Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
17 Mart 2010 Çarşamba
16 Mart 2010 Salı
Yaşamak
Ormana gittim; çünkü bilinçli yaşamak istiyordum.
Hayatın iliğini emerek yaşamak istiyordum.
Hayat olmayan her şeyi geride bırakıp ölüm anım geldiğinde, aslında yaşamadığımı öğrenmek istemiyordum.
To live
is
to die.
Hayatın iliğini emerek yaşamak istiyordum.
Hayat olmayan her şeyi geride bırakıp ölüm anım geldiğinde, aslında yaşamadığımı öğrenmek istemiyordum.
To live
is
to die.
15 Mart 2010 Pazartesi
What's the significance of life? Who are we?
Insignificant mortals, who are as leaves are,
and now flourish and grow warm with life,
and feed on what the ground gives,
but then again fade away and are dead.
Homer, Century IX b.C.
Is human life just a dream, from which we never really awake, as some great thinkers claim? Are we submerged by our feelings, by our loves and hates, by our ideas of good, bad, beautiful, awful? Are we incapable of knowing beyond those ideas and feelings?
Listen to Shakespeare and Joseph Conrad:
We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep…
William Shakespeare, The Tempest (Folger Shakespeare Library)
A man that is born falls into a dream like a man who falls into the sea.
Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim (Penguin Classics)
Is the reality we know a reality imposed to us by nature? Is the reality and the meaning of life a creation of men, such as music, or love or colors (science tells us that there isn't such things as music, harmony or colors in the physic world. Just traveling molecules: «There is not, external to us, hot or cold, but only different velocities of molecules; there aren’t sounds, callings, harmonies, but just variations in the pressure of the air; there aren’t colours, or light, just electro-magnetic waves», said H. Von Foerster.).
Are we - and all living beings - just «survival machines, blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes», as Richard Dawkins states? Are we incapable of knowing beyond the frames imposed to us by nature?
Is there any significance for life in a Universe of billions of stars that ignore us? Is there any significance for life in an Universe whose dimensions and nature overcome our understanding?
Listen to the words of Pascal, in the seventeenth century:
«When I consider the short duration of my life, swallowed up in the eternity that lies before and after it, when I consider the little space I fill and I see, engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces of which I am ignorant, and which know me not, I rest frightened, and astonished, for there is no reason why I should be here rather than there. Why now rather than then? Who has put me here? By whose order and direction have this place and time have been ascribed to me?»
Pensees (Penguin Classics)
Love and cruelty on our lives
Love gives meaning to our lives – as do friendship, or art or faith in God. These are factors of true happiness, of inner peace, of feelings of harmony, allowing meaning to our existence.
But there is the other side. There is the cruelty of life, the pain, the evil, not to talk of death. They are the hidden tigers, ambushed and ready to attack the imprudent, to use an image present in the Buddhist Scriptures.
Is between these pendulums - the positive, the one that gives happiness and meaning, and the negative - that our lives are lived. And when we meditate about all that, we arrive at a diverse and disagreeing set of thoughts about the meaning and purpose of life.
Poetic reflexions about the brevity of our lives
Insignificant mortals, who are as leaves are, and now flourish and grow warm with life, and feed on what the ground gives, but then again fade away and are dead.
Homer, Century IX b.C., Greek poet, The Iliad (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
Speculations on our place on the Universe
When I consider the short duration of my life, swallowed up in the eternity before and after, the little space which I fill, and even can see, engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces of which I am ignorant, and which know me not, I am frightened, and am astonished at being here rather than there; for there is no reason why here rather than there, why now rather than then. Who has put me here? By whose order and direction have this place and time been alloted to me?
B. Pascal, 1623-1662, French philosopher, physic and mathematician, Pensees (Penguin Classics)
Speculations on the purpose and meaning of life
Why is there something rather than nothing? We do not know. We will never know. Why? To what purpose? We do not know whether there is a purpose. But if it is true that nothing is born of nothing, the very existence of something – the world, the universe – would seem to imply that there has always been something: that being is eternal, uncreated, perhaps creator, and this is what some people call God.
André Comte-Sponville, French philosopher, The Little Book of Philosophy
What is the purpose of life? I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy.
Dalai Lama, Tibetan political and spiritual leader, Voices from the Heart; The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living
Thoughts about love and friendship in our lives
At our mother breast, we tasted not only milk but also love – just enough love to know that it was the only thing that could ever satisfy us and that we will miss it forever.
Compte-Sponville, French philosopher, A Small Treatise on the Great Virtues: The Uses of Philosophy in Everyday Life
Philosophy of life thoughts
Therefore don't be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day's own evil is sufficient.
Bible, Matthew, 6:34
Sarcastic and well humoured thoughts
I see the better, and approve. But I follow the worst.
Ovidius, 43-17 a.C, roman writer, Metamorphoses (Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana)
Thoughts connected to science
We are survival machines - robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes. This is a truth which still fills me with astonishment.
Richard Dawkins, English biologist, The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition--with a new Introduction by the Author
Thoughts about the importance of wisdom
The wise man has the sun and the moon by his side. He grasps the universe under the arm. He blends everything into a harmonious whole, cast aside whatever is confused or obscured, and regards the humble and the honourable.
Tchuang-Tseu, Chinese philosopher, III b. C., Book of Tchuang-Tseu
Thoughts about the cruelty of life, pain and death
Nature separates beings, after having surrounded them by love. It divides them, and demands that they still love each other.
G. Leopardi, 1798-1837, Italian writer, Poésis, Le Coucher de la Lune
Thoughts about what we are in the Cosmos
We, sons of the water, earth and sun, are no more than small straw, foetus of the cosmic diaspora, scraps of solar existence, insignificant sprouts of the earth’s existence.
E. Morin, French philosopher and sociologist, Method V
Thoughts about who we are
However sage anyone is, he is, after all, but a man.
Montaigne, 1533-1592, French writer, Montaigne: Essays
Positive and negative thoughts about the meaning of life
There may be trouble ahead,
But while there’s moonlight and music and love and romance,
Let’s face the music and dance.
Irving Berlin, 1888-1989, American songwriter, Follow the Fleet
Thoughts about the illusion present on our lives
Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams?
Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1802-1890, English poet, The Higher Pantheism; Tennyson: Poems (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets)
Thoughts about old age and youth
There will be a day when you, that now are escaping from love, will see yourself old and deserted, condemned to drag through the nights alone, in your frozen bedstead. Because of you will not anymore grow nocturnal disputes, wishing to force your door, nor will you have scattered roses, by morning, at your threshold.
Ovidius, 43-17 a.C, roman writer, The Love Books of Ovid Being the Amores, Ars Amatoria, Remedia Amoris And Medicamina Faciei Femineae of Publius Ovidius Naso
Thoughts about death
Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward, and the spirit of the animal goes downward to the earth?
Bible, Ecclesiastes, 3:21
http://www.meaningsoflife.com/
and now flourish and grow warm with life,
and feed on what the ground gives,
but then again fade away and are dead.
Homer, Century IX b.C.
Is human life just a dream, from which we never really awake, as some great thinkers claim? Are we submerged by our feelings, by our loves and hates, by our ideas of good, bad, beautiful, awful? Are we incapable of knowing beyond those ideas and feelings?
Listen to Shakespeare and Joseph Conrad:
We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep…
William Shakespeare, The Tempest (Folger Shakespeare Library)
A man that is born falls into a dream like a man who falls into the sea.
Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim (Penguin Classics)
Is the reality we know a reality imposed to us by nature? Is the reality and the meaning of life a creation of men, such as music, or love or colors (science tells us that there isn't such things as music, harmony or colors in the physic world. Just traveling molecules: «There is not, external to us, hot or cold, but only different velocities of molecules; there aren’t sounds, callings, harmonies, but just variations in the pressure of the air; there aren’t colours, or light, just electro-magnetic waves», said H. Von Foerster.).
Are we - and all living beings - just «survival machines, blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes», as Richard Dawkins states? Are we incapable of knowing beyond the frames imposed to us by nature?
Is there any significance for life in a Universe of billions of stars that ignore us? Is there any significance for life in an Universe whose dimensions and nature overcome our understanding?
Listen to the words of Pascal, in the seventeenth century:
«When I consider the short duration of my life, swallowed up in the eternity that lies before and after it, when I consider the little space I fill and I see, engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces of which I am ignorant, and which know me not, I rest frightened, and astonished, for there is no reason why I should be here rather than there. Why now rather than then? Who has put me here? By whose order and direction have this place and time have been ascribed to me?»
Pensees (Penguin Classics)
Love and cruelty on our lives
Love gives meaning to our lives – as do friendship, or art or faith in God. These are factors of true happiness, of inner peace, of feelings of harmony, allowing meaning to our existence.
But there is the other side. There is the cruelty of life, the pain, the evil, not to talk of death. They are the hidden tigers, ambushed and ready to attack the imprudent, to use an image present in the Buddhist Scriptures.
Is between these pendulums - the positive, the one that gives happiness and meaning, and the negative - that our lives are lived. And when we meditate about all that, we arrive at a diverse and disagreeing set of thoughts about the meaning and purpose of life.
Poetic reflexions about the brevity of our lives
Insignificant mortals, who are as leaves are, and now flourish and grow warm with life, and feed on what the ground gives, but then again fade away and are dead.
Homer, Century IX b.C., Greek poet, The Iliad (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
Speculations on our place on the Universe
When I consider the short duration of my life, swallowed up in the eternity before and after, the little space which I fill, and even can see, engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces of which I am ignorant, and which know me not, I am frightened, and am astonished at being here rather than there; for there is no reason why here rather than there, why now rather than then. Who has put me here? By whose order and direction have this place and time been alloted to me?
B. Pascal, 1623-1662, French philosopher, physic and mathematician, Pensees (Penguin Classics)
Speculations on the purpose and meaning of life
Why is there something rather than nothing? We do not know. We will never know. Why? To what purpose? We do not know whether there is a purpose. But if it is true that nothing is born of nothing, the very existence of something – the world, the universe – would seem to imply that there has always been something: that being is eternal, uncreated, perhaps creator, and this is what some people call God.
André Comte-Sponville, French philosopher, The Little Book of Philosophy
What is the purpose of life? I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy.
Dalai Lama, Tibetan political and spiritual leader, Voices from the Heart; The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living
Thoughts about love and friendship in our lives
At our mother breast, we tasted not only milk but also love – just enough love to know that it was the only thing that could ever satisfy us and that we will miss it forever.
Compte-Sponville, French philosopher, A Small Treatise on the Great Virtues: The Uses of Philosophy in Everyday Life
Philosophy of life thoughts
Therefore don't be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day's own evil is sufficient.
Bible, Matthew, 6:34
Sarcastic and well humoured thoughts
I see the better, and approve. But I follow the worst.
Ovidius, 43-17 a.C, roman writer, Metamorphoses (Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana)
Thoughts connected to science
We are survival machines - robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes. This is a truth which still fills me with astonishment.
Richard Dawkins, English biologist, The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition--with a new Introduction by the Author
Thoughts about the importance of wisdom
The wise man has the sun and the moon by his side. He grasps the universe under the arm. He blends everything into a harmonious whole, cast aside whatever is confused or obscured, and regards the humble and the honourable.
Tchuang-Tseu, Chinese philosopher, III b. C., Book of Tchuang-Tseu
Thoughts about the cruelty of life, pain and death
Nature separates beings, after having surrounded them by love. It divides them, and demands that they still love each other.
G. Leopardi, 1798-1837, Italian writer, Poésis, Le Coucher de la Lune
Thoughts about what we are in the Cosmos
We, sons of the water, earth and sun, are no more than small straw, foetus of the cosmic diaspora, scraps of solar existence, insignificant sprouts of the earth’s existence.
E. Morin, French philosopher and sociologist, Method V
Thoughts about who we are
However sage anyone is, he is, after all, but a man.
Montaigne, 1533-1592, French writer, Montaigne: Essays
Positive and negative thoughts about the meaning of life
There may be trouble ahead,
But while there’s moonlight and music and love and romance,
Let’s face the music and dance.
Irving Berlin, 1888-1989, American songwriter, Follow the Fleet
Thoughts about the illusion present on our lives
Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams?
Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1802-1890, English poet, The Higher Pantheism; Tennyson: Poems (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets)
Thoughts about old age and youth
There will be a day when you, that now are escaping from love, will see yourself old and deserted, condemned to drag through the nights alone, in your frozen bedstead. Because of you will not anymore grow nocturnal disputes, wishing to force your door, nor will you have scattered roses, by morning, at your threshold.
Ovidius, 43-17 a.C, roman writer, The Love Books of Ovid Being the Amores, Ars Amatoria, Remedia Amoris And Medicamina Faciei Femineae of Publius Ovidius Naso
Thoughts about death
Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward, and the spirit of the animal goes downward to the earth?
Bible, Ecclesiastes, 3:21
http://www.meaningsoflife.com/
What is the meaning of life?
* The importance of life is to live it to the full
* To live
* Perhaps the true meaning of life is to find peace with God, for most people it is impossible to believe in god because it doesn't make any scientific sense, but explain what caused the "big bang", what created the universe? It really doesn't make sense that science would create the universe, for what caused the the infinite mass to forum in the first place? There would have to be no beginning, science conflicts itself in that ONE area and one area alone, so it could be believed that god created the universe along with scientific laws that he uses so the universe makes more sense. Another thing is how humans just "happened" to come along, science is still not sure, perhaps god did not just make us out of nothing, but manipulated science into our creation. Now still in better argument is our souls, how come we can experience things, when you see, it is not just information is it? We are not like a computer because we have a soul, computers think, but is there anything experiencing the thought? Your feelings, you feel them, you don't just think them, according to science it is impossible to have a soul, so this feeling is unscientific. To find god is peace, and the only true point to my life, for now until you die just find something to occupy yourself like wikianswers or whatever.
----
After thinking about the question further(same guy who wrote the above), I had a few new idea to share with all of you. Sin, seems to always be caused by the interactions of souls, you can't kill someone if there is no one to kill, and you can't hate someone if there is no one to hate. The beginning is when there is first something. So nothing, in itself, is perfectly pure, since you need souls to interact to cause sin. And what is perfectly pure has ultimate power. So god can exist before there was anything, and before there was a beggining. Of course if you have ultimate power, then you can obviously resist sin even with interactions, so god was able to create us and talk to us, since we were something and never nothing, we do not have ultimate power and can not fully resist sin. Since as long as there are many of us and we interact, we will sin without the power to fully resist it, and sin destroys power, trapping us in a circle of defeat. So Jesus will free us from this circle of destruction, but we will not have ultimate power ever, since even if we stop sinning, we sinned in the past and can never have it, that is why humans are humans and god is god. Also the reason god seems to be nothing and currently has no physical form might be that he doesn't need one since he can be nothing, since nothing itself is pure, and might prefer not to have one.
----
Now although that is the bigger picture, we need a smaller picture for earth, because we are currently very bored, so for now we should become the best we can, but unfortunately we can't be the best, so we will always fail, the point of life for now is not to be a failure, whether this means sinning or losing or failing the ones we love, we always find ourselves tortured by it, some more then others, and it is the most saddening thing we can experience, striving to be the best can be our point for now as we live our day to day lives, but being the best should not include become famous, because if you are not trying to be the best, but trying to be known as the best, that is failure to be true to yourself, and you will eventually become dissatisfied.
* According to me the point of life is happiness.we all are trying to create happiness for ourselves in our every motive,be it earning money or fame or marrying.even a person commiting suicide is trying to be happy,thinking it will end his misery,so i think,the point of life is to stay as happy as possible in any given cirsumstance and create a better tommorrow for ourselves.
* The point (purpose) of life for each individual depends on his/her beliefs and values. The choices people make are usually dependent on the psychological conditioning they are exposed to, from the moment of foetal conception, to the point of completion of their social/cultural programming. This social/cultural programming is similar to the programming of a computer's processor with data that is considered to be factual. The computer then compares all incoming data against its programmed intelligence, in order to generate a conclusion. Similarly the human intellect processes incoming data based on the morals/values they have been conditioned with. Some of these morals/values are inherited from genetic sources and the others are learnt from the environment to which the absorptive mind is exposed.
* The point of life lies in the question of whether or not you are just living to die. Because every breath of life you take, you come one breath closer to death. So the time you spend bothered by what could or should be is time wasted in imagination and fantasy.
* This virtual sphere within which we exist, is filled with thrills that can excite our every emotional physiology and psychology.
If you were to follow the discoveries of science in the fields of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, you would be amazed with the billions of interactive processes taking place in and around you every second.
If you were to scientifically look within your body you would discover that there is an entire universe of cells and organisms living and functioning within you.
You should learn of the billions of intelligent life-forms that you interface with every second of your life. When I speak of life-form I am actually referring to those intelligent entities (Nano Particles) which constitute the building blocks of our universe.
Your ability to interact with this universe and the various forms of energy around you depends on the work of these intelligent entities.
You are able to see, smell, taste, touch, hear, speak and move because of the intelligence of these micro particles. Waveforms such as light and sound are communicated to processors within your brain, which quantifies and categorizes the data for your appreciation.
* A person who cannot find contentment, cannot find peace. A person, who cannot find peace, cannot find fulfillment. Prosperity, Power and Popularity are not the solutions to human suffering, because you may have them all and still feel incomplete. There are many prosperous, powerful and popular individuals who need mind altering drugs and other freaky activities to keep them excited.
Finding your purpose therefore will be determined by your ability to appreciate every moment by making the most positive use of it because every breath of life you take you are one breath closer to death. So live right and do good always enjoy the existence you have now and if you awaken and realize that this was all a dream, then make it a sweet dream.
* I think that there is absolutely no point in life. God does not seem that real, so we are all going to die.
* God is not supposed to be real, you have to believe. Now, if you just think there is no point to life, then leave it at that.
* I don't believe in God. I think eating pie and watching football is good enough for me
* I agree with you -- live fast and die young (like me) eating rubbish and living like a junkie.
* The meaning of life, of the universe, and of everything is 42.
* We being animals, the meaning of life is to reproduce ourselves to continue the species. If you do nothing else you have accomplished life's goal. Your offspring may be great and outstanding and change the world as we know it.
* Many people believe that there is no "point" per se to life; life simply exists, and the meaning of an individual's life is up to the individual.
* In Buddism, the meaning of life is found in the "true insight" of Enlightenment, which is called a "perfect peace."
* Dictionary.com states the meaning of life is: "The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism."
* I believe it's the beauty of God's creation.
* The meaning of life is to make life meaningful.
* If you believe in the Bible, the meaning of life is Jesus Christ, because He is the only one that defeated death.
* The meaning of life is to take care of our planet. To be hard working and serve God. To help out in fixing communities - that's what life is about; you should not live only for fun but help others enjoy life too.
* A humanist would say we each make our own meaning by the way we live. The meaning is whatever meaning/purpose you care to assign to it... or none at all. If you have a religion, you could find meaning there; a particular philosophy, ditto. If you're a nihilist, you might conclude that there is no meaning at all.
* To understand the meaning of life we have to turn to the source, or creator. If you believe in such things, God. If he put us here, it was for a purpose. So He may be the only one able to provide us with the answer. Some people will acknowledge that everything we need to know about the purpose of life and about God himself is found in one book, the Bible.
* If you believe in the Bible, the meaning of life is in God's inspired words: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." Luke 9:23.
* Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Fear God and obey His commandments for this is the whole duty of man."
* The irony in life these days is that, in order to find it's meaning, you merely have to Google it.
* To tell you the truth, I don't think anyone knows the true meaning of life. People say that the only way to know the true meaning of life is to live a full life with many near death experiences, then God tells you an instant after you have died. If you have a complex enough mind, and when God wants us to know, he will tell someone after they die and let that person be revived to tell the rest of the human race. If that never happens then we will just have to live life with many questions and as best we can. That's what God wants us to do. Thats one way to look at it.
* The meaning of life is to utilize our main driving force, curiosity, without which none of us would even exist. Discover and find out new things. Space travel, for example, will lead to great new discoveries - including life near and far from us.
* The meaning of life is that we exist, that we are products of a force called creation, and that we should all support and affiliate with that force in every one of it's manifestations. The difference between life and the inanimate is that life has consciousness.
* The Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
* Any Christian should know the purpose of life is simple: to serve God. Any Christian who doesn't know this needs to build up their relationship with God; He'll show you all you need to know.
* You're born, you breed, you die. Therefore the only meaning is to keep the species alive, all the other stuff is just to make it interesting.
* No one really knows the answer to this. Philosophers and religionists have been debating it for thousands of years.
* Life's meaning is what it means to you! What do you value in your life? Everyone has there own meaning and there own perception of life. Britannica says it's the sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual, one or more aspects of the process of living, or a way or manner of "living". The meaning of life, to me, is to live life anyway I choose.
* No one knows the meaning of life, some choose God, some choose self or try to be God. Life is full of discovery and to give you a little hint on discovery try thinking outside the media. I recommend studying quantum physics or learning more about the superstring theory or the chaos theory. Everything is composed of waves, sound waves ranging at all frequencies, you could almost say that we are just a wave in this world seeking complete harmony.
* The meaning of life - to learn from mistakes. Without mistakes no one ever really learns how to live.
* Look at the animals, their purpose is to create new life and survive. That is also a human instinct (we're animals too). To survive and pro-create. Most people read too much into it.
* The meaning of life is to grow physically, mentally and spiritually. It's about traveling down different paths of your life and making decisions. You will make some mistakes, as all of us do. We learn from them and grow stronger. It's about being true to yourself, standing alone sometimes when you really believe in something and not fearing retribution. It means to love those around you, help where you can, be known as a person that can be trusted and just do the best you can. If we didn't feel sadness we could never experience happiness; if we didn't get angry on occasion we would never know peace, and if we didn't trust our hearts we'd never know love. Yes, it's about pro-creating, but life is much more than that if you open your eyes, ears and heart and listen!
* The true meaning of life is for humans to conquer the universe (and if they exist, multiverses) so that humans can rule everything forever.
* Living with a meaning: " To be the eyes and ears and conscience of the Creator of the Universe, you fool." - Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions
* The true meaning of life is to love and serve God.
* Purity
* There is no meaning of life. Nobody asks to be born, but you're here anyway. Make the best of things while you're here. If your life needs meaning, then join a cause.
* To appreciate the beauty and amazing things going on around us on the Earth that was originally intended for us to enjoy. Since it is no longer entirely in that pure state, we have the job to care for what does remain and, more importantly, to point others to the time when it will be possible to live in a truly perfect place once more through what Christ has done to enable us to be there if we choose.
* Life is what you make it. The meaning of life is not the same for everyone. Your life has one meaning, the life of another person will have another meaning, and my life will have another meaning too. You are the one to give meaning to your life by making something of it. Every person is allowed to live their life as they want to. Find the way you want to live your life and live it like that. Be happy. Be healthy. Be loved.
* For me, although I'm just seventeen and have my whole life ahead, life has shown me that whatever I put in, I get out., That means for all the effort I put into something, I will get something out of it, I will be rewarded in some way. I tend to live naturally, to love, to learn ,and to help, I tend to love knowledge, because it makes me satisfied, it makes me know how things work, it makes me build up ideas and have something to say. It makes me know how to listen, how to talk and spread my ideas. I think the meaning of life is to understand how it is best suited for you and how it will make you satisfied, happy, successful and loved. But one thing I can guarantee: no one out there will tell you the meaning of life, nor the meaning of your life for you will have to find that out by yourself. Take it as a challenge. After all, you wouldn't be asking that if you already knew it, or if mostly everyone knew it...
* The meaning of life has been an age old question since the beginning of time and it's like trying to define the meaning of love. You can make your life to be what you want it to be, within reason, and you don't have to become famous or rich to do it. Some of the most successful people have been those who gave without question, such as a teacher that cares about his/her students and makes a difference, or a doctor, a mother, father, a person with disabilities of their own, etc. One can volunteer for people, children or pets and ease some of the suffering of all. I live by rule of thumb ... when you are lucky financially (that's just keeping your head above water) and even though you may be limping through life, you should always give back to those less fortunate. One day you just never know when you'll need someone there for you too. This makes your mind, body and soul one. It gives you a source of peace when the world around you is going mad.
* According to Douglas Adams the answer would be 42. But put science fiction aside! Look at the smaller, less complicated life species, they live just to live. More complicated life species live and help keep other life alive. We, as humans, should live to be alive and help others be alive. Taken a step further, life is about experience; one should live to experience ones own life and the life of others. (But do not try live through another person's life).
* Consider this when trying to understand the meaning of your own life. An old guy once told me that the meaning of life was survival. I thought he was crazy, but as I get older, I think that the crazy guy may have something.
* The answer to life is being. It is all anything has ever done, it is all anything will ever do.
* The meaning of life is finding the answer to the following questions. Who am I? Where am I? Why am I? The meaning of life to you is dependent on your value system. Your particular set of morals/values are those that you inherited from genetic sources and from the environment within which you were raise. The meaning of life for you depends on your belief systems. Who are you? Are you an organism that was created from a chemical combination of other organisms? Are you just living to die or is there an existence beyond this body that was created from organic digestion (the food you eat)? Are you an absolute entity called a soul? What gives all of matter its intelligence? Where do atomic and subatomic (nano) particles get their intelligence? Can something be created from nothing? Why are you here? Did you have a choice in the matter? Does your existence have a purpose? Do you add value to the universe? Are you a link in the cosmic chain of evolution/creation? Where are you? Are you resting on a bed somewhere dreaming all of this? Do you know that you are dreaming when you are dreaming? How do you know that it was all a dream (illusion/virtual-reality)? Are you a speck of dust in a massive cosmic sphere?
* To die and multiply.
* Many great minds have pondered 'the meaning of life' and it basically comes down to each individual and what their needs are. Some people enjoy peace, living on a farm or ranch, while others want to hit the big cities for careers, investments, etc., but we all have to make ourselves happy and feel fulfilled no matter what and I doubt that most humans will ever totally attain that. There will always be some regrets. We should be kind, considerate to our fellow man. We should have some belief system of higher power. We should know good from evil and help those that can't help themselves. We should not constantly feel powerful over another, but be humble enough to know where help is needed. That's power! We all do the best we can and learn from our mistakes because, quite simply put, humans on earth are on a 'learning ground' and thus, we learn, make mistakes, learn from them (hopefully) and do the best we can.
* The "meaning" of life is a test. This is only a test. Our life here is so brief yet our spirits are eternal. The "purpose" of life is to choose whom you will be loyal to. Either you will show yourself willing to live under the rule of the God of the Universe or you will choose to live as a slave to self and to sin.
* The only reason I know for life is that it's a test that we have to pass the right way for reward in the life hereafter.
* Evolution has determined that the point of life is to reproduce and to be the most successful species. that is the meaning of life for all creatures. If it was not their point in life that species would've died off long ago. (mainly it is the urge to pass along your own genes).
* Life is to just live. We should enjoy each and every moments. If you are suffering from a problem, really you are great. The problem came to you because you can solve the same and come up in life.At every situation remember one thing...This present is not permanent. It may be either a sad time or a good one. Follow these tips :1. Do not vex if sad,2. do not enjoy to the core when in joy 3. share your feelings to ur beloved. both sad and sweet 4. when you grow respect others 5. Maintain patience at any cost Last but not least,6. You should know that there are thousands of people suffering a lot more than you.
* The meaning of life is that God created us and loves us, and wants us to know and love Him, and to join Him in Heaven one day. He has created the way for us to do so, by sending Jesus His Son to die for our sins. Now we can receive Him as our Lord and Savior and have a new life in Him on earth, and one day join Him in Heaven.
* The meaning of life is to live until you die, and to change the world in some little way -- no matter how unknown you are. You have to give your own life meaning and not rely on someone else's opinion to give you one.
* According to Douglas Adams, the real meaning of life is 42.
* The answer is the question. We as organisms of infinitely complex chains of chemical reactions truly designed through creativity, formed by atoms attracted by neutral chemical compositions, actually interpret ourselves, the universe, and the atoms we consist of to ask these kind of questions. There is no question that the only thing that keeps us alive is the flow and exchange of electrons. The integration of god and morals is still a question of, right or wrong, what do we do, what do we not do; relatively, why are we here or why are we not here. Life is not just humans interpreting their surroundings; trees through inter-cellular communication interpret gravity and the location of the sun. And just as the tree stretches out for the sunlight, we as humans reach out for each other and strive for knowledge and meaning. In this way, life is a necessary outcome in the displacement of energy and completes necessary chains of events. "Life" allows these necessary connections in the flow and displacement through forms of energy; as humans, as trees, as the flow of a river or the explosion of a volcano. This interpretation, communication, and ultimately exchange, could be said is the meaning of life. The atoms, quarks, muons and gluons that we as humans consist of can indirectly, through many exchanges and chemical reactions, interpret the direct energy displacement of other prominent metabolisms of energy (like other humans) and other things that effect the chemical reactions through communication of light, sound, pressure, and temperature. This is why we are "conscious". Every atom is either repelled or attracted to each other; the fact that this occurs means that every atom is effected, or "conscious", of another. The exchange of electrons with another atom and change in composition, are the same echanges occuring in our brains to make "conscious" decisions and interpretations.
* The meaning of life is to live it to its fullest and stop trying to figure everything out. Life is short enjoy it while you can!
* The meaning of life is simple - reproduce.
* The meaning of live is to live forever.
* I think life's meaning is what it means to you.
* Life is like a test. God wants to see what you can do, and if you do good things in life and help others.
* To live the life of Gods creation and Gods painting of life.
* To live
* Perhaps the true meaning of life is to find peace with God, for most people it is impossible to believe in god because it doesn't make any scientific sense, but explain what caused the "big bang", what created the universe? It really doesn't make sense that science would create the universe, for what caused the the infinite mass to forum in the first place? There would have to be no beginning, science conflicts itself in that ONE area and one area alone, so it could be believed that god created the universe along with scientific laws that he uses so the universe makes more sense. Another thing is how humans just "happened" to come along, science is still not sure, perhaps god did not just make us out of nothing, but manipulated science into our creation. Now still in better argument is our souls, how come we can experience things, when you see, it is not just information is it? We are not like a computer because we have a soul, computers think, but is there anything experiencing the thought? Your feelings, you feel them, you don't just think them, according to science it is impossible to have a soul, so this feeling is unscientific. To find god is peace, and the only true point to my life, for now until you die just find something to occupy yourself like wikianswers or whatever.
----
After thinking about the question further(same guy who wrote the above), I had a few new idea to share with all of you. Sin, seems to always be caused by the interactions of souls, you can't kill someone if there is no one to kill, and you can't hate someone if there is no one to hate. The beginning is when there is first something. So nothing, in itself, is perfectly pure, since you need souls to interact to cause sin. And what is perfectly pure has ultimate power. So god can exist before there was anything, and before there was a beggining. Of course if you have ultimate power, then you can obviously resist sin even with interactions, so god was able to create us and talk to us, since we were something and never nothing, we do not have ultimate power and can not fully resist sin. Since as long as there are many of us and we interact, we will sin without the power to fully resist it, and sin destroys power, trapping us in a circle of defeat. So Jesus will free us from this circle of destruction, but we will not have ultimate power ever, since even if we stop sinning, we sinned in the past and can never have it, that is why humans are humans and god is god. Also the reason god seems to be nothing and currently has no physical form might be that he doesn't need one since he can be nothing, since nothing itself is pure, and might prefer not to have one.
----
Now although that is the bigger picture, we need a smaller picture for earth, because we are currently very bored, so for now we should become the best we can, but unfortunately we can't be the best, so we will always fail, the point of life for now is not to be a failure, whether this means sinning or losing or failing the ones we love, we always find ourselves tortured by it, some more then others, and it is the most saddening thing we can experience, striving to be the best can be our point for now as we live our day to day lives, but being the best should not include become famous, because if you are not trying to be the best, but trying to be known as the best, that is failure to be true to yourself, and you will eventually become dissatisfied.
* According to me the point of life is happiness.we all are trying to create happiness for ourselves in our every motive,be it earning money or fame or marrying.even a person commiting suicide is trying to be happy,thinking it will end his misery,so i think,the point of life is to stay as happy as possible in any given cirsumstance and create a better tommorrow for ourselves.
* The point (purpose) of life for each individual depends on his/her beliefs and values. The choices people make are usually dependent on the psychological conditioning they are exposed to, from the moment of foetal conception, to the point of completion of their social/cultural programming. This social/cultural programming is similar to the programming of a computer's processor with data that is considered to be factual. The computer then compares all incoming data against its programmed intelligence, in order to generate a conclusion. Similarly the human intellect processes incoming data based on the morals/values they have been conditioned with. Some of these morals/values are inherited from genetic sources and the others are learnt from the environment to which the absorptive mind is exposed.
* The point of life lies in the question of whether or not you are just living to die. Because every breath of life you take, you come one breath closer to death. So the time you spend bothered by what could or should be is time wasted in imagination and fantasy.
* This virtual sphere within which we exist, is filled with thrills that can excite our every emotional physiology and psychology.
If you were to follow the discoveries of science in the fields of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, you would be amazed with the billions of interactive processes taking place in and around you every second.
If you were to scientifically look within your body you would discover that there is an entire universe of cells and organisms living and functioning within you.
You should learn of the billions of intelligent life-forms that you interface with every second of your life. When I speak of life-form I am actually referring to those intelligent entities (Nano Particles) which constitute the building blocks of our universe.
Your ability to interact with this universe and the various forms of energy around you depends on the work of these intelligent entities.
You are able to see, smell, taste, touch, hear, speak and move because of the intelligence of these micro particles. Waveforms such as light and sound are communicated to processors within your brain, which quantifies and categorizes the data for your appreciation.
* A person who cannot find contentment, cannot find peace. A person, who cannot find peace, cannot find fulfillment. Prosperity, Power and Popularity are not the solutions to human suffering, because you may have them all and still feel incomplete. There are many prosperous, powerful and popular individuals who need mind altering drugs and other freaky activities to keep them excited.
Finding your purpose therefore will be determined by your ability to appreciate every moment by making the most positive use of it because every breath of life you take you are one breath closer to death. So live right and do good always enjoy the existence you have now and if you awaken and realize that this was all a dream, then make it a sweet dream.
* I think that there is absolutely no point in life. God does not seem that real, so we are all going to die.
* God is not supposed to be real, you have to believe. Now, if you just think there is no point to life, then leave it at that.
* I don't believe in God. I think eating pie and watching football is good enough for me
* I agree with you -- live fast and die young (like me) eating rubbish and living like a junkie.
* The meaning of life, of the universe, and of everything is 42.
* We being animals, the meaning of life is to reproduce ourselves to continue the species. If you do nothing else you have accomplished life's goal. Your offspring may be great and outstanding and change the world as we know it.
* Many people believe that there is no "point" per se to life; life simply exists, and the meaning of an individual's life is up to the individual.
* In Buddism, the meaning of life is found in the "true insight" of Enlightenment, which is called a "perfect peace."
* Dictionary.com states the meaning of life is: "The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism."
* I believe it's the beauty of God's creation.
* The meaning of life is to make life meaningful.
* If you believe in the Bible, the meaning of life is Jesus Christ, because He is the only one that defeated death.
* The meaning of life is to take care of our planet. To be hard working and serve God. To help out in fixing communities - that's what life is about; you should not live only for fun but help others enjoy life too.
* A humanist would say we each make our own meaning by the way we live. The meaning is whatever meaning/purpose you care to assign to it... or none at all. If you have a religion, you could find meaning there; a particular philosophy, ditto. If you're a nihilist, you might conclude that there is no meaning at all.
* To understand the meaning of life we have to turn to the source, or creator. If you believe in such things, God. If he put us here, it was for a purpose. So He may be the only one able to provide us with the answer. Some people will acknowledge that everything we need to know about the purpose of life and about God himself is found in one book, the Bible.
* If you believe in the Bible, the meaning of life is in God's inspired words: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." Luke 9:23.
* Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Fear God and obey His commandments for this is the whole duty of man."
* The irony in life these days is that, in order to find it's meaning, you merely have to Google it.
* To tell you the truth, I don't think anyone knows the true meaning of life. People say that the only way to know the true meaning of life is to live a full life with many near death experiences, then God tells you an instant after you have died. If you have a complex enough mind, and when God wants us to know, he will tell someone after they die and let that person be revived to tell the rest of the human race. If that never happens then we will just have to live life with many questions and as best we can. That's what God wants us to do. Thats one way to look at it.
* The meaning of life is to utilize our main driving force, curiosity, without which none of us would even exist. Discover and find out new things. Space travel, for example, will lead to great new discoveries - including life near and far from us.
* The meaning of life is that we exist, that we are products of a force called creation, and that we should all support and affiliate with that force in every one of it's manifestations. The difference between life and the inanimate is that life has consciousness.
* The Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
* Any Christian should know the purpose of life is simple: to serve God. Any Christian who doesn't know this needs to build up their relationship with God; He'll show you all you need to know.
* You're born, you breed, you die. Therefore the only meaning is to keep the species alive, all the other stuff is just to make it interesting.
* No one really knows the answer to this. Philosophers and religionists have been debating it for thousands of years.
* Life's meaning is what it means to you! What do you value in your life? Everyone has there own meaning and there own perception of life. Britannica says it's the sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual, one or more aspects of the process of living, or a way or manner of "living". The meaning of life, to me, is to live life anyway I choose.
* No one knows the meaning of life, some choose God, some choose self or try to be God. Life is full of discovery and to give you a little hint on discovery try thinking outside the media. I recommend studying quantum physics or learning more about the superstring theory or the chaos theory. Everything is composed of waves, sound waves ranging at all frequencies, you could almost say that we are just a wave in this world seeking complete harmony.
* The meaning of life - to learn from mistakes. Without mistakes no one ever really learns how to live.
* Look at the animals, their purpose is to create new life and survive. That is also a human instinct (we're animals too). To survive and pro-create. Most people read too much into it.
* The meaning of life is to grow physically, mentally and spiritually. It's about traveling down different paths of your life and making decisions. You will make some mistakes, as all of us do. We learn from them and grow stronger. It's about being true to yourself, standing alone sometimes when you really believe in something and not fearing retribution. It means to love those around you, help where you can, be known as a person that can be trusted and just do the best you can. If we didn't feel sadness we could never experience happiness; if we didn't get angry on occasion we would never know peace, and if we didn't trust our hearts we'd never know love. Yes, it's about pro-creating, but life is much more than that if you open your eyes, ears and heart and listen!
* The true meaning of life is for humans to conquer the universe (and if they exist, multiverses) so that humans can rule everything forever.
* Living with a meaning: " To be the eyes and ears and conscience of the Creator of the Universe, you fool." - Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions
* The true meaning of life is to love and serve God.
* Purity
* There is no meaning of life. Nobody asks to be born, but you're here anyway. Make the best of things while you're here. If your life needs meaning, then join a cause.
* To appreciate the beauty and amazing things going on around us on the Earth that was originally intended for us to enjoy. Since it is no longer entirely in that pure state, we have the job to care for what does remain and, more importantly, to point others to the time when it will be possible to live in a truly perfect place once more through what Christ has done to enable us to be there if we choose.
* Life is what you make it. The meaning of life is not the same for everyone. Your life has one meaning, the life of another person will have another meaning, and my life will have another meaning too. You are the one to give meaning to your life by making something of it. Every person is allowed to live their life as they want to. Find the way you want to live your life and live it like that. Be happy. Be healthy. Be loved.
* For me, although I'm just seventeen and have my whole life ahead, life has shown me that whatever I put in, I get out., That means for all the effort I put into something, I will get something out of it, I will be rewarded in some way. I tend to live naturally, to love, to learn ,and to help, I tend to love knowledge, because it makes me satisfied, it makes me know how things work, it makes me build up ideas and have something to say. It makes me know how to listen, how to talk and spread my ideas. I think the meaning of life is to understand how it is best suited for you and how it will make you satisfied, happy, successful and loved. But one thing I can guarantee: no one out there will tell you the meaning of life, nor the meaning of your life for you will have to find that out by yourself. Take it as a challenge. After all, you wouldn't be asking that if you already knew it, or if mostly everyone knew it...
* The meaning of life has been an age old question since the beginning of time and it's like trying to define the meaning of love. You can make your life to be what you want it to be, within reason, and you don't have to become famous or rich to do it. Some of the most successful people have been those who gave without question, such as a teacher that cares about his/her students and makes a difference, or a doctor, a mother, father, a person with disabilities of their own, etc. One can volunteer for people, children or pets and ease some of the suffering of all. I live by rule of thumb ... when you are lucky financially (that's just keeping your head above water) and even though you may be limping through life, you should always give back to those less fortunate. One day you just never know when you'll need someone there for you too. This makes your mind, body and soul one. It gives you a source of peace when the world around you is going mad.
* According to Douglas Adams the answer would be 42. But put science fiction aside! Look at the smaller, less complicated life species, they live just to live. More complicated life species live and help keep other life alive. We, as humans, should live to be alive and help others be alive. Taken a step further, life is about experience; one should live to experience ones own life and the life of others. (But do not try live through another person's life).
* Consider this when trying to understand the meaning of your own life. An old guy once told me that the meaning of life was survival. I thought he was crazy, but as I get older, I think that the crazy guy may have something.
* The answer to life is being. It is all anything has ever done, it is all anything will ever do.
* The meaning of life is finding the answer to the following questions. Who am I? Where am I? Why am I? The meaning of life to you is dependent on your value system. Your particular set of morals/values are those that you inherited from genetic sources and from the environment within which you were raise. The meaning of life for you depends on your belief systems. Who are you? Are you an organism that was created from a chemical combination of other organisms? Are you just living to die or is there an existence beyond this body that was created from organic digestion (the food you eat)? Are you an absolute entity called a soul? What gives all of matter its intelligence? Where do atomic and subatomic (nano) particles get their intelligence? Can something be created from nothing? Why are you here? Did you have a choice in the matter? Does your existence have a purpose? Do you add value to the universe? Are you a link in the cosmic chain of evolution/creation? Where are you? Are you resting on a bed somewhere dreaming all of this? Do you know that you are dreaming when you are dreaming? How do you know that it was all a dream (illusion/virtual-reality)? Are you a speck of dust in a massive cosmic sphere?
* To die and multiply.
* Many great minds have pondered 'the meaning of life' and it basically comes down to each individual and what their needs are. Some people enjoy peace, living on a farm or ranch, while others want to hit the big cities for careers, investments, etc., but we all have to make ourselves happy and feel fulfilled no matter what and I doubt that most humans will ever totally attain that. There will always be some regrets. We should be kind, considerate to our fellow man. We should have some belief system of higher power. We should know good from evil and help those that can't help themselves. We should not constantly feel powerful over another, but be humble enough to know where help is needed. That's power! We all do the best we can and learn from our mistakes because, quite simply put, humans on earth are on a 'learning ground' and thus, we learn, make mistakes, learn from them (hopefully) and do the best we can.
* The "meaning" of life is a test. This is only a test. Our life here is so brief yet our spirits are eternal. The "purpose" of life is to choose whom you will be loyal to. Either you will show yourself willing to live under the rule of the God of the Universe or you will choose to live as a slave to self and to sin.
* The only reason I know for life is that it's a test that we have to pass the right way for reward in the life hereafter.
* Evolution has determined that the point of life is to reproduce and to be the most successful species. that is the meaning of life for all creatures. If it was not their point in life that species would've died off long ago. (mainly it is the urge to pass along your own genes).
* Life is to just live. We should enjoy each and every moments. If you are suffering from a problem, really you are great. The problem came to you because you can solve the same and come up in life.At every situation remember one thing...This present is not permanent. It may be either a sad time or a good one. Follow these tips :1. Do not vex if sad,2. do not enjoy to the core when in joy 3. share your feelings to ur beloved. both sad and sweet 4. when you grow respect others 5. Maintain patience at any cost Last but not least,6. You should know that there are thousands of people suffering a lot more than you.
* The meaning of life is that God created us and loves us, and wants us to know and love Him, and to join Him in Heaven one day. He has created the way for us to do so, by sending Jesus His Son to die for our sins. Now we can receive Him as our Lord and Savior and have a new life in Him on earth, and one day join Him in Heaven.
* The meaning of life is to live until you die, and to change the world in some little way -- no matter how unknown you are. You have to give your own life meaning and not rely on someone else's opinion to give you one.
* According to Douglas Adams, the real meaning of life is 42.
* The answer is the question. We as organisms of infinitely complex chains of chemical reactions truly designed through creativity, formed by atoms attracted by neutral chemical compositions, actually interpret ourselves, the universe, and the atoms we consist of to ask these kind of questions. There is no question that the only thing that keeps us alive is the flow and exchange of electrons. The integration of god and morals is still a question of, right or wrong, what do we do, what do we not do; relatively, why are we here or why are we not here. Life is not just humans interpreting their surroundings; trees through inter-cellular communication interpret gravity and the location of the sun. And just as the tree stretches out for the sunlight, we as humans reach out for each other and strive for knowledge and meaning. In this way, life is a necessary outcome in the displacement of energy and completes necessary chains of events. "Life" allows these necessary connections in the flow and displacement through forms of energy; as humans, as trees, as the flow of a river or the explosion of a volcano. This interpretation, communication, and ultimately exchange, could be said is the meaning of life. The atoms, quarks, muons and gluons that we as humans consist of can indirectly, through many exchanges and chemical reactions, interpret the direct energy displacement of other prominent metabolisms of energy (like other humans) and other things that effect the chemical reactions through communication of light, sound, pressure, and temperature. This is why we are "conscious". Every atom is either repelled or attracted to each other; the fact that this occurs means that every atom is effected, or "conscious", of another. The exchange of electrons with another atom and change in composition, are the same echanges occuring in our brains to make "conscious" decisions and interpretations.
* The meaning of life is to live it to its fullest and stop trying to figure everything out. Life is short enjoy it while you can!
* The meaning of life is simple - reproduce.
* The meaning of live is to live forever.
* I think life's meaning is what it means to you.
* Life is like a test. God wants to see what you can do, and if you do good things in life and help others.
* To live the life of Gods creation and Gods painting of life.
The Dalai Lama's answer
"The meaning of life resides in joy and the feelings of harmony connected to happiness; without happiness, life loses meaning. Happiness is at the heart of our lives and our demand for a meaning."
Nikolay Lev TOLSTOY
Bir gün çok zengin bir adam oğlunu yanına alarak, insanların ne kadar fakir olabileceğini göstermek için bir köye götürdü.
Çok fakir bir ailenin
evinde bir gün-bir gece geçirdiler. Şehre dönerken baba oğluna sordu:
"Yolculuğumuzu nasıl buldun?"
"Çok güzeldi babacığım" diye cevap verdi oğul.
"İnsanların ne kadar fakir olabileceğini gördün değil mi?"
"Evet."
"Peki ne öğrendin ?"
"Şunu gördüm" dedi oğul:"Bizim evde bir köpeğimiz, onların dört köpeği var. Bizim evde bahçenin yarısına gelen bir havuzumuz var, onların kilometrelerce uzunluğunda dereleri var. Bizim bahçede ithal lambalarımız, onların yıldızları var. Bizim terasımız ön bahçeye kadar, onların ki ise ufka kadar uzanıyor."
Ufaklık konuşurken, babası şaşkınlıktan tek kelime bile edemedi. Ve
çocuk ekledi:
"Ne kadar fakir olduğumuzu gösterdiğiniz için, teşekkür ederim babacığım !"
Çok fakir bir ailenin
evinde bir gün-bir gece geçirdiler. Şehre dönerken baba oğluna sordu:
"Yolculuğumuzu nasıl buldun?"
"Çok güzeldi babacığım" diye cevap verdi oğul.
"İnsanların ne kadar fakir olabileceğini gördün değil mi?"
"Evet."
"Peki ne öğrendin ?"
"Şunu gördüm" dedi oğul:"Bizim evde bir köpeğimiz, onların dört köpeği var. Bizim evde bahçenin yarısına gelen bir havuzumuz var, onların kilometrelerce uzunluğunda dereleri var. Bizim bahçede ithal lambalarımız, onların yıldızları var. Bizim terasımız ön bahçeye kadar, onların ki ise ufka kadar uzanıyor."
Ufaklık konuşurken, babası şaşkınlıktan tek kelime bile edemedi. Ve
çocuk ekledi:
"Ne kadar fakir olduğumuzu gösterdiğiniz için, teşekkür ederim babacığım !"
Hayatın Anlamı
Felsefi bir soru olan "Hayatın anlamı nedir?", farklı insanlar tarafından farklı şekillerde algılanabilir ve "anlam" sözcüğünün buradaki belirsizliği farklı açıklamalara yol açar: "Hayatın kökeni nedir?" , "Evrenin ve yaşamın doğası nedir?", "Hayatı değerli kılan şey nedir?", "İnsanın hayattaki amacı nedir?". Bu sorulara bilimsel teorilerden felsefî, teolojik ve ruhanî argümanlara kadar birçok değişik şekilde cevap verilmektedir.
Başka bir bakış açısına göre de "Hayatın anlamı" sorunu ancak ölümle son bulur, cevaplanabilir. Felsefî bakış açısına göre sonuç kaçınılmaz olan ölümdür. Yaşadıkları hayattan (zengin, fakir, zeki, aptal, güzel, çirkin) bağımsız olarak her insan ölür ve bu sorun da son bulur.
Popüler görüşler
Birçok insan kendine bir dönem "Hayatın anlamı nedir?" diye sorar ve kendince cevaplar verir, en popülerleri şunlardır:
Yaşamı sürdürebilme ve maddi/geçici başarı
* ...Geliri arttırmak ve sosyal statüyü yükseltmek.
* ...Başkalarıyla yarışmak ya da ortak olmak
* ...Sizi yaralayanları yok etmek ya da pasifist kalmaya çabalamak
* ...Yaşamak
* ...Kendi ailenizi ya da başkasının ailesini korumak
* ...Güç kazanmak ve gücü kullanmak
* ...Kitap ya da tablo gibi sanat eseri miras bırakmak/bırakmaya çabalamak
* ...Fiziksel, finansal ya da mental özgürlük kazanmak
* ...Ünlü olmak
* ...Çocuk sahibi olmak
Bilgelik ve bilgi
* ...Soru sormamak ya da sürekli soru sormak
* ...Sınırların ötesini keşfetmeye çalışmak
* ...Birinin hatalarından ders çıkartmak
* ...Sürekli olarak hayatın anlamını öğrenmeye ve anlamaya çabalamak
* ...Bir insanın bakış açsını/dünya görüşünü değiştirmek
Ahlaki
* ...Merhamet göstermek
* ...Başkalarıyla ve doğayla barış içinde yaşamak
* ...Aşık olmak
* ...Aşık ettirmek
* ...Erdemli olmaya çalışmak
* ...Başka insanlara hizmet etmek
* ...Adalet için çalışmak
Kaynak: vikipedi.com
Başka bir bakış açısına göre de "Hayatın anlamı" sorunu ancak ölümle son bulur, cevaplanabilir. Felsefî bakış açısına göre sonuç kaçınılmaz olan ölümdür. Yaşadıkları hayattan (zengin, fakir, zeki, aptal, güzel, çirkin) bağımsız olarak her insan ölür ve bu sorun da son bulur.
Popüler görüşler
Birçok insan kendine bir dönem "Hayatın anlamı nedir?" diye sorar ve kendince cevaplar verir, en popülerleri şunlardır:
Yaşamı sürdürebilme ve maddi/geçici başarı
* ...Geliri arttırmak ve sosyal statüyü yükseltmek.
* ...Başkalarıyla yarışmak ya da ortak olmak
* ...Sizi yaralayanları yok etmek ya da pasifist kalmaya çabalamak
* ...Yaşamak
* ...Kendi ailenizi ya da başkasının ailesini korumak
* ...Güç kazanmak ve gücü kullanmak
* ...Kitap ya da tablo gibi sanat eseri miras bırakmak/bırakmaya çabalamak
* ...Fiziksel, finansal ya da mental özgürlük kazanmak
* ...Ünlü olmak
* ...Çocuk sahibi olmak
Bilgelik ve bilgi
* ...Soru sormamak ya da sürekli soru sormak
* ...Sınırların ötesini keşfetmeye çalışmak
* ...Birinin hatalarından ders çıkartmak
* ...Sürekli olarak hayatın anlamını öğrenmeye ve anlamaya çabalamak
* ...Bir insanın bakış açsını/dünya görüşünü değiştirmek
Ahlaki
* ...Merhamet göstermek
* ...Başkalarıyla ve doğayla barış içinde yaşamak
* ...Aşık olmak
* ...Aşık ettirmek
* ...Erdemli olmaya çalışmak
* ...Başka insanlara hizmet etmek
* ...Adalet için çalışmak
Kaynak: vikipedi.com
Jorge Luis Borges
Eğer hayatımı yeni baştan yaşayabilseydim
o yaşamda
daha çok hata yapardım.
o kadar mükemmel olmaya çalışmazdım... daha çok dinlenirdim.
bu yaşamda, onca ciddiyetin arasında yapamadığım kadar eğlenirdim.
o kadar temiz kalmazdım.
daha fazla riskler göze alır, daha çok gezer, daha çok günbatımı seyrederdim,
daha çok dağa tırmanır, daha çok nehirde yüzerdim
gitmediğim daha çok yere giderdim.
daha çok dondurma, daha az bezelye yerdim.
daha çok gerçek sorunlarım, daha az sanal sorunlarım olurdu.
ben yaşamın her dakikasını gerçekçi ve kitabına uygun yaşayan insanlardan biriydim.
elbette mutluluk anlarım da oldu.
ama geriye dönüp, baştan başlayabilseydim çok daha fazla iyi anlarım olurdu.
çünkü, eğer bilmiyorsanız, yaşam bundan ibarettir, anlar, yalnızca anlar...
"şimdi"yi sakın kaçırma.
ben, yanında, termometre, bir şişe su ve paraşüt olmaksızın asla bir yere gidemeyen insanlardan biriydim.
eğer hayatımı yeniden yaşayabilseydim, çok daha hafif gezerdim.
eğer hayatımı yeniden yaşayabilseydim, baharın başlamasıyla birlikte ayakkabısız yürümeye başlar, sonbahar bitimine değin çıplak ayakla devam ederdim.
bilinmeyen daha çok yola sapar,
güneşin doğuşunu daha çok seyreder,
daha çok çocukla oynardım
yalnızca bu yaşamda bir şansım daha olsaydı.
gel gör ki, işte 85 yaşındayım
ve biliyorum ki,
artık ölmekteyim....
o yaşamda
daha çok hata yapardım.
o kadar mükemmel olmaya çalışmazdım... daha çok dinlenirdim.
bu yaşamda, onca ciddiyetin arasında yapamadığım kadar eğlenirdim.
o kadar temiz kalmazdım.
daha fazla riskler göze alır, daha çok gezer, daha çok günbatımı seyrederdim,
daha çok dağa tırmanır, daha çok nehirde yüzerdim
gitmediğim daha çok yere giderdim.
daha çok dondurma, daha az bezelye yerdim.
daha çok gerçek sorunlarım, daha az sanal sorunlarım olurdu.
ben yaşamın her dakikasını gerçekçi ve kitabına uygun yaşayan insanlardan biriydim.
elbette mutluluk anlarım da oldu.
ama geriye dönüp, baştan başlayabilseydim çok daha fazla iyi anlarım olurdu.
çünkü, eğer bilmiyorsanız, yaşam bundan ibarettir, anlar, yalnızca anlar...
"şimdi"yi sakın kaçırma.
ben, yanında, termometre, bir şişe su ve paraşüt olmaksızın asla bir yere gidemeyen insanlardan biriydim.
eğer hayatımı yeniden yaşayabilseydim, çok daha hafif gezerdim.
eğer hayatımı yeniden yaşayabilseydim, baharın başlamasıyla birlikte ayakkabısız yürümeye başlar, sonbahar bitimine değin çıplak ayakla devam ederdim.
bilinmeyen daha çok yola sapar,
güneşin doğuşunu daha çok seyreder,
daha çok çocukla oynardım
yalnızca bu yaşamda bir şansım daha olsaydı.
gel gör ki, işte 85 yaşındayım
ve biliyorum ki,
artık ölmekteyim....
İstemiş Miydiniz?
Acelemiz var artık bizlerin bu yalan ve kısa dünyada. Yemeğimizi hızlı yemeliyiz, işlerimizi bir an önce çok çabuk bir biçimde bitirmeliyiz, öyle uzun uzun konuşmamalıyız ve anlatacaklarımızı kısa ve öz anlatmalıyız. Dinleyemeyiz bize anlatılan uzun ve sıkıcı hikâyeleri ya da nasihatleri, ne isteniyorsa açık seçik söylenip istenmeli bizden. Merhaba nasılsın diye yazmaya ne gerek var mesajlarda “mrb nbr” neyimize yetmiyor, bunu okuyan da anlamayacak mı zaten? Yazık değimli kaybolup giden baytlara? Ecelimize koşuyoruz hiç nefes almadan, biraz olsun durup düşünmeden. Koşturmaca içinde yanımızda neleri götürüyoruz hiçbirimiz farkında değiliz.
Öyle her şeyle uzun boylu uğraşamayız biz, o kadar vaktimiz yok “hayat kısa” ne de olsa. Hayatımızdaki tüm emelleri hiç çaba sarf etmeden elde edebilmeliyiz. Her şeyi bilmeliyiz ( ki biliyoruz zaten cahilim diyene rastladınız mı hiç) ama eğitimmiş kitapmış falan uğraşamayız-“yaaaa offfff” ne kadar sıkıcı. Zengin olmalıyız, ama öyle eşek gibi çalışıp olmaz, piyango falan ne içindir? Çalışıp emek vermek, yatırım yapmak, tarlaya tohumu ekmek, gübre atmak, çapa yapmak, sulamak, toplamak falan bize göre değildir. Bir çeşit yoldan şan şöhret sahibi olmalıyız ve zenginlik de gelmeli beraberinde.
Mutlu olmalıyız yanımızdaki herkesin mutsuzluğuna sebep olsa dahi. Zevk almalıyız biz her yaptığımız işten. Canımızı sıkan, fazla emek ve düşünce isteyen işleri sevmeyiz. Tüm hayat bizim merkezimizde dönmeli. Hayat felsefemiz “ben olmazsam hiçbir şey olmaz” olmalı.
Kayıtsız şartsız her şeyin en iyisini istemeliyiz kendimiz için, en güzel ev benimki olmalı, en güzel eş benim olmalı, ana babanın en anlayışlısı tabii ki benimkiler olmalı ( niye değiller diye isyan edip, tepinmeliyiz). Evladım en başarılı çocuk olmalı, bütün sınavlarda birinci gelmeli, en iyi okullarda okumalı ve sonunda en iyi maaşlarla en iyi işlerde çalışmalı. Çevremdeki herkes anlayışlı olmalı bana karşı, birkaç kötü huyum olabilir, ne yapalım katlanıversinler ama onlarda hata olmamalı tabii ki.
Hayat kısa ve su gibi akıp gitmekte, dolu dolu yaşamalıyız biz hayatı ne pahasına olursa olsun. Bütün bunları hak ediyor muyum? Ne saçma bir soru, tabii ki hak ediyorum. Doğururken bana mı sordular? Bak ben bu yüzden çocuk falan da yapmıyorum zaten. Yapsam da bir tane olmalı, en güzel kreşlere yollamalıyım, en özel okullarda eğitim aldırmalıyım. Yurt dışına yollamalıyım yüksek tahsili için. En zengin, tahsilli, asil ailenin çocuğuyla evlendirmeliyim çocuğumu. Farklı olmalıyım ben herkesten. Daha güzel olmalıyım, daha zeki, daha zengin.
Yaşamım boyunca hiçbir bela, musibet benim başıma gelemez. Fırtınalar başka denizlerde kopsun, depremler başka şehirleri yıksın, savaşlar başka ülkelerde çıksın bana ne. Öyle kaza, hastalık gibi şeyler benim dışımda insanların başına geliyor sadece. Bütün bunları hak edecek ne mi yapıyorum? Ne saçma bir soru. Ben mi istedim bu dünyaya gelmeyi, hiç sordular mı bana?
Sahi ya, gerçekten sormadılar mı size de? Gelmek istemiş miydiniz siz bu dünyaya? Gelmek istemediğiniz bu dünyada sonsuza kadar kalacakmışsınız gibi niye yaşıyorsunuz o zaman? Niye bağlıyorsunuz gönlünüzü asla sizin olamayacak ve size kalamayacak onca şeye?
f.g.
Öyle her şeyle uzun boylu uğraşamayız biz, o kadar vaktimiz yok “hayat kısa” ne de olsa. Hayatımızdaki tüm emelleri hiç çaba sarf etmeden elde edebilmeliyiz. Her şeyi bilmeliyiz ( ki biliyoruz zaten cahilim diyene rastladınız mı hiç) ama eğitimmiş kitapmış falan uğraşamayız-“yaaaa offfff” ne kadar sıkıcı. Zengin olmalıyız, ama öyle eşek gibi çalışıp olmaz, piyango falan ne içindir? Çalışıp emek vermek, yatırım yapmak, tarlaya tohumu ekmek, gübre atmak, çapa yapmak, sulamak, toplamak falan bize göre değildir. Bir çeşit yoldan şan şöhret sahibi olmalıyız ve zenginlik de gelmeli beraberinde.
Mutlu olmalıyız yanımızdaki herkesin mutsuzluğuna sebep olsa dahi. Zevk almalıyız biz her yaptığımız işten. Canımızı sıkan, fazla emek ve düşünce isteyen işleri sevmeyiz. Tüm hayat bizim merkezimizde dönmeli. Hayat felsefemiz “ben olmazsam hiçbir şey olmaz” olmalı.
Kayıtsız şartsız her şeyin en iyisini istemeliyiz kendimiz için, en güzel ev benimki olmalı, en güzel eş benim olmalı, ana babanın en anlayışlısı tabii ki benimkiler olmalı ( niye değiller diye isyan edip, tepinmeliyiz). Evladım en başarılı çocuk olmalı, bütün sınavlarda birinci gelmeli, en iyi okullarda okumalı ve sonunda en iyi maaşlarla en iyi işlerde çalışmalı. Çevremdeki herkes anlayışlı olmalı bana karşı, birkaç kötü huyum olabilir, ne yapalım katlanıversinler ama onlarda hata olmamalı tabii ki.
Hayat kısa ve su gibi akıp gitmekte, dolu dolu yaşamalıyız biz hayatı ne pahasına olursa olsun. Bütün bunları hak ediyor muyum? Ne saçma bir soru, tabii ki hak ediyorum. Doğururken bana mı sordular? Bak ben bu yüzden çocuk falan da yapmıyorum zaten. Yapsam da bir tane olmalı, en güzel kreşlere yollamalıyım, en özel okullarda eğitim aldırmalıyım. Yurt dışına yollamalıyım yüksek tahsili için. En zengin, tahsilli, asil ailenin çocuğuyla evlendirmeliyim çocuğumu. Farklı olmalıyım ben herkesten. Daha güzel olmalıyım, daha zeki, daha zengin.
Yaşamım boyunca hiçbir bela, musibet benim başıma gelemez. Fırtınalar başka denizlerde kopsun, depremler başka şehirleri yıksın, savaşlar başka ülkelerde çıksın bana ne. Öyle kaza, hastalık gibi şeyler benim dışımda insanların başına geliyor sadece. Bütün bunları hak edecek ne mi yapıyorum? Ne saçma bir soru. Ben mi istedim bu dünyaya gelmeyi, hiç sordular mı bana?
Sahi ya, gerçekten sormadılar mı size de? Gelmek istemiş miydiniz siz bu dünyaya? Gelmek istemediğiniz bu dünyada sonsuza kadar kalacakmışsınız gibi niye yaşıyorsunuz o zaman? Niye bağlıyorsunuz gönlünüzü asla sizin olamayacak ve size kalamayacak onca şeye?
f.g.
Edwin Arlington Robinson - Miniver Cheevy
Miniver Cheevy, child of scorn,
Grew lean while he assailed the seasons
He wept that he was ever born,
And he had reasons.
Miniver loved the days of old
When swords were bright and steeds were prancing;
The vision of a warrior bold
Would send him dancing.
Miniver sighed for what was not,
And dreamed, and rested from his labors;
He dreamed of Thebes and Camelot,
And Priam's neighbors.
Miniver mourned the ripe renown
That made so many a name so fragrant;
He mourned Romance, now on the town,
And Art, a vagrant.
Miniver loved the Medici,
Albeit he had never seen one;
He would have sinned incessantly
Could he have been one.
Miniver cursed the commonplace
And eyed a khaki suit with loathing:
He missed the medieval grace
Of iron clothing.
Miniver scorned the gold he sought,
But sore annoyed was he without it;
Miniver thought, and thought, and thought,
And thought about it.
Miniver Cheevy, born too late,
Scratched his head and kept on thinking;
Miniver coughed, and called it fate,
And kept on drinking
Grew lean while he assailed the seasons
He wept that he was ever born,
And he had reasons.
Miniver loved the days of old
When swords were bright and steeds were prancing;
The vision of a warrior bold
Would send him dancing.
Miniver sighed for what was not,
And dreamed, and rested from his labors;
He dreamed of Thebes and Camelot,
And Priam's neighbors.
Miniver mourned the ripe renown
That made so many a name so fragrant;
He mourned Romance, now on the town,
And Art, a vagrant.
Miniver loved the Medici,
Albeit he had never seen one;
He would have sinned incessantly
Could he have been one.
Miniver cursed the commonplace
And eyed a khaki suit with loathing:
He missed the medieval grace
Of iron clothing.
Miniver scorned the gold he sought,
But sore annoyed was he without it;
Miniver thought, and thought, and thought,
And thought about it.
Miniver Cheevy, born too late,
Scratched his head and kept on thinking;
Miniver coughed, and called it fate,
And kept on drinking
Kaydol:
Kayıtlar (Atom)
Nature
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.