Post by nerdira on Nov 9, 2014 15:13:07 GMT
Justin and I got the question: 'What is the meaning of life?' from Ms. Boyd. Thanks Ms. Boyd. So we came up with 6 sub questions for this question, and I'm gonna talk about 3 of them.
First, Justin and I talked about doing the things that make us happy, as the meaning of life, but then Ms. Boyd came along and destroyed that answer, saying, 'why should we do that if we eventually die?' which led us to come up with this subquestion:
- What is a purpose and why is having one important?
Google defines a purpose as 'the reason for which something is done'. A purpose itself could be the meaning of one's life. It doesn't have to be a goal. Even the process of reaching that goal could be the purpose of one's life. The point is, a purpose gives your life meaning because it is the reason why you keep going forward.
Then, we asked this question:
- Why do we do things when we know we will die?
What is better? To do something, achieve something, life for something temporarily, or to die without having done anything? The second option doesn't really make your life a 'life' because to live without doing anything meaningful, for example, with a purpose in mind, is to just exist and not live.
And for my final subquestion:
-Why is legacy important, and should we live to be remembered?
Which is basically us talking about how much importance do we place on events that occur after our deaths? Should we make sure that we are remembered? Should we strive for practical immortality? Could this possibly be another definition for the meaning of life? This definitely relates to the protagonist of Beowulf, who places a lot of importance in his reputation, which ensures that he is remembered for ages after his death.
In conclusion, we say that the meaning of life is the sum of all the memories, experiences, achievements and friendships made during a lifetime. For those who believe in an afterlife, doing good and following the code of a religion ensures eternal happiness. And for those who don't, the meaning of life is their purpose in life, which is simply to make their short existence the best one they could make.
First, Justin and I talked about doing the things that make us happy, as the meaning of life, but then Ms. Boyd came along and destroyed that answer, saying, 'why should we do that if we eventually die?' which led us to come up with this subquestion:
- What is a purpose and why is having one important?
Google defines a purpose as 'the reason for which something is done'. A purpose itself could be the meaning of one's life. It doesn't have to be a goal. Even the process of reaching that goal could be the purpose of one's life. The point is, a purpose gives your life meaning because it is the reason why you keep going forward.
Then, we asked this question:
- Why do we do things when we know we will die?
What is better? To do something, achieve something, life for something temporarily, or to die without having done anything? The second option doesn't really make your life a 'life' because to live without doing anything meaningful, for example, with a purpose in mind, is to just exist and not live.
And for my final subquestion:
-Why is legacy important, and should we live to be remembered?
Which is basically us talking about how much importance do we place on events that occur after our deaths? Should we make sure that we are remembered? Should we strive for practical immortality? Could this possibly be another definition for the meaning of life? This definitely relates to the protagonist of Beowulf, who places a lot of importance in his reputation, which ensures that he is remembered for ages after his death.
In conclusion, we say that the meaning of life is the sum of all the memories, experiences, achievements and friendships made during a lifetime. For those who believe in an afterlife, doing good and following the code of a religion ensures eternal happiness. And for those who don't, the meaning of life is their purpose in life, which is simply to make their short existence the best one they could make.