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Sum up the meaning of life in one sentence.

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ZakFiend
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24 Nov 2010, 7:09 pm

Life is about symmetry.



Sand
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24 Nov 2010, 7:18 pm

ZakFiend wrote:
Life is about symmetry.


"Well",the old man said, "perhaps life is not a fountain."



ZakFiend
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24 Nov 2010, 7:31 pm

Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Life is about symmetry.


"Well",the old man said, "perhaps life is not a fountain."


Life is about the shapes and the forms and the patterns they create.



Sand
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24 Nov 2010, 7:34 pm

ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Life is about symmetry.


"Well",the old man said, "perhaps life is not a fountain."


Life is about the shapes and the forms and the patterns they create.


And so is everything else.



ZakFiend
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25 Nov 2010, 7:14 am

Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Life is about symmetry.


"Well",the old man said, "perhaps life is not a fountain."


Life is about the shapes and the forms and the patterns they create.


And so is everything else.
'

Life has as many meanings as there are people.



Sand
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25 Nov 2010, 8:28 am

ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Life is about symmetry.


"Well",the old man said, "perhaps life is not a fountain."


Life is about the shapes and the forms and the patterns they create.


And so is everything else.
'

Life has as many meanings as there are people.


Before you can tie down the meaning of life a clear understanding of meaning must be determined. That has not been offered yet.



ZakFiend
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25 Nov 2010, 9:41 am

Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Life is about symmetry.


"Well",the old man said, "perhaps life is not a fountain."


Life is about the shapes and the forms and the patterns they create.


And so is everything else.
'

Life has as many meanings as there are people.


Before you can tie down the meaning of life a clear understanding of meaning must be determined. That has not been offered yet.


Each person determines their own meaning, even if some of those do it in ignorance or imperfectly (See: Religion). The idea that a clear understanding of meaning must be determined, is true for you.. but for many people understanding of what life means to them changes over time. It's not a fixed static thing.

There can be many self-contained meanings of life for each person that exists according to their circumstances, because each person sees and values different things. That is my point. The western minds tendency towards universalism rather then pluralism is the issue.

Think of meaning like a giant fractal pattern and each person represents some branch of a giant pattern.



Sand
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25 Nov 2010, 10:21 am

ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Life is about symmetry.


"Well",the old man said, "perhaps life is not a fountain."


Life is about the shapes and the forms and the patterns they create.


And so is everything else.
'

Life has as many meanings as there are people.


Before you can tie down the meaning of life a clear understanding of meaning must be determined. That has not been offered yet.


Each person determines their own meaning, even if some of those do it in ignorance or imperfectly (See: Religion). The idea that a clear understanding of meaning must be determined, is true for you.. but for many people understanding of what life means to them changes over time. It's not a fixed static thing.

There can be many self-contained meanings of life for each person that exists according to their circumstances, because each person sees and values different things. That is my point. The western minds tendency towards universalism rather then pluralism is the issue.

Think of meaning like a giant fractal pattern and each person represents some branch of a giant pattern.


On that basis there's really no point in discussing it.



ZakFiend
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25 Nov 2010, 10:39 am

Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Life is about symmetry.


"Well",the old man said, "perhaps life is not a fountain."


Life is about the shapes and the forms and the patterns they create.


And so is everything else.
'

Life has as many meanings as there are people.


Before you can tie down the meaning of life a clear understanding of meaning must be determined. That has not been offered yet.


Each person determines their own meaning, even if some of those do it in ignorance or imperfectly (See: Religion). The idea that a clear understanding of meaning must be determined, is true for you.. but for many people understanding of what life means to them changes over time. It's not a fixed static thing.

There can be many self-contained meanings of life for each person that exists according to their circumstances, because each person sees and values different things. That is my point. The western minds tendency towards universalism rather then pluralism is the issue.

Think of meaning like a giant fractal pattern and each person represents some branch of a giant pattern.


On that basis there's really no point in discussing it.


It depends on how the question is framed - i.e. is there one universal answer that applies to everybody regardless if they believe it or not?

If we look at the universe itself, as far as we know the meaning of life is to survive and explore the universe if we just go by facts, of course there is the possibility that the question itself is coherent because there is no agreement for what meaning means "When we say what is the meaning of life, what are we asking?"



Sand
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25 Nov 2010, 10:47 am

ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Sand wrote:
ZakFiend wrote:
Life is about symmetry.


"Well",the old man said, "perhaps life is not a fountain."


Life is about the shapes and the forms and the patterns they create.


And so is everything else.
'

Life has as many meanings as there are people.


Before you can tie down the meaning of life a clear understanding of meaning must be determined. That has not been offered yet.


Each person determines their own meaning, even if some of those do it in ignorance or imperfectly (See: Religion). The idea that a clear understanding of meaning must be determined, is true for you.. but for many people understanding of what life means to them changes over time. It's not a fixed static thing.

There can be many self-contained meanings of life for each person that exists according to their circumstances, because each person sees and values different things. That is my point. The western minds tendency towards universalism rather then pluralism is the issue.

Think of meaning like a giant fractal pattern and each person represents some branch of a giant pattern.


On that basis there's really no point in discussing it.


It depends on how the question is framed - i.e. is there one universal answer that applies to everybody regardless if they believe it or not?

If we look at the universe itself, as far as we know the meaning of life is to survive and explore the universe if we just go by facts, of course there is the possibility that the question itself is coherent because there is no agreement for what meaning means "When we say what is the meaning of life, what are we asking?"


We could ask how does life function. There you can find real answers. Somehow in this thread the assumption seems to be that the only thing alive is humans. Look around. everything from viruses to whales are alive. Are their lives less meaningful than human lives? To think so involves huge quantities of hubris.



ruveyn
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25 Nov 2010, 11:00 am

For the first nearly three billion years of life on earth, there were only one celled biota. For nearly three billion years, life was mostly slime in a leukwarm sea.

ruveyn



Sand
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25 Nov 2010, 11:04 am

ruveyn wrote:
For the first nearly three billion years of life on earth, there were only one celled biota. For nearly three billion years, life was mostly slime in a leukwarm sea.

ruveyn


It seems to be moving right along. Maybe someday it will evolve into something interesting.



ruveyn
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25 Nov 2010, 11:10 am

Sand wrote:
ruveyn wrote:
For the first nearly three billion years of life on earth, there were only one celled biota. For nearly three billion years, life was mostly slime in a leukwarm sea.

ruveyn


It seems to be moving right along. Maybe someday it will evolve into something interesting.


Consider the degree of evolution need to produce a living thing to make such a criticism.

You contradict yourself. But that is hardly new.

ruveyn



ruveyn
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25 Nov 2010, 11:10 am

Sand wrote:
ruveyn wrote:
For the first nearly three billion years of life on earth, there were only one celled biota. For nearly three billion years, life was mostly slime in a leukwarm sea.

ruveyn


It seems to be moving right along. Maybe someday it will evolve into something interesting.


Consider the degree of evolution need to produce a living thing to make such a criticism.

You contradict yourself. But that is hardly new.

ruveyn



Sand
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25 Nov 2010, 11:31 am

ruveyn wrote:
Sand wrote:
ruveyn wrote:
For the first nearly three billion years of life on earth, there were only one celled biota. For nearly three billion years, life was mostly slime in a leukwarm sea.

ruveyn


It seems to be moving right along. Maybe someday it will evolve into something interesting.


Consider the degree of evolution need to produce a living thing to make such a criticism.

You contradict yourself. But that is hardly new.

ruveyn


I read you the first time. I only contradict myself if you find yourself satisfied that the world is really more interesting than it could be. I think there are great possibilities ahead.Perhaps in another couple of hundred million years.



b9
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25 Nov 2010, 11:50 am

i think there is more life in a piece of dogshit than there are people on earth.