Meaning of life Options

[*mipadi*]

Lately I've felt myself in a nihilistic quandary, a Nietzchean void of chaos and uncertainty, if you will. I feel like this insecurity is due to the fact that my life seems almost complete devoid of meaning. I wake up most mornings around 7 AM. I take a shower. I have a cup of yogurt or a bow of Cracklin' Oat Bran for breakfast. I go to class at 8 AM. I have calculus most mornings, except Thursday, which is a comp sci lab. I diligently take notes in calculus. I come back to my room by 9 AM. I dally around on the computer for a while. Then I go to more class. Then I come back and waste more time on the computer, or napping. I go to my final class. Then I go to work, where I hammer out a few dozen lines of code, fix some bugs, whatever. Go back to my room, mess around on the computer, not really producing anything worthwhile. Maybe I play a video game. Maybe I nap. Probably I nap. Maybe I study later in the evening. I might even eat somewhere in there. Then I scramble to finish up some homework, and head to bed for another day of the same.

And little of what I do during the day seems to have any meaning whatsoever. Everything I do seems to be an attempt to expend the least amount of effort possible, as though I am so completely sapped of energy that the slightest effort is impossible.

I feel like I used to spend much more time giving my life meaning. I used to write extensively, which forced me to really think about the world around me, and my experiences. I used to interact with people more regularly. I used to at least read and synthesize information.

This is disappointing, because I strongly feel in making each day worthwhile. I am a strong atheist. My atheism has led me to realize that it is important to make everyday count, because we only get one shot at life. Yet, I feel that I rarely make everyday count. I make very few days count, in fact.

But this post is not about me. The above anecdote was just a lead-in to the real question: Do you make each day count? Do you live so as to give your life meaning? If so, how? How do you feel that your life, or any person's life, can be given meaning? In short, what do you do to make living worthwhile, to use your mental and physical faculties in the most productive way? I'm not asking what the general meaning of life is; I don't intend for the usual answers. I'm interesting in seeing what you as an individual does to give your life meaning each day.

[KrunkMuzik]

Damn, nice writitng. I'll edit this later.

[*salcha*]

Well, isn't this thought provoking.

*puts down my books and thinks*

[EddieV]

This just made my head hurt. NOT BEFORE I GO TO CLASS!

[doom_diver]

Well i will prolly get flamed but who cares:

to mipadi: well to be honest i used to be like you, thinking what is the meaning of life and stuff. Because of that, i get depressed thinking bout how crap my life is and how crap this world is.

It was a friend who got me out of that and all he sed was this:

Dude, by thinking about all that crap, you are wasting time which you can make your life meaningful. Cut the crap and you'll realize how good your life is!

Just a simple sentence, but one of the most truthful ones i ever heard. Hes right, by thinking about the meaning of life, your life has no meaning. Dont force yourself to make your life meaningful, cuz by doing that you are wasting your life trying to make life meaningful, and you will fail. Just live your life and do things you want to do. Live with no regrets, and thats life.


Probably totally off topic but who cares, caring is wasting time :)

[*mipadi*]

It's certainly not off-topic. In fact, you make a wonderful point--I believe life is all about doing that which brings you joy. If joy is playing guitar in a band, or watching cartoons every morning, or ready trashy romance novels, then by all means go for it. Like I said, you only get one shot at life--might as well make the most of it while it lasts. However, my anecdote was meant to show that I'm not really spending my time doing what I'd like to do; my life is mostly a dull monotony that I am feeling, more and more, is wasted.

Not that I think my life is bad, of course; it's just boring. I have the opportunity to make it more interesting, but I haven't been doing that as of late.

Which brings me round to my earlier point of questioning everyone else on what they do to bring meaning to their lives.

[doom_diver]

Well, thx for not flaming me for my post:

Mipadi: Well, why are you not spending your time on what you like to do? You know you only have 1 life, and why are u still not enjoying the fullest of it?

For me, I just try to be as nice as I can to make my life meaningful. Sounds funny but it works for me. Besides, its pretty nice when you think about the meaning of life and you get this answer 'At least you arent the bad guy and you make the world a better place for everyone else'

[*mipadi*]

Well, thx for not flaming me for my post:

Mipadi: Well, why are you not spending your time on what you like to do? You know you only have 1 life, and why are u still not enjoying the fullest of it?

That's a really good question; the crux of the catalyst for this post. I guess it's just...general laziness, or perhaps apathy towards life. I know life is important, yet...well, doing the same thing, day in and day out, brings an ennui, a monotony, to life that can be hard to break out of. When one starts doing the same thing every day, one falls into a pattern that might be hard to break out of. I would say that is my personal issue.

I think a good way to bring meaning to life is trying to do at least one thing, every day, that is different from what you did the day before. One thing that makes you learn and grow as a person, or at least experience life in a different way. One thing to break up the monotony.

For me, I just try to be as nice as I can to make my life meaningful. Sounds funny but it works for me. Besides, its pretty nice when you think about the meaning of life and you get this answer 'At least you arent the bad guy and you make the world a better place for everyone else'

I think this is another excellent point. An important facet of life is not only enjoying one's own, but making sure that the people one cares about are taken care of, too.

[full:O:beans]

Someday's seem to go by with nothing changing...but other days I feel more like I've acheived something. And I'm not including big tests and stuff in that.

The days I feel like I've lived the day is when I have a conversation with someone I've wanted to know better...but never got around to it. The days I make new friends, become better friends with my old ones or get to know the ones I havn't seen for a while.

Also those days where I make my family laugh, or do something to help them, or go on a big trip with them.

When I'm on vacation, something out of my normal routine, or days where I visit my cousins and aunts and uncles.

And then there's those days where I actually learn something new and remember either form school or at home...those are worthwhile too, although they're harder to pick out from my memory, because at the time I didn't know I was actually learning something.

All other days are wasted pretty much. If I forgot something I'll edit.

P.S. your speech was really well written (unlike mine) thought provoking

[*Programmer*]

school is an illusion ....don't let it fool you...my friend...the...real meaning of life is what you make of it....you have a choice..... Either you can a Dreamer or Realistic.....the choice is up to you.....

[*Blow_Don't_SUCK*]

Well everyday, is like a play for me. The main lead (which is me, in my life) wakes up to her well-waited mornings, greeting her family with much love, and simply doing what the script told her to do. Whereas, the audience, predicts the unexpected based on what they have seen and heard through and from the play.

My life is exactly like that. I act as if everyday is new, as if everyday is a beautiful day (either that or an annoying day). I do everything my script has put down for me and follow a road (full of surprises) and concludes to a predictable ending.

Honestly, I am very bored of life. I wish there were more to it than this "play" I live through. I try to make some action come up once in awhile, but everything ended up being the same.

When I feel sad or melancholic, I try my best to express it in order for me not to be so pent up like I used to be. I take the good with the bad and the bad with the good. Everything I do is written out for me by an anonymous playwright who seems to be amused by my unexcitement.

However, after befriending a person diagnosed with cancer, I felt that it's wrong to take my life for granted like this. This person, kind and unhealthy person, enjoys life despite its short length and she never feared death. I suddenly thought, "Why am I not enjoying this "play"... this life? When the audience seems to enjoy it so..." I was so confused, unaware of everything. Like I said, each day I live a boring life and yet I try to make an effort to make it worthwhile. After meeting that person, I learned that maybe you can enjoy life despite its boredom. You don't have to have everything or exciting things to make life be worthwhile. All you need to learn is that sometimes we just have to make the best of the "script" we are given, that we have to "act" our best despite all of this.

From then on, I never "tried" to make my day exciting or worthwhile. Instead, I cherish every moment of it, no matter how pointless and worthless it has become. Every smile, every frown, I take with me. I made a promise to my friend shortly after she passed away, that I'll remember and treasure every fleeting moment of the 365 days we are given every year. Life is short and always unpredictable. I cannot promise myself to make life "happy" but instead to be happy of what I can make of life.

[*Libertie*]

How do I make it seem like my life has meaning? I don't. I can't convince myself that anything I do has any meaning, so I don't try. But there are things that keep my mind off of it - going to college, working towards getting married.. I don't want to spend my life being afraid of death, because when it finally happens, I wont care - I won't have the ability or capacity to care. I'll just go, and it's not like I'll be sitting there thinking "Man, this sucks, I'm dead." Dead is dead (to me). So if I spend my time thinking about something that won't even matter when it happens, the time spent actually being alive will have been a total waste.

I have been thinking about this a lot since the recent death of someone very close to me, and it sucks thinking that maybe I won't achieve some of my goals before I die - hell, I might not even get married before then. But I've figured out that wishing my dad was still alive doesn't help, and worrying about how I will die someday is even worse. Don't try to give your life meaning, and don't try to focus on the end when you can't see it coming.

[Tribal J_Rome]

I think a good way to bring meaning to life is trying to do at least one thing, every day, that is different from what you did the day before. One thing that makes you learn and grow as a person, or at least experience life in a different way. One thing to break up the monotony.

I think this is another excellent point. An important facet of life is not only enjoying one's own, but making sure that the people one cares about are taken care of, too.

I think that's part of what I live for also. I love makin others happy and helping out, it always seems like that was always something I was supposed to accomplish. As for myself, I feel like I'm also at a dead end. My dad made me drop my classes at the junior college I was going to cuz the school I was gonna transfer to doesn't require G.E., or so I was told. I don't have a job or a license, and I'm "trying" to find a job, but when my dad made me drop those classes, I felt so discouraged and that my life had no meaning either. I was so eager and excited to go and learn something I know im gonna have fun with, but now that I have nothing I feel like I almost have no drive in life. I already kinda planned that I'm gonna get my license and job and save up for school and move sometime this year. I guess it's really just time that matters, gotta be patient I guess...

[*mipadi*]

I think a lot of good points have been raised, regarding the value of life. I guess the only thing that bothers me, from time to time, is the fact that I never really seem to be that productive—I tend to waste a lot of time, time that I don't really have. It's fine to take some time to kick back, relax, and do nothing, but I often neglect to do things I want to do, simply because I am too lazy to expend the effort necessary to do them.

Lately I've seemed to have developed any aversion to doing any work, whether it be mental of physical. I almost want to blame it on things like computers, with make many tasks so easily that expending any effort seems to be a waste of energy. But maybe the reliance of on-demand media access is just a symptom, not a cause, of the problem.

[EddieV]

All I can really say is...

As your days go by, do the best of your abilities to have fun, learn more, and just make your days worth it. Don't stress or think too hard. In that case all you're doing is wasting time. Just go with the flow.

[Tribal J_Rome]

^^Word Eddie

as the song goes, "Dont' worry be happy"

[Retrogressive]

I guess it all depends on what you see is meaningful. In the scheme of things, nothing will make life meaningful unless you enjoy it because it's meaningful to you when you enjoy it. Would meaningful mean enjoying a cup of coffee? Donating time to a shelter? Helping the greater good? It all depends on what you see the true meaning of this short time that we have on this tiny speck in the universe. It depends on how you feel about the people and places around you. It depends if you want to live on in memories, spirits, or live in the now.

[justdecent]

My new life motto- Do what feels right, as long as its in the realms of whhat is morally right. Then, you cant regret or deny what you did with your days because you know you were free to yourself every single step of the way.

[cLinT_wEStw0oD]

graduate. get a family, and a career. that'll make your life meaningful.


sorry...not alot of experience in this area, but its the most i can say.

[pshaa.shauna]

Hmph, my life used to have meaning, but as of late it feels as if I'm just going through the motions. I don't even think about what I do anymore because it's the same routine, and just the past few days I've realized this. I think it's the same as with you: laziness. I don't feel like doing anything, but I'm tired of doing the same old things. Granted, I've been making an effort to make it more interesting, but I can't. Maybe the boredom of the day exausts me.

Question: Is it winter where you live?

I've heard that 30% of people get affected by winter in this manner.

[Retrogressive]

Hmph, my life used to have meaning, but as of late it feels as if I'm just going through the motions. I don't even think about what I do anymore because it's the same routine, and just the past few days I've realized this. I think it's the same as with you: laziness. I don't feel like doing anything, but I'm tired of doing the same old things. Granted, I've been making an effort to make it more interesting, but I can't. Maybe the boredom of the day exausts me.

Question: Is it winter where you live?

I've heard that 30% of people get affected by winter in this manner.

Voldemort is my past. present. and future.


Not winter here in Texas.

[pshaa.shauna]

Surprisingly, Harry Potter puts a light on my day. As a joke, me and and 2 friends came to school in a Hogwarts uniform (Slytherin), and the place was busting up laughing (with me not at me).



Best. Day. Ever.



I guess me goofing off gives life meaning.

[*mipadi*]

graduate. get a family, and a career. that'll make your life meaningful.
sorry...not alot of experience in this area, but its the most i can say.

I'm not trying to say that one must get married, or cure cancer, or write the next great American novel to have a meaningful life. Not at all. I think as long as a person accomplishes what they want, be that painting a picture or just beating Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, that his life is meaningful. The point I am getting at is that for me personally, I often feel like I don't have the energy, or the motivation, to do things I want to do. I tell myself I want to do them, but I never actually do it.

[jennyjenny]

So I tried reading everyone's posts but it was all like a paragraph long and I get bored easily.

But I too, do the same thing everyday. I mean, I can't really "mix it up" when I go to school everyday and don't have a car.

I remember I saw this one ad for American Eagle and there was this contest. I clicked on it because I was pretty curious and it was like "how you live you life" and you could write an essay about how you live your life. Like doing charity or doing something that affects other people and not just yourself. Maybe that's what they mean by giving life a meaning? Just, not doing the same thing everyday and help yourself by helping other people.

I remember I was talking to this girl once around 2:00am and I was a bit buzzed. I was talking to this wicked serious girl and she is literally insane, so I've heard. I tried to get on her good side all day/night and she was having a cigarette in the shower talking about the meaning of life. I don't really remember much, but she said something about how she thinks life has no meaning, and then you just die and what is the point of it.

And I sort of agree. I mean, you're living and then you just die.

[*mipadi*]

Life itself is pointless. But that doesn't mean it has no meaning. The way to give life a point is to live it meaningfully.