Posted by alexandra_k on December 23, 2013, at 20:38:02
In reply to Re: Is there a point to life, posted by alexandra_k on December 23, 2013, at 13:53:38
one of the questions that got me interested in philosophy was 'what is the meaning of life'
if there is anything like a philosophical consensus... and there sorta is... it is this:
the relevant question is more... what do you find meaningful in life? what is it that you think makes life meaningful / gives life meaning?
here is one way to get a handle on that (perhaps)...
imagine that you are 105 years old. on your death bed. your time has come. organ system failure kind of thing. when you look back on your life... the most meaningful things you see are...
what?
what is important to you?
what would you like to do with your life?
what would you like to achieve?
what would you like to try and achive?
(better to try and have failed than never to have tried at all. i think... most of us see some glory and beauty and value in... for instance... athletes training... who never medal).once you know what things are important to you... then it is about figuring out (by a series of small steps) how you get from where you are right now... to wherever you want to be (where the idea is that trying to achieve that is something that you will value on your deathbed - whether you actually succeed or not).
but sometimes...
we don't feel like doing the things we believe.. we should do. the things that will make us happy (in the sense of the satisfaction we get out of doing / pursuing something we value).
on your death bed...
does that matter? does it matter whether you felt like it or not? if you don't feel afraid you don't get to display the virtue of courage. because courage is about *feeling the fear* and then *doing what you know you should do* despite the fear. if you don't feel the fear... you can't act from courage.
i think sometimes it is important to acknowledge and really make room for how things feel.
and i think sometimes it is important to feel that feeling - and act differently anyway.
and i think that sometimes... that acting different results in the feeling changing. and that even when it does not... it might result in our doing something that we would value. on our deathbed.
i don't know if any of that makes any sense...
the meaning of life: according to me haha. what is the meaning of life? doing things YOU find meaningful. that is the meaning of your life. it is what gives (you) meaning to your life. and really... that's all that matters. yeah?
poster:alexandra_k
thread:1056665
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20131211/msgs/1056908.html