What is the meaning of life?

[Age]

Whatever it is it cannot be in the thought and feeling category. Well, if there is such a thing as the meaning of life then one should be able to experience it.

This question is man-made, it's a human subjective idea....not actual reality.

I am asking for something objective, the meaning of life, without it life is meaningless.

BUT, you said, "whatever the meaning of life is it can NOT be in the thought, nor feeling, category". And, EVERY thing relayed to you in print on these screens can ONLY BE in the thought, or feeling, category. Which means you could just reply by saying and stating, "That is in the thought, or feeling, category, therefore it is NOT the meaning of life", correct?

The meaning of one's (my) life would basically be to fulfill their own existential needs and to have a reason to live.

As I mentioned the meaning of life cannot be in the thought and feeling category. So a reason or a need cannot give meaning to life.

Besides this NOT logically following, this is just plain OLD ABSURD.

WHY could a NEED, in regards to life, or living, supposedly, NOT give 'meaning' to 'life', itself?

And the fact that none of us who are alive today chose to be alive makes any meaning totally meaningless.

Now you are countering what you said before.

[Age]

Whatever it is it cannot be in the thought and feeling category. Well, if there is such a thing as the meaning of life then one should be able to experience it.

For me, the meaning seems to be inherently already existing in the seemingly meaningless.

If I can find meaning in the meaningless, then life itself is self validating. What I mean by meaning is, this moment is enough just as it is. Nothing else needs to be added or subtracted.

But the key is, the movement from meaninglessness to meaningfulness is, there is no sense of time, not that time itself doesn’t exist, but a certain way of perceiving, for perceiving’s sake, no ulterior motive, no means to an end.

The moment must be an end in itself. That to me is meaning.

As far as the question of the meaning of life, I don’t like that statement, because it invokes some feeling of a need for our life to be of cosmic significance.

But A question is NOT A statement.

So, THAT question is, literally, NOT 'that statement'.

Our life is of significance to us, we find the meaning. But we don’t create it. Meaning cannot be created, only found. At least not the kind of meaning we are talking about, an existential kind.

[Age]

Whatever it is it cannot be in the thought and feeling category. Well, if there is such a thing as the meaning of life then one should be able to experience it.

For me, the meaning seems to be inherently already existing in the seemingly meaningless.

What you are talking about?

If I can find meaning in the meaningless, then life itself is self validating. What I mean by meaning is, this moment is enough just as it is. Nothing else needs to be added or subtracted.

But the key is, the movement from meaninglessness to meaningfulness is, there is no sense of time, not that time itself doesn’t exist, but a certain way of perceiving, for perceiving’s sake, no ulterior motive, no means to an end.

The moment must be an end in itself. That to me is meaning.

As far as the question of the meaning of life, I don’t like that statement, because it invokes some feeling of a need for our life to be of cosmic significance.

Our life is of significance to us, we find the meaning. But we don’t create it. Meaning cannot be created, only found. At least not the kind of meaning we are talking about, an existential kind.

I agree that we have to find the meaning of life. But where and how?

Where is ALL 'meaning' found?

Just LOOK 'there'.

The answer by the way is far SIMPLER and EASIER than first thought.

[Age]

I am asking for something objective, the meaning of life, without it life is meaningless.

Life is meaningless without the next moment. The next moment begins with the next inhalation.

Can the 'next moment' NOT begin just before the 'next inhalation'?

[bahman]

This question is man-made, it's a human subjective idea....not actual reality.

I am asking for something objective, the meaning of life, without it life is meaningless.

BUT, you said, "whatever the meaning of life is it can NOT be in the thought, nor feeling, category". And, EVERY thing relayed to you in print on these screens can ONLY BE in the thought, or feeling, category. Which means you could just reply by saying and stating, "That is in the thought, or feeling, category, therefore it is NOT the meaning of life", correct?

Yes.

The meaning of one's (my) life would basically be to fulfill their own existential needs and to have a reason to live.

As I mentioned the meaning of life cannot be in the thought and feeling category. So a reason or a need cannot give meaning to life.

Besides this NOT logically following, this is just plain OLD ABSURD.

It is not.

WHY could a NEED, in regards to life, or living, supposedly, NOT give 'meaning' to 'life', itself?

Living for sake of living cannot give meaning to life.

[bahman]

For me, the meaning seems to be inherently already existing in the seemingly meaningless.

What you are talking about?

If I can find meaning in the meaningless, then life itself is self validating. What I mean by meaning is, this moment is enough just as it is. Nothing else needs to be added or subtracted.

But the key is, the movement from meaninglessness to meaningfulness is, there is no sense of time, not that time itself doesn’t exist, but a certain way of perceiving, for perceiving’s sake, no ulterior motive, no means to an end.

The moment must be an end in itself. That to me is meaning.

As far as the question of the meaning of life, I don’t like that statement, because it invokes some feeling of a need for our life to be of cosmic significance.

Our life is of significance to us, we find the meaning. But we don’t create it. Meaning cannot be created, only found. At least not the kind of meaning we are talking about, an existential kind.

I agree that we have to find the meaning of life. But where and how?

Where is ALL 'meaning' found?

Just LOOK 'there'.

The answer by the way is far SIMPLER and EASIER than first thought.

Look where?

[Impenitent]

42

-Imp

All you hear in the news is Title 42. Title 42. That's no accident. It's the next sky is falling. It's a monolith. Drop the red herring and just close the border until further notice. Temporary inconvenience, permanent improvement.

then the robot would be even more depressed...

-Imp

[simplicity]

I don't think that responsibility can give meaning to life.

May I ask how old you are?

55.

What has given you the most satisfaction in your life?

[Veritas Aequitas]

How to staying alive just for sake of living could be the meaning of life?

Note "meaning of" "life".

• Life =the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body. b : a principle or force that is considered to underlie the distinctive quality of animate beings.
  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life

Thus the striving to stay alive is the basic meaning of 'life'.

I know what you are saying but that is not the meaning that I am looking for.

The next task is how to make life more meaningful by understanding the basic mechanisms of life and align with the mechanisms to avoid sufferings, optimize pleasure and a sense of peace.

Peace is good but provided that there is a meaning to it.

There are many other variables to life and the meaning of life up of the levels of peak performances and achievements etc. to be optimized according to one's physiological and psychological state within one's environment.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
  In positive psychology, a flow state, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one's sense of time.

Apparently you seem to be seeking merely a single variable to represent 'what is the meaning of life' and you will never find a meaningful life.

You will never find one if you don't look for it.

Your OP is destined to fail.
How can you find "it" if you don't know what you are looking for?

Are you familiar with Meno's Paradox, in particular this line;

• "If you don't know what you're looking for, inquiry is impossible. "

Whatever the meaning or fact, it has to be conditioned and qualified to some specific Framework and System of Knowledge [FSK].

For example, what is meaning to Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, sociology, anthropology, mathematics, logic, politics, legal, customs, traditions, language, etc. has to be qualified within its specific FSK.

In this case, you need to qualify what is the Framework and System and Knowledge of 'What is life' specific to yours' or a groups' expectations before you can establish what is the meaning of life.

Note in your OP, nothing is specified clearly.
To go somewhere, you need to at least state some compass point and the specific variables, else yours will be a never-ending search.
Even in Science, you have to start with some hypothesis, then prove whether it is right and if wrong to change the variables in the hypothesis or abandon it.
I have tried to impute by sense of rationality into your question but you're just not receptive to anything rational.

To be more credible you have to ensure your conclusions are verified empirically and justified with sound philosophical reasonings.

In your case, your seeking is 'infected' with Meno's Paradox and you will forever be lost in this pursuit.

[Age]

Thought of as the central inquiry of philosophy [essentially the same as, "Who am I ?"], this question alone paints an accurate picture of the human ego.

When one considers the enormity of the Universe, how is it possible that some insignificant species on a planet out in the middle of nowhere could have, "a purpose," AND, if [by some miracle] there was some sort of purpose, that we have the cognitive ability to understand such?

WHY do some of 'you', insignificant human beings, think or imagine that 'you' would have some purpose that would be different from EVERY other living 'thing'?

Is it NOT possible that 'the purpose' of ALL living 'things' is the EXACT SAME?

The answer, by the way, is found WHEN finding what the meaning of life IS, EXACTLY.

I say we spend our time figuring out why the vast majority of humanity spends so much of its time attempting to procure something for nothing.

Will you list the 'things' that you are attempting to procure for nothing?

If no, then WHY NOT?

If you did, then we would have something to LOOK AT, which we could then DISCUSS, and then find out WHY 'you', and the 'vast majority of you', spend so much of your time attempting to procure something for nothing.

Now that would be something worth figuring out! Imagine a world where the vast majority was involved in productive activity [like every other species] instead of sitting round and doing God-knows-what all day long.

[Walker]

I am asking for something objective, the meaning of life, without it life is meaningless.

Life is meaningless without the next moment. The next moment begins with the next inhalation.

Can the 'next moment' NOT begin just before the 'next inhalation'?

Each new inhalation begins a new moment. Thus, moments can vary in duration. The moment begins at the beginning of the inhalation and ends at the end of the exhalation. The meaning of life can be found in past, present, or future. However, the present offers delusion the least opportunity of the three times to contaminate objective understanding, that is, if one doesn't get lost in the moment, meaning distracted from what's happening now.

Moments can be quite momentous. There comes a time in many lives when all possessions would gladly be sacrificed, for just one more breath. That's when atheists start making promises to God, and regretting all that breathing that was squandered.

[Walker]

42

-Imp

All you hear in the news is Title 42. Title 42. That's no accident. It's the next sky is falling. It's a monolith. Drop the red herring and just close the border until further notice. Temporary inconvenience, permanent improvement.

then the robot would be even more depressed...

-Imp

Nein! They exist to verk! This is their meaning!

[Age]

Life is meaningless without the next moment. The next moment begins with the next inhalation.

Can the 'next moment' NOT begin just before the 'next inhalation'?

Each new inhalation begins a new moment. Thus, moments can vary in duration.

Are you saying that "each new inhalation begins a new moment" for EVERY 'thing'?

See, for me, 'moments' last for as long as one envisions or imagines.

And, EACH and EVERY 'moment' does NOT necessarily have to have absolutely ANY 'thing' AT ALL with the inhalation of one or any number of human beings or other animals.

The moment begins at the beginning of the inhalation and ends at the end of the exhalation.

REALLY?

SAYS WHO?

And how does this CLAIM even work with the moment from the 'big bang' to one year after? Who or what was inhaling and exhaling at THAT 'moment'?

The meaning of life can be found in past, present, or future.

WHERE, EXACTLY? And WHAT is the meaning of life, EXACTLY?

However, the present offers delusion the least opportunity of the three times to contaminate objective understanding, that is, if one doesn't get lost in the moment, meaning distracted from what's happening now.

Moments can be quite momentous. There comes a time in many lives when all possessions would gladly be sacrificed, for just one more breath. That's when atheists start making promises to God, and regretting all that breathing that was squandered.

Okay.

By the way, what 'thing' could ANY of 'you', human beings, individually ACTUALLY 'possess' anyway?

[popeye1945]

The meaning of life is when one realizes that the physical world is utterly meaningless in the absence of a conscious subject, life, biology is then creator of all meaning, which it bestows upon the world at its discretion. Biological reaction to the physical world is your everyday reality/experience you are free to bestow what values you will.

[DPMartin]

Whatever it is it cannot be in the thought and feeling category. Well, if there is such a thing as the meaning of life then one should be able to experience it.

without a relationship to the Living God, there's no meaning unless you make one up (family, country, self satisfactions, religions, yada yada). but all of those are just temporary. you could leave a legacy like Caesar or Hitler but that fades away in the memory of those that will come later. it all returns to the ground. if you're looking for meaning in something you will loss and will be lost. have at it.