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Whats the point of life?

Fastlane Liam

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Not a business question, so posting in Off topic. But I know this forum is filled with insightful people.

Money is modern day survival. The passageway from childhood to adulthood is being able to survive on your own. Earning money becomes your purpose when you don't have enough to sustain yourself.

What is the point of life when you have enough money to sustain yourself?

The usual reply is "just do what makes you happy"

But what is happiness exactly?

All I understand is our brains have one goal in mind: to reproduce. When we are doing actions that are inline and satisfy that, our brain creates happy chemicals to tell us "Good job keeping doing this!"

So is the point just to follow our egos and primal desires as closely as possible?

I don't mean to ask this to try and sound smart or create some debate or something. Ive genuinely been stuck and lost for the past few years as to what life is all about. Or if it is really nothing with no meaning. We happen to exist up until this point and so you just make what you want of it, but at the barebones its to have the most optimum and prolonged survival.
 
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palneoon

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This is very much a matter of opinion, of course.

But if you refuse religious answers (and make no mistake, any philosophy that ascribes a higher meaning to life is essentially a religion) there is no intrinsic meaning to life.

The world is a cold, dark place governed by chaos.

Now, faced with this, there are three possible ways you can go.

You can go nihilist, and decide that nothing matters.

You can go existentialist, and decide that it is your responsibility to create your own meaning.

You can go absurdist, and decide that the best course of action is to rebel against the meaninglessness.
 

Ismail941

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I think happiness is something ongoing work/project in your life.
From my angle, life is about fulfillment

Fulfillment in Health
Fulfillment in Self
Fulfillment in Relationships
Fulfillment in Wealth/Money

I recall that - Money is just a placeholder - @broswoodwork said this perfectly in other post a few months back.

Dan Pena said that keep making money so that you can't count!
 

broswoodwork

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You are a highly organized pocket of star dust.

Your entire conscious life exists on a ballistic potential gradient that you use to attempt to create complimentary local order from system wide chaos.

You can also use life to share pics of cats in boxes. cats-in-boxes-08.jpg
 
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cor

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I really like Naval's thinking around meaning of life, and I've applied it to my own life:

There is no answer. The real answer is ‘because.’ You get to make up your own answer is the beauty. If there was a single answer, we would not be free. We would be trapped…we would all have to live to that answer…luckily there is no answer.
 

broswoodwork

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I know you're making fun of me. But what you're saying is exactly what I said, optimise survival.. because its uh comfy
I swear on me mum, I'm not making fun of you. I'm just having fun with existentialism as a concept. Let's all laugh at life together. :)
 

guy93777

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Not a business question, so posting in Off topic. But I know this forum is filled with insightful people.

Money is modern day survival. The passageway from childhood to adulthood is being able to survive on your own. Earning money becomes your purpose when you don't have enough to sustain yourself.

What is the point of life when you have enough money to sustain yourself?

The usual reply is "just do what makes you happy"

But what is happiness exactly?

All I understand is our brains have one goal in mind: to reproduce. When we are doing actions that are inline and satisfy that, our brain creates happy chemicals to tell us "Good job keeping doing this!"

So is the point just to follow our egos and primal desires as closely as possible?

I don't mean to ask this to try and sound smart or create some debate or something. Ive genuinely been stuck and lost for the past few years as to what life is all about. Or if it is really nothing with no meaning. We happen to exist up until this point and so you just make what you want of it, but at the barebones its to have the most optimum and prolonged survival.

so maybe i can help you :

28431



28432




people like me know why they are on earth because we are initiates


you don't know and 99 % of people don't know either because they are the energy of society

not the mind


society is a giant human being with a mind ( rational masterminds ) and a body ( emotional masses )

AS ABOVE SO BELOW


human level : mind and emotions
society level : mind and emotions


28434





by the way most people can't understand what i say because:




28433
 
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Madame Peccato

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Not again
 

Devampre

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There both is an isn't a point until we can objectively prove it, but I feel you aren't seeking an answer that's deep or satirical. You seem to be searching for an answer that will push you out of feeling "stuck and lost."

(Like even if I told you the Mormon religion had all the answers, would you believe me anyway?)

I feel the real question you have is how do I not feel stuck and lost in life?

Now, I may not have the best answer, but perhaps the following exercise could help nudge you in a better direction...

Please note: This hasn't been fully tested and results may vary.

1) Get a pen & paper or open a fresh document.

2) List everything that interests you and also everything you are curious about. Everything! Yes, even the embarrassing shit you don't want people to know about. Ideally, nothing illegal though.

3) Now pat yourself on the back, you just created objectives to pursue. These objectives hold the answers you seek. But, you have to do them. So if you are curious about slap fighting, you got to try it rather than just read about it. Some stuff from your list will be more difficult and/or take time. That's okay and those objectives will have significant impact on your life if you actively pursue them.

4) You can now decide whether you wish to pursue these missions in a sequential order or draw them randomly out of a hat?

It might sound crazy, but I believe the solution to getting out of these type of slumps is action. Even if it isn't recognized at first.
 
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MitchM

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First of all, what does it mean for something to have a purpose?

A tool has a purpose. A hammer puts nails in a wall.

That’s because humans designed a tool to meet their end goals.

Do you want to be a tool for the end goal of a higher being?

If so, then what is the purpose of that higher being? What would God be a “tool” for.

My point here is that somewhere down the line there is creative intelligence that ascribes a purpose and then tools to that end. There can be no ultimate purpose because the idea of a purpose leads to an infinite regression.

I prefer to believe that there is no purpose ordained to us and that we are not tools for a higher goal.

From my point of view, We are the highly unlikely yet inevitable result of the total infinity of “time” and “space.”

The greatest gift that you have is that you’re not a tool. You ascribe purpose.

Regardless of whether you believe in free will or determinism (and I believe in neither) - you have deep desires that you want to see manifested.

Whether it’s the desire for love, giving, legacy, or creating great things and putting them out into the world.. it’s your vision and your very existence that will determine how those things are manifested.

Our lives have much greater spheres of influence than we realize, and it’s a terrible loss that so many of us downplay the purpose and meaning that there is within our own relationships.

The impact that we have on eachother and our connection to the world is pregnant with possibilities for how your own purpose will play out.
 

MitchM

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so maybe i can help you :

View attachment 28431



View attachment 28432




people like me know why they are on earth because we are initiates


you don't know and 99 % of people don't know either because they are the energy of society

not the mind


society is a giant human being with a mind ( rational masterminds ) and a body ( emotional masses )

AS ABOVE SO BELOW


human level : mind and emotions
society level : mind and emotions


View attachment 28434





by the way most people can't understand what i say because:




View attachment 28433
Please, please, please, make a thread elaborating on this world view you keep pointing towards and give the unwashed masses a chance to digest your wisdom.
 

Walter Hay

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Emerson was quoting from the Bible. Proverbs 29:18

Walter
 

Fox

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so maybe i can help you :

View attachment 28431



View attachment 28432




people like me know why they are on earth because we are initiates


you don't know and 99 % of people don't know either because they are the energy of society

not the mind


society is a giant human being with a mind ( rational masterminds ) and a body ( emotional masses )

AS ABOVE SO BELOW


human level : mind and emotions
society level : mind and emotions


View attachment 28434





by the way most people can't understand what i say because:




View attachment 28433

Less use of bold font.
More starting progress thread.
 
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Low Chi

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I assume you ask for your Self.

to quote:
"I warn you, whoever you are, Oh! You who want to probe the arcana of nature, that if you do not find within yourself that which you are looking for, you shall not find it outside either! If you ignore the excellences of your own house, how do you pretend to find other excellencies? Within you is hidden the treasure of treasures! Know thyself and you will know the Universe and the Gods." incription of an old temple

To find your answer, you'll have to search in the inner world. Any external answer won't be yours, even if you find some of them "interesting" to take it as yours. Many writings of hundreds of years tried to lead readers to their way of finding it. But I never heard from anyone who found their individual answer that it was possible to skip inner search during the search for meaning.

I found two ways to find mine: One is meditation. The other one is contemplating by writing. Good luck.
 

MitchM

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I assume you ask for your Self.

to quote:
"I warn you, whoever you are, Oh! You who want to probe the arcana of nature, that if you do not find within yourself that which you are looking for, you shall not find it outside either! If you ignore the excellences of your own house, how do you pretend to find other excellencies? Within you is hidden the treasure of treasures! Know thyself and you will know the Universe and the Gods." incription of an old temple

To find your answer, you'll have to search in the inner world. Any external answer won't be yours, even if you find some of them "interesting" to take it as yours. Many writings of hundreds of years tried to lead readers to their way of finding it. But I never heard from anyone who found their individual answer that it was possible to skip inner search during the search for meaning.

I found two ways to find mine: One is meditation. The other one is contemplating by writing. Good luck.
There’s a saying about spirituality/religion related to what you are saying:

Something like “doctrine is like a finger pointing at the moon, and we must be careful not to mistake the finger for the moon.”

Upon searching for the quote, I found an extract from a work of Alan Watts, which I really think applies to entrepreneurs just as well as those seeking religious and philosophical insight:

The Finger and the Moon

To me, the takeaway for entrepreneurs is in searching for a path, heed advice but make haste - because otherwise you’re likely to get stuck in inaction and deliberation.
 

IlseVdG

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I assume you ask for your Self.

to quote:
"I warn you, whoever you are, Oh! You who want to probe the arcana of nature, that if you do not find within yourself that which you are looking for, you shall not find it outside either! If you ignore the excellences of your own house, how do you pretend to find other excellencies? Within you is hidden the treasure of treasures! Know thyself and you will know the Universe and the Gods." incription of an old temple

To find your answer, you'll have to search in the inner world. Any external answer won't be yours, even if you find some of them "interesting" to take it as yours. Many writings of hundreds of years tried to lead readers to their way of finding it. But I never heard from anyone who found their individual answer that it was possible to skip inner search during the search for meaning.

I found two ways to find mine: One is meditation. The other one is contemplating by writing. Good luck.

Exactly! I totally agree.

If I may add: people tend to only really start that inner search either when they fail greatly or experience great loss in the outer world OR when they succeed greatly in the outer world and then realize that this success doesn’t provide the promised inner fulfillment. Either way: they’re doing 'great'. They're just pushed to begin a new journey, at a certain moment. This moment is different for everyone.

@Fastlane Liam
From what I see, by posing the question, you already gave the answer. You’ll start an inner journey (or you'll deepen the one that you already have). Because it seems that it doesn't go away, that feeling that this can't be it AND you're already taking brute action to get answers: you're even posting that question on the Fastlane forum! :)
And as already said, that journey can be: getting inspiration from outer sources + having an inner search (+ translating it all into personal action, but that comes naturally from insight, it does not require an extra 'step'). But of course, you need not to strategize about all this too much, it all comes naturally and in its own time. About inspiration: there are tons and tons of inspirational messages out there, wrapped in a zillion different forms, all pointing (in their essence) at the same truth. It’s up to you to pick up these message forms that resonate with you. Nobody can tell you what these forms exactly will be, and how their contained message will be embedded in your personal understanding and in your personal life. It's all very .. personal. The same goes for the practices that help you get in a more contemplative, meditative state (meditation forms, physical exercise, ...) You just have to reach out and discover them for yourself, feel what works for you. It’s a never ending journey that you embark on, but if you dive deep (and you will do so if you're pushed enough), it will certainly and irrevocably change your way of viewing life.

Thank you for the question, by the way. I take that everyone who felt the need to react to your message is also searching, and is - in some or other way - happy with your reminder of the need for searching. :) In any case: I am. We’re all in the same boat.

FYI I'm a person who has it not easy with letting go, and I recently got seriously challenged in that area. And just today I was contemplating about the importance to put the inner journey first, whatever happens in the professional life etc. It helps me to cope with my anger, to put things in perspective, and to take personal responsibility. So I couldn't leave this question unanswered.
 

Brian Suh

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Not a business question, so posting in Off topic. But I know this forum is filled with insightful people.

Money is modern day survival. The passageway from childhood to adulthood is being able to survive on your own. Earning money becomes your purpose when you don't have enough to sustain yourself.

What is the point of life when you have enough money to sustain yourself?

The usual reply is "just do what makes you happy"

But what is happiness exactly?

All I understand is our brains have one goal in mind: to reproduce. When we are doing actions that are inline and satisfy that, our brain creates happy chemicals to tell us "Good job keeping doing this!"

So is the point just to follow our egos and primal desires as closely as possible?

I don't mean to ask this to try and sound smart or create some debate or something. Ive genuinely been stuck and lost for the past few years as to what life is all about. Or if it is really nothing with no meaning. We happen to exist up until this point and so you just make what you want of it, but at the barebones its to have the most optimum and prolonged survival.
Growth and ONLY GROWTH. Humans are the only species on this planet with the ability to come up with stupid ideas like what is happiness? A tree doesn’t think that. It just F*cking grows. A squirell doesn’t think this , it just finds nuts and scavenges. A bear doesn’t think this, it just wants to eat enough and provide for its family during hibernation.

Focus on pin and growth NOT happiness. Those that do the former get both. those that focus on the latter get none
 
D

DeletedUser0287

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For me, it is to get to a point where I wake up everyday and none of my actions are forced against my own will. For example, going to a day job Monday morning is going against my own will.

The freedom to buy things and not look at the price tag
 

Primeperiwinkle

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To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

To love the First Problem Solver and be like Him, solving others problems, instead of being the problem.

To love Love and be loved in return.

To love what He has made.

I will be glad for He is good His love endures forever.
 

Sadik

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Not a business question, so posting in Off topic. But I know this forum is filled with insightful people.

Money is modern day survival. The passageway from childhood to adulthood is being able to survive on your own. Earning money becomes your purpose when you don't have enough to sustain yourself.

What is the point of life when you have enough money to sustain yourself?

The usual reply is "just do what makes you happy"

But what is happiness exactly?

All I understand is our brains have one goal in mind: to reproduce. When we are doing actions that are inline and satisfy that, our brain creates happy chemicals to tell us "Good job keeping doing this!"

So is the point just to follow our egos and primal desires as closely as possible?

I don't mean to ask this to try and sound smart or create some debate or something. Ive genuinely been stuck and lost for the past few years as to what life is all about. Or if it is really nothing with no meaning. We happen to exist up until this point and so you just make what you want of it, but at the barebones its to have the most optimum and prolonged survival.
It's a question many have wondered for centuries. Many have written volumes of books about it. So you are in good company. :)

My answer is arrived at through religious spirituality but here's the summarized non-religious version of it.

The purpose of life is to be of service to everything around you. Making things better for everyone lifts us up too. In other words "Happiness!".

This also directly follows from our business philosophy on this forum. If you create things of value for others, you make money. And by definition things of value are things which are useful, in other words "of service". Like MJ said in TMF , if you give a million people what they want, you will be a millionaire. (my paraphrasing). The world rewards people who benefit others.

So my friend, the purpose of life is to create the most value in this world. Somehow the universe conspires to benefit you if you benefit others. Now if you wonder why that is, we again get into religious / creation territory, which is a discussion for some other place and time! :)
 
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Emerson was quoting from the Bible. Proverbs 29:18

Walter

Beat me to it. Solomon said it first.

This thread has been... Interesting...

Folks I don't claim to have all the answers, but I can say I am at peace. Far more peaceful peace than some of the disturbing stuff I have read here. So I'm going to make an offer.

I go to church here: https://www.thecrossing.cc/ it is in The Woodlands, Texas. I attend the 9am Sunday service and I sit upstairs. I invite you to join me and my wife. No judgement. No cares in the world. I'm just inviting you to see what has given me peace. If it isn't for you it isn't for you, but I don't want to bury what has made me a better and more effective man in both business and life in general.

We can even have breakfast together at my country club afterwards.

I am 100% serious. Take me up on it if you feel inclined.
 
Last edited:

luniac

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purpose is felt, u can't really intellectualize it imo.
 

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