Ask Lemmy

I see a lot of responses mentioning optimistic /absurdistic nihilism, so I'd like to share the egg.

Fun fact: the author also wrote "The Martian"

Create your own meaning.

I pick a simple goal: have a good day. Then I generalize that: try to have as many good days as possible relative to bad days. You can generalize it further and try to ensure other people have good days too, if you're the empathetic sort.

There is meaning in life. Every action causes an reaction. We all influence the universe and history in ways we might never know.

Life is a big improv stage. Now you decide which character and role you play!

The same way I live knowing that free will is probably an illusion. Beer still tastes good, my friends still make me laugh, I've still got to work to keep a roof over my head.

I find it simultaneously sad and relieving that nothing we do will matter in a million years. Every embarrassing thing I've done or will do, everything I've fucked up or will fuck up, eventually it won't matter. Yes, I'm sad that my achievements also won't matter in the really long run, but there is an upside

I guess it doesn’t matter to me? Why does there need to be a meaning beyond right here and right now and existing?

I mean, there is no meaning in nature, it was man who invented it

Humans are of nature. Any meaning we find is the answer.

Love.

... And being ok with a bittersweet life.

Is that chess scene from The Seventh Seal? Always enjoyed seeing that clip pop up.

In terms of finding meaning; try out as many hobbies and practical skills as you can. When you find one that makes you lose track of time, run with it.

Make it your goal to improve that skill as far as you can, and allow that to provide you a meaning to the regular day to day life.

Have you never eaten Pizza?

I suggest you try eat Pizza, that should clear this confusion right up.

Why does life in and of itself need to have meaning (beyond the obvious “survival”? Why can’t you, with your abilities of thinking and reason, assign your own meaning to it?

You can make your own meaning, an act that is also inherently meaningless but often satisfying, or you can just relax and enjoy the things that are enjoyable.

I used to try and explain it in more detail, but I've failed to get the point across often enough that I wonder if it really can be explained. I think people just have to sit down and think about it until it snaps into focus for them.

To some degree, what is important, enjoyable, and satisfying to each of us is determined by something immutable, but if we apply ourselves many of us can examine, reason, and then understand things to a degree that we have broad control over what we let matter to us.

Focusing on what we choose to let matter to us is key to living without meaning. But we must also embrace the other parts of life, because without them, the things we believe matter most would lose their meaning.

Without the contrast of suffering, we would struggle to understand joy. I think that's the hardest thing to accept for most.

If theres no meaning, there's no pressure to live up to anything

Subjects grant meanings, objects are assigned meaning. I create meaning for myself because I am a thinking agent, setting goals and tasks for myself to accomplish based on my own values and decisions. Just because an event ends doesn't undermine it's importance or meaning while it's occurring.

And even if there could be some object or set of circumstances that assigns meaning, being assigned some universal or objective meaning would be oppressive, undermining my own subjective meanings to be replaced with some forced or necessary objective. Just because some of us have an intuitive desire to be assigned an objective meaning due to a desire for our lives to follow a narrative structure with closure like fiction doesn't mean otherwise there is no meaning. If anything the meaning is more important if it comes from you and isn't assigned to you.

"Here's squire Jöns. He grins at Death, scoff at the Lord, laughs at himself, and leers at the girls. His world exists only for himself. Absurd to all, even to himself. Meaningless to heaven, and of no interest to hell."

Try to enjoy the last of the abundance, things aren't going to improve.

there is no meaning to life without context. Trying to find "meaning" is like walking through the forest blind. you give meaning to your life.

when I say, "the roses are beautiful," every person provides their own meaning to what that entails. some think of red roses some yellow, others white. then the beauty is only provided by the context of the audience based entirely on their subjective associations of beauty.

the meaning of life is what you make of it, since you are your own audience.

I think the key is to find something you are passionate about. You can think about the meaning of life all you want, but in the mean time, that little life time we have will pass by. And I think is the key is in connecting and caring about people. That's one of the quite few thing you can excel in. No other person in the planet can fill the position you are in with your family and friends. :)

life is fun

Over the course of eternity, nothing means anything. But on a human scale, we can still profoundly (and not so profoundly) affect one another’s lives, and I think meaning exists there.

We build things that won’t last so others can build new things after us. We change each other in ways we often never see or get credit for, but that doesn’t make those effects any less real or meaningful.

[Youtube] Unsolicited advice: How to live in a meaningless world (Absurdism explained/Albert Camus)

Because everyone else is talking about Nihilism and life, I figured I would counter with Radical Hope

i decided to live vicariously through trump and act like i’m winning all the time regardless of reality, like my white trash brethren

I have a family who loves me, and I bring joy and happiness to their lives. I can make their lives better, by being their for them. That's the meaning of my life. It's not what the world can do for me, but what I can do for the world.

I'm working hard to give my family a life I did not have, and I didn't have my family, I would not have a meaning with my life. I don't care for wealth or buying fancy things, I just care for improving the lives around me. I couls try to find more meaning in life itself, and I am trying to, but for now, this is enough for me.

There are more stars in the visible universe than grains of sand in all the beaches in earth. Our individual lives mean bupkis.

Consciousness creates meaning. We decide what the meaning of our life is. And if you're really struggling with that... get therapy. No joke, get help.

Much more chill than I did when I was under the impression that I had a grand scheme laid out for me.

There's a metal song by Parkway Drive called "Horizons". I'm sure the "actual" or intended meaning is different than my takeaway, but my interpretation of its message is that it's unhealthy or detrimental to believe that life has a meaning, that you're meant to leave this huge lasting impression ("masochistic / to think this would be remembered / sadistic / perpetuation of stagnation" "the marks I've left upon this world / will wash away in time")

The lyrics can sound pessimistic or depressing, but as with a lot of metal the tone and melody help set the mood. The song begins sad sounding, but ends with a sound of more blissful acceptance.

Tl;dr: worrying about what your purpose is in life will only help to assure you live a less meaningful life than we are already all destined to live.