by Fiddler » Thu Nov 06, 2003 11:45 am
Hey UB,
<br>from what I\'ve gathered while reading all the posts on this board, your question about whether life is worth living actually ahs two facets to it. One is the meaning of life and existence at an individual level, and the other is at the level of a species viz. mankind.
<br>The first aspect depends entirely on the individual. Of course, one could say that the primary function of an individual as part of a larger species is to reproduce and ensure the continuation of that species but let\'s leave such boring arguments aside for the moment. I would say that each individual has his/her own reason for living. It could be the hope that they would, someday, meet someone who would fill the empy space in their life. It could be a need to prove themselves above average and not just a face in the crowd. It could be a need to alleviate someone else\'s suffering. It could just be the little moments of joy that are brought by feeling the wind on your face, catching a whiff of exciting perfume, or even eating your favourite dish. In my opinion, it\'s the little things like that, and not really the big things, that make life worth living. Of course, if your reason for living is to be remembered by posterity, that\'s up to you.
<br>As to the reason for the existence of mankind as a species, who knows? What is the reason for the existence of the universe the way it is and not in a completely different way? The existence of everything macrocosmic is something dictated by random events and not by purpose (apologies to all who believe God created the universe). And to think that mankind can evolve into something better in a mere 5000 years is a littl optimistic, considering that evolution takes millions. The trick is to focus on existence at an individual level, to actually FIND something that gives your life meaning. I agree that life can seem completely pointless. The trick is to FIND a point for your life...
'Ab Hoc Possum Videre Domum Tuum!'