What is the point of life?

The reason I posed the question is that I was thinking about my dad, who died around this time of year.

I was thinking about the house I mostly grew up in and in which he spent the second half of his life. How he and my mum moved in there and all the hopes they must have had and how it’s all gone now, for nothing.

But then I realised that it isn’t the end that matters. It’s the forty years they had there together. All the things they did together. They had an allotted time and they used it and that’s all anyone can hope for.

Sorry if this is too heavy!

My interactions with the world and it's creatures, studying history, so many things, but then I've never been goal orrientated or competitive and I've always wondered why some people are as it dosen't look to me as though it makes them very happy.

I am of the belief that the purpose of life is to help others. Many autistic people feel a lack of sense of belonging. That makes for a sad existence. To find and connect with the people that we can be at peace with. 

I love this forum for many reasons, but especially because you can meet so many different people with opinions and world views you don’t know from your own little bubble. It’s super interesting to read from your more religious perspective, since I myself have a rather complicated relationship to religion.

The Reality of Christ’s Birth where God became Man for sinful and disobedient mankind is something that gives me great hope for us all despite the heartbreak of life on earth, for we in this world but not of this world 

No answer is wrong, and I prefer your first one actually.

It’s actually funny if you look at history and how the focus of people shifted. Back when the church was much more present in everyday life most people basically lived for the life after death. So as you can see, my first answer was very wrong and just a personal approach.

During and even before Covid, before my diagnosis in 2021, I really and seriously asked myself this question, both as an older gay man and as a traditional Catholic, after I’d been made redundant from my last supermarket employer after 17 years in 2019 and after the heartbreaking events of Covid, especially during the heartbreaking events of Christmas 2020 when our world had changed in all of the worst ways forever, due to the influence of great evil in our world, which I eventually came to realise was very tangible and very real, I’m no closer to answering this question as fully and definitively as I perhaps should - some of the insights that I’ve gained is that our children young people are in a far weaker position and face a far bleaker future in the post Covid era of 2020 compared to when I was a child in the 1970’s and a teenager in the 1980’s - during Covid, I clung to my Catholic faith more tightly and deeply than ever, as I witnessed the advance of great evil in our world and as I witnessed the wilful disobedience, irresponsibility and ungovernability of mankind and the indifference of mankind to God’s Commandments, as mankind fell for the deceptions of evil - I’ve certainly found that my faith has kept me grounded and has carried me through many truly heartbreaking situations 

This question is quite heavy. I guess, the point of life is death. To realise what you have in life, it is important to understand that we’ll all die eventually. I find it pretty soothing to know that everything I do is irrelevant in the long run, so I try to be a bit kinder to myself. Life is about how you get to death.

Nobody knows a definite answer to this question though. That’s the beauty of it.

I've had this discussion with a psychologist. I have a family, dogs, a house, car, a job I can tolerate but what does it mean. I don't seem to enjoy or look forward to anything, my dopamine receptors definitely seem to be remotely receptive.

Is it an existence or a life? A nice cheery thought for this festive season!

Doesn’t matter. 42 is the answer to everything, haha

What is the point of life? What makes life meaningful?

Thinking about whether the point of life and the meaning of life are the same or different, and other such ponderings.

I can't see much point to it myself and I know it's finite, so I concentrate on enjoying it as much as I can. 

Ha ha, no that's the meaning of life, not the point (or is there no difference?)

Coincidentally, my AQ50 score is 42.....

42?

I think the meaning changes as we travel through life and certainly depends on the individual.  I'm glad you have posed this question - here - today. I hope to see more contributions from other members.

Yes, let’s do

Iain said:

For most of us it is simply existing and taking some pleasures where we can.

I think this is the key point. Life is about the journey not the destination (sorry for the cliche!).

This is THE question that you are pondering.  One of the things that give my life meaning IS pondering THE question.  Whilst I had thought that the answer was the key, I am now more minded to think that it is the pondering itself that can deliver what you seek.

Let's take this up tomorrow perhaps....a worthy chat?

Deleted User said:

What makes your life meaningful?

For me it is the lives I touch in passing - the things I can do to help those less able to look out for themselves or who I can help improve their lot in life.

An existential question of "what is the point of life" is incredibly hard to condense into a simple answer.

For most of us it is simply existing and taking some pleasures where we can. A few are able to do something better than this due to either good fortune or good planning leaving them financially independent and still able to do lots with their time.

I try to train up the people who work for me and help them develop both life skills and work skills to allow them a chance to make a better living and also do some charity work (building social housing, hiring trainees from the favelas here in Brazil and give to charities when I can) so my recent early retirement can allow me to put what I have learned to good use.

I still get plenty of time to watch movies, read books or enjoy travelling so my own mental stimulation is taken care of.

Deleted User said:

Maybe we should stop telling kids to strive to progress and instead tell them to enjoy their moment.

I think a blend of the two is essential. Without progress then things will never improve and without enjoying the moment we will never find satisfaction.

A good bit of advice is to learn to ignore the pressures of social media and not fear the "missing out" part that seems to drive consumption of it.

An interesting phillosophical question here.