What is the meaning of life?

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 12 Oct 2002 18:08 PDT

Reynolea,

There are some excellent remarks on the subject here, in a previous
question:

https://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=2573

Researchers are often leery of attempting to answer a question that is
as broad as this one. It is difficult for us to tell whether the
question is serious one, or is being asked as a joke, such as "Why did
the chicken cross the road?" (Which has been asked and answered here,
too.)

If you truly want an answer to your question, you might want to narrow
it and rephrase it in such a way that it can be adequately answered
for the $1.50 that a researcher will receive in return for his or her
labors.

On the other hand, if you are wanting a facetious or amusing answer
from us, it would help if you'd indicate that this is what you desire.

My own view is that the "meaning" aspect is greatly overrated; I think
the quest for deeper meaning often leads us to analyze life rather
than enjoy it in the "now."

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Clarification of Question by reynolea-ga on 12 Oct 2002 19:11 PDT

I think you provided the ultimate answer to a very vague question. 
Basically, the net of your response was to stop wondering, and start
living.  And that advice, my friend, is worth more money than I could
ever pay you.  Thanks!

Dear Reynolea, 

The meaning of life is something that hasd been interpreted by many
philosophers, and there is no definite, "black and white" answer on
this question.

Several different philosophical approaches deal with the question. A
very remote scientific approach might claim that the question "why we
live" can be answered only on biological terms ("you live because one
day your biological mother conceved you through having sex with a
biological father" or "you live because your body functions").

This is, for example, the approach taked in "What is the Meaning of
Life - Fitness" <http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MEANLIFE.html>. They do not
mean fitness in the shallow usage of a woman who yells at you "to the
left! and bend! and once again!" without stopping in order to breath.
They mean fitness in a more accute term, that of our biological
function. MadSci site introduces the biological approach, but also
that of others <http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/nov99/942624900.Gb.r.html>.

This question also belongs to the realm of logics. This question is
nicely answered at <http://sysopmind.com/tmol-faq/logic.html>. The
question of the meaning of life is highly related to ethics, morals -
"..."The Meaning of Life" isn't just about knowing that our lives are
having an impact; it's also about dispelling the philosophical fog.
It's not only knowing exactly why you got up in the morning; it's
knowing the rules you used to make the decision, where the rules come
from, and why the rules are correct." (Source: "What is the problem of
asking "What is the meaning of life?" by Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
<http://sysopmind.com/tmol-faq/logic.html>). This site, that presents
a singularity approach (concerning the "life" of artificial
intelligent) is highly interesting.

On the other hand, a religious approach, might claim that the meaning
of life stems from the life given by superiour powers (God or gods) to
us, therefore its meaning is - between others - to get closer to the
conduct requierd by God in our behaviour. Jared Story
<http://www.jaredstory.com/meaning_of_life.html> is a beautiful and
heart touching site that takes something similar to that approach. The
site "The-Meaning-of--Life.com" takes even more distinguished approach
<http://www.the-meaning-of--life.com/>.

Yahoo! had a very practical answer to a guy who asked "what is the
meaning of life" - they told him "Now, if you're looking for the
meaning of your life in particular, then we're afraid we have to fall
back on the somewhat predictable response: "It's up to you." (Source:
"Dear Yahoo! What is the meaning of life?", a question asked by Juan
from Tegucigalpa, Honduras <http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/19981215.html>).
They do offer to check out the many views expressed in their own
section in the Yahoo! dierctory on the meaning of life
<http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Philosophy/Personal_Philosophy/Meaning_of_Life/>.
A similar, interesting approach is taken by this site in Aristotle.net
<http://www.aristotle.net/~diogenes/meaning1.htm>.

Their answer is a bit shallow, but I must say I agree with the general
message "life is what happens to you when you busy making other
plans", as the great John Lennon said.

I also believe that for humans, a central part of the meaning of life
is being part of a society and being a social creature. I strongly
believe in the Roussauian approach regarding life. This integrate
itself with our committee to live what we consider as moral life, that
doesn't hurt others or the environment, as we *normally* lead our
lives, according to the "John Lennon approach".

Let me also instroduce you to the humoristic approach: 
The Meaning of Life (Monty Python) -
<http://www.mwscomp.com/movies/mol/mol.htm> Script and pictures
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1558806768/ltc-political/102-2402539-1101751>
Amazon link

After all these explanations, it could be that the meaning of life is
"42".
<http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci211501,00.html> 
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345391829/ltc-political/102-2402539-1101751>
amazon link


Search strategy: 
"What is the Meaning of Life" search 
://www.google.com/search?q=%22what+is+the+meaning+of+life%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=de&meta=
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=de&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22what+is+the+meaning+of+life%22&sa=N&tab=wg&meta=

I hope that answered your question. Please feel free to ask for
clarifications. I'd be pleased to answer any clrifications before you
rate the answer.

Ha!

Where's god-ga when you need Him?

According to the late great Douglas Adams, the answer to "Life the
Universe and Everything" was "42".

It's just that it took "Deep Thought", ( the computer tasked with
answering the question ) , so long to answer it, that by the time it
did, nobody could remember what the question was.

Willie

If you're an existentialist, there is no meaning. We're all just here,
and there's no right or wrong thing to do, so we may as well just do
what makes us happy. The flip side is that we can't palm of
responsibility for our actions to other people or metaphysical
entities. In a drawn out logical way, this has led me to
vegetarianism. I  hope you find whatever it is you're looking for!

What is the meaning of life?...whatever meaning you give it.