where concience thought does not exsist?

*snip*
...if death is the end result?

First off, in the material I quoted above you are making some assumptions that I don't agree with. I'm a Christian, and I believe that there is more to it than what you've stated.

However, even assuming for the sake of discussion your chosen limitations, what about enjoying life while you live it? What about making the lives of others more enjoyable, or at least less miserable? What about leaving the world a little better for your descendants, or for just people in general if you have no descendants? What about not letting down those who are depending on you right now, and who are perhaps looking to you for an example of how they should live?

SpaceBadger

---

I do not mean to offend any one who choses to believe in an after life for the truth is no one really knows what death really brings except those who have died and they are not talking.

I am of the same mind as Puke and feel that once you gone, your gone. There is no heaven no hell, no nothing. I do believe in the essence of God, but not in religion of God. Its complicated, but basically put I am open minded and respect all people regardless of their beliefs.

If you believe in the after life, then I am very happy for you. I wish I could believe, but simply do not.

I have spent my life for others, I have sacraficed eveything to be good to others, and the deed is often its own reward, but over the Last few years I have come to the simple realization that people are people are people.

No good deed goes unpunished, nice guys do finish Last, evil is reward while kindness if punished. There are two types of poeple, criminals, and good criminals.

Good criminals are the people who run the systems that we all live by, banking, religion, government, etc. They are the ones who get wealthy off of the backs of those who do the work. Criminals, normal folks come in two sub types. Bad Criminals, and honest criminals. Bad criminals are those criminals who do horrible things like murder, rape, etc, while honest criminals are people who follow the rules, but occationally make minor mistakes such as jay walking, speeding, not waring your seat belt, etc.

The Good criminals are the people who get rich off of the backs of the rest of us. They are the guys who bankrupt a company making millions while the life savings of the companies employes is wiped out.

A good friend of mine at work brought in a philosopy book once. I read it. My life was for ever change after that. The very things that many of us complain about today, taxes, death, religion, money are very much the same thing that people have complained about since the dawn of recorded history.

Nothing changes except the stupid laws we use to govern ourselves. The laws that are written by the rich for the rich to benifit the rich. The rich do not go into the military as PFC's, no they go in as officers and often their arrogance get the PFC's killed.

The poor are nothing but a renewable resource for the wealthy to use to get wealthier. If you do not earn interest, your are paying interest. If all that my life is for is to make some other bastards life better then I choose not to play the game.

I am not a slave, I am owned by the company that I slave away at. My life is mine, why should I trade it away for just enough money to get a taste of living but not enough to live.

Depressing isn't it? Well when you boil it all down to the simple truth, as Puke said, we are all nothing but a collection of atoms. We all die rich or poor. And while I am here, living, I choose not to live to make the rich richer.

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by Puke:
well, yeah.. if you're on the losing side, i suppose. thats just a part of evolution, more powerfull societies have taken desireable land from less developed cultures, and it even happens internally in our own country - and other countries - where the empowered take advantage of the average or the disadvantaged.

call it cruel if you like, but its evolution in action. people are no different from animals. the pendilum can swing the other way too - the french revolution being an extreme example. dont read too much into it all. life and family and friends all remain. if the activities you enjoy are all expensive, then i cant help you there. but item and property ownership isnt really all that rewarding. at least, not to me.

"Death to the Lawyers and all those who have unblemished hands!"

Evolution sucks arse! Revolutions kick arse

Loser, the key to being happy is in letting go. Oh how true that is. However, letting things go sometimes comes at a huge and often overwhelming expense.

[Loser]

It is more expensive to hold on. Letting go is hard, but it is the only solution.
Anything else is just makeup on a bruise.

[ October 06, 2003, 19:32: Message edited by: Loser ]

[Puke]

no, no, no.. you have to hold on loosely, and not let go. because if you cling to tight...

ah, nevermind.

[Ran-Taro]

Originally posted by Atrocities:

I have spent my life for others, I have sacraficed eveything to be good to others, and the deed is often its own reward, but over the Last few years I have come to the simple realization that people are people are people.

No good deed goes unpunished, nice guys do finish Last, evil is reward while kindness if punished. There are two types of poeple, criminals, and good criminals.

Good criminals are the people who run the systems that we all live by, banking, religion, government, etc. They are the ones who get wealthy off of the backs of those who do the work. Criminals, normal folks come in two sub types. Bad Criminals, and honest criminals. Bad criminals are those criminals who do horrible things like murder, rape, etc, while honest criminals are people who follow the rules, but occationally make minor mistakes such as jay walking, speeding, not waring your seat belt, etc.

The Good criminals are the people who get rich off of the backs of the rest of us. They are the guys who bankrupt a company making millions while the life savings of the companies employes is wiped out.

A good friend of mine at work brought in a philosopy book once. I read it. My life was for ever change after that. The very things that many of us complain about today, taxes, death, religion, money are very much the same thing that people have complained about since the dawn of recorded history.

Nothing changes except the stupid laws we use to govern ourselves. The laws that are written by the rich for the rich to benifit the rich. The rich do not go into the military as PFC's, no they go in as officers and often their arrogance get the PFC's killed.

The poor are nothing but a renewable resource for the wealthy to use to get wealthier. If you do not earn interest, your are paying interest. If all that my life is for is to make some other bastards life better then I choose not to play the game.

I am not a slave, I am owned by the company that I slave away at. My life is mine, why should I trade it away for just enough money to get a taste of living but not enough to live.

Depressing isn't it? Well when you boil it all down to the simple truth, as Puke said, we are all nothing but a collection of atoms. We all die rich or poor. And while I am here, living, I choose not to live to make the rich richer.[/QB]

Seems like a very liberal (infact, socialist!) point of view for a staunch republican! (judging from comments in the 'iraq war' thread).

Cheer up! Most of the world have a hard time finding something to eat, and are a whole world away from worrying about 'gentrification'.

While you have enough to eat, family and friends, and the prospect of good times in your life, what is the point of wasting your vast potential on despair?

Look at Aaron Hall. I wouldn't call him a criminal (even by your definitions). Yet I bet he earns more than 40K! And he does it by bringing joy to all of us, so that we are happy to support him for it.

From the little I know of you, I have seen a lot of talent (as anyone who has seen your shipsets will attest). Find a use for that talent that people will be happy to pay you for, work hard and voila! All of a sudden you are the one earning good money for doing something you love, hurting no one, and sharing the bounty with those you love.

But most of all, please enjoy the good things you've got right now, because those too will come to an end. That is the meaning of life: Because it comes to an end, every moment not living it to your best potential, is a moment wasted.

Don't waste it! You have too much to offer!

[Renegade 13]

We all sacrifice for others, and those sacrifices are not always appreciated. In fact, many times they are not. But that's not the point. We can't let things like that get us down. We sacrifice for others because it is the right thing to do, and most of us are moral people at heart. We can only live the way we know we should, and whether or not other people appreciate it, does not matter.

[Atrocities]

Not a socialist, but a Depressionist

This is more of a philisophical (sp) discussion than how I really look at things in life. I am actually rather optomistic by nature, I know good things will happen in time, but I can't help but take notice of all the other things that are going on.

The question about the purpose to life is as old as we our race.

Thanks for your concern Ran, that was very kind of you. I started this topic because I enjoy reading what people post on important issues and such.

All though life is cruel and I question the meaning of living if death is the ultimate reward, I do take great pleasure in exsisting. I mean just playing SEIV sometimes is the greatest thrill one could hope for. Life has many surprises, most good, but some not so good.

Good life surprises would be Star Wars and winning the lotto.
Bad surprises would be a flat tire or a sudden death of a loved one.

Take life as it comes, because when its over, it is really over.

[Teal_Avenger]

Originally posted by Loser:

Life is not cruel. Life is indifferent. Existence is unjust. Experience is inconsistent.

Very true, but experience is the lens (however scratched and out of focus) through which we each individually view the world. My view through my lens will be dramatically different than that of Bill Gates or anonymous villager in West Africa. Our lens and our interpretter (mind) are all we have to make sense of the world and most of the time there is no sense to be found. Then the mind starts to make its own "sense," impose its own overlay of order and normalcy on even the most surreal and absurd situations. It stops trying to discern the truth and creates its own "truth."

Why do people continue to live under capricious tyrants? They've convinced themselves that this is the best option available to them. Their distorted lens has overwhelmed their mind and the mind has been forced to rationalize.

Originally posted by Loser:

Letting go is the key to happiness.

Happiness is overrated. Seriously, this is giving up in a different way. By letting go, we are denying that our experience (however muddled) is valid. It is. Everyone's experience is just as valid as the next person's By putting these experiences together, we start to eliminate (see through) some the distortions of our individual experience and get closer to truth.

By letting go, by accepting our plight, we shirk any attempt at making a difference, an improvement in the world. I'm not saying that everyone has an inner Lincoln waiting to get out, but there are oppourtunities, some easy and almost passive (say, voting) all the way to the dangerous. Most are small and nearly imperceptable (a city council meeting, a mentoring program) but their cumalative effect can be dramatic.

Oops, this got a little heavy and long winded.

[Puke]

Originally posted by Renegade 13:
We all sacrifice for others, and those sacrifices are not always appreciated. In fact, many times they are not. But that's not the point. We can't let things like that get us down. We sacrifice for others because it is the right thing to do, and most of us are moral people at heart. We can only live the way we know we should, and whether or not other people appreciate it, does not matter.

well, you palookas dont want to get me started on morality - but Renegade is on to something here that you should pay attention to:

you are not making a sacrifice for anyone if you are expecting to be rewarded for it. its sort of like going to the gym for a workout. its supposed to be work, otherwise they'd call it a relax-and-have-a-margarita-out. if you're making a sacrifice, then you shouldn't be worried about whos going to thank you for it, or pay you back, or even notice. you should't even be worried about fate paying you back with divine karma. its called a sacrifice for a reason.

so the next time your having a margarita instead of going to the gym, raise your glass to all the unsung heros who really did make sacrifices.

and in case you forgot, moderate me down so that forum newbies dont mistakenly give credit to anything i say

[General Woundwort]

Amazing how the same options keep coming up (stoicism/buddhism/"letting go" - hedonsim - monotheisn/Christianity), even if the labels change. Nothing new under the sun...