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The big questions

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Hexagon, Apr 8, 2013.

  1. Hexagon

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    You know the ones I mean:

    1) What is the meaning of life?
    2) What is the purpose of your existence?
    3) Is there a/ are there deity/ies?
    4) What is more important, truth or happiness?
    5) What is the most valuable quality for someone to have?

    Feel free to interpret the questions how you like, answer them in as much detail as you please, and above all, explain why.
     
  2. Polaroid1996

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    The meaning of life... that's a big one. but ill give it a shot.

    I don't feel that their is any pre-determined meaning to life, you have to find your own meaning the thing that makes you want to live and makes you happy. the purpose of your existence is again up to you. Find what makes you feel whole, what gives you happiness.
     
  3. BudderMC

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    I'm going to respond to this later when I have more than 3 minutes, but I want to formally remind everyone to not take offense or argue other people's beliefs. That will not fly under any conditions.
     
  4. evora

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    1) What is the meaning of life?
    To have fun and be happy.

    2) What is the purpose of your existence?
    I believe that the purpose of our existence is to procreate, mine is to live my live the best way I can.

    3) Is there a/ are there deity/ies?
    No. But I believe there is life in the universe.

    4) What is more important, truth or happiness?
    Happiness. If you're happy even though you've been untruthful, I envy you.

    5) What is the most valuable quality for someone to have?
    Compassion. I don't know why but this was the first word that came to mind, after guilt which is not a valuable quality but that is what I have all the time.

    Sorry, my answers are not the best ones. These are too big questions for me, I did try to take them seriously though.
     
  5. JPC

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    1) I'm not sure that there is one.
    2) I'll have to wait and see.
    3) I personally think so.
    4) That's a really tough one. Generally, I think they come hand in hand. But if I had to choose I would say happiness.
    5) I don't know if it would be considered a single quality, but just being a decent person is so valuable. I think once a person has a good heart and means well all of the other qualities are secondary.
     
  6. Jinkies

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    1) What is the meaning of life?
    Honestly, I don't think there is exactly a meaning of life. We're actually pretty much lucky to be here, we're lucky to be alive. Just kinda happened, ya know?

    2) What is the purpose of your existence?
    Kind of as I said before, there isn't really any "meaning" or "purpose" because we pretty much ended up living on this planet despite the numbers and chances. Now what should we be doing now? Well, we SHOULD be exploring space and seeing where we can or cannot go in case something happens to this planet. Ya know, apocalypse, zombies, nukes, whatever. OR we should be doing it in preparation for the big freeze, when ya know, the Earth's too far from the SUN in the next few hundred billion years.

    3) Is there a/ are there deity/ies?
    Eh? Maybe? I highly doubt it, but if there is some diety out there that we may or may not know about, then I guess it's there.

    4) What is more important, truth or happiness?
    Hm.. Truth. There are alot more happier people out there because they DON'T know the truth. And when the truth is revealed, those people won't be so happy. Kinda like what Joker said in Dark Knight: People like to plan. If things go according to plan, then it's all fine and dandy. But if something doesn't go according to plan, then they freak out.


    5) What is the most valuable quality for someone to have?
    Oooh... That's a toughie. Perhaps tolerance. If you can be neutral on a subject and see both sides, then you're already a few steps ahead of everyone else.
     
  7. Fiddledeedee

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    1) What is the meaning of life?

    Good question. I'm not sure yet (wait, "yet" implies that I at some point will be, which is a big assumption!). I think that you create your own philosophical meaning in life. The biological meaning to life is just to continue existance, I guess. Which is fair enough, and not depressing like some consider it to be, to my mind.

    2) What is the purpose of your existence?

    I haven't got one yet. This seems to be a common answer from me. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: I hold learning and happiness to have inherant value. The purpose of my life is to foster learning and happiness in others and in myself.

    3) Is there a/ are there deity/ies?

    I do not believe that there are, or if there are, I do not believe that they affect me. I remain an atheist because I just don't think that there's sufficient evidence for any gods, though the reason I became an atheist is different.

    4) What is more important, truth or happiness?

    That's another very good question. I'm not sure of this one either, to the point where I don't lean in either direction (consistantly, at least) and can't form a rambling here.

    5) What is the most valuable quality for someone to have?

    I agree with evora here that compassion is very valuable. The most valuable? Actually, yeah, possibly.
     
  8. Browncoat

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    42, to all.
     
  9. Hexagon

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    1) What is the meaning of life?
    I don't think there is meaning inherent to life, and its up to us, as sapient beings to find what meaning we can. I think truth is the only meaning we can find, because nothing else has any inherent value - what is to say life is better than not having lived, etc.

    2) What is the purpose of your existence?
    The pursuit of truth, perfection, knowledge, of human unity, of civilisation. I don't know, really. There might not be one. Life might be simply a chemical reaction that takes place in our cells, our consciousness might merely be an illusion, and all of us animals might just live and die without any real purpose to it all. Like I said, I don't know.

    3) Is there a/ are there deity/ies?
    Nah. The concept is illogical, in my opinion. The qualities of a deity are self contradicting, the laws of physics would seem to prevent a deity, and the idea of a deity puts to mockery the idea of absolute equality.

    Actually, I forgot something. I personally know a deity. She's asleep on my lap, purring, and rhythmically retracting and digging her claws into my arm.

    4) What is more important, truth or happiness?
    Truth. Happiness is nice, but it makes for a rather meaningless life if there is know truth attached to it it.

    5) What is the most valuable quality for someone to have?
    Ooh, now this is hard. Compassion, perhaps. I think compassion is certainly the best thing to build a society on.

    EDIT: Lovely, that reminds me, there was a question I left out. Mods, feel free to edit it into my original post.

    What is 6x7?
     
    #9 Hexagon, Apr 8, 2013
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2013
  10. Browncoat

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    No, really, the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42. I swear by it. A prophet told me so, and it's written in His books. :grin:

    1) What is the meaning of life?
    The meaning of life is what you wish to claim it is.

    2) What is the purpose of your existence?
    Again, subjective self-determination of objectivity, lest we find out that a deity does exist, and did intend for their to be a purpose. The purpose is your's alone to fill in.

    Oh wait, perhaps you meant my existence? My bad. As of this point the purpose of my existence is to continue living, and to try and enjoy it. Delayed gratification. I hope at one point to get a degree, a real job in a city of some sort, and then a house and some pets to keep me company. That is my current reason for existence.

    3) Is there a/ are there deity/ies?
    I highly doubt an anthropomorphized one religions try to tell us about, but who knows?

    4) What is more important, truth or happiness?
    Hmm .... Tough one for me. I value both. I don't know that I can pick one or the other.

    5) What is the most valuable quality for someone to have?
    Right now, I'm going to say the ability to tolerate without overt judgements the existence of any given human being, regardless of your initial thoughts about them. Provided they aren't trying to cut you're throat, I'm of the opinion that they ought to be tolerated.

    But I suspect my answer to #5 will change with time.
     
    #10 Browncoat, Apr 8, 2013
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2013
  11. Anthemic

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    1) What is the meaning of life?
    The meaning of life is what you make it. You can't go around questioning what the meaning of life is in a whole, but what your life means to you. A lot of people have different opinions on what the meaning of life is. "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."

    2) What is the purpose of your existence?

    My purpose in life is having the feeling of everlasting love and well-being. Inspiration, motivation, fulfillment, self-worth, and achieving goals are all the main purposes of life.

    3) Is there a/ are there deity/ies?
    I do believe there is a god. Sometimes I do question whether it is the god that the Christian faith believes, because I am human. But a big part of me does believe in God.

    4) What is more important, truth or happiness?
    Both are equally important. I would not want to be told a lie in order to remain happy. Yet, I usually find myself avoiding certain situations out of fear of being disappointed. But I would seek truth and shape my life into a happy state based on what facts were presented to me. Since the fact still remains that there is meaning to life, and that the meaning is the state of well-being, then I would try my best to make my life what I want it to be. A lot of people would argue that all is false and that everything is nothingness. This is untrue because if everything was nothingness, then why would the question be present? The fact that some question whether or not reality is an illusion debunks itself. An illusion is real, therefore it exists, which means questioning exists. If questioning exists, then opinions exist; and opinions can only be made my individuals. Therefor, reality exists.

    5) What is the most valuable quality for someone to have?
    Love. As cheesy as it sounds, it's also very true. Without love, there is no self-worth. Without self-worth, there is no motivation. Without motivation, there are no goals to be fulfilled. And without fulfillment, there is no purpose in life. Love shapes everything.
     
  12. kem

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    1) What is the meaning of life?
    There is no meaning. We just are. We are free to do whatever we want, provided that we do not cause harm to others (that includes animals and to a certain extent plants) and we do not infringe upon the right of others to do the same.

    2) What is the purpose of your existence?
    The purpose of my existence is to:
    enjoy.
    learn.
    create art.
    express (strongly linked to the previous purpose).

    3) Is there a/ are there deity/ies?
    I don't believe so. But I believe that currently the question is beyond our understanding of the universe(s).

    4) What is more important, truth or happiness?
    I don't understand this question really. I would say truth.

    5) What is the most valuable quality for someone to have?
    Equanimity. As our miraculous online encyclopaedia defines the term, it is "a state of psychological stability and composure which is undisturbed by experience of or exposure to emotions, pain, or other phenomena that may cause others to lose the balance of their mind."
     
    #12 kem, Apr 8, 2013
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2013
  13. Hexagon

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    People are permitted to interpret this how they like, but I would interpret it as such:

    If given the choice between knowing the truth, and not knowing the truth and being happy, which would you choose?
     
  14. LabRat

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    1) What is the meaning of life?
    To make your own life meaningful for yourself.

    2) What is the purpose of your existence?

    I don't believe in a predetermined purpose for my life, if that's what you mean by this question.

    3) Is there a/ are there deity/ies?

    Nope.

    4) What is more important, truth or happiness?

    Truth.

    5) What is the most valuable quality for someone to have?

    Insatiable thirst for knowledge, a constant drive to know as much as possible and understand the world around them as much as possible
     
  15. Naren

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    1) What is the meaning of life?
    42
    2) What is the purpose of your existence?
    To find that purpose (mind blown)
    3) Is there a/ are there deity/ies?
    If there are, they're pretty fucked in the head
    4) What is more important, truth or happiness?
    Truth, case in point this post
    5) What is the most valuable quality for someone to have?
    The ability to love (kudos to Dumbledore)
     
  16. BornInTexas

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    1) What is the meaning of life?
    - To exist; to have existed.

    2) What is the purpose of your existence?
    - Accidents.

    3) Is there a/ are there deity/ies?
    - Don't really care.

    4) What is more important, truth or happiness?
    - Happiness. Being down is no way to live a mortal life. Even though I am truthful, I wish I wasn't.

    5) What is the most valuable quality for someone to have?
    - Confidence.

    I am REALLY blunt today...I sound mean.