Is purpose/meaning in your life necessary?

[Ken-1122]

Yep ... it's all about Joe and his happiness ;o)

I agree!

 

[eleos1954]

I agree!

Of course you do Joe ;O)

 

[Rajni]

Consider the life of Joe. A typical day is getting up in the morning, taking a shower, going to work at a job he really doesn’t care about; but does it because he likes the pay. After 8 hours, he leaves work, goes to the gym, for an hour then goes home; sits in front of the TV, eat dinner and watch his favorite TV programs till its time to go to bed then everything starts all over again.

On weekends he may have dinner with his girl friend, perhaps see a movie, play darts or pool at the local bar with friends, instead of going to work, but everything else is pretty much the same; and Joe is perfectly happy doing this. Is there really meaning or a sense of purpose to Joe’s life? Does it really matter if he is happy following this routine? Is purpose/meaning in your life really necessary? Your thoughts?

I would ask, Necessary for what?
I doubt that even those who state that purpose/meaning isn't necessary actually live as though purpose/meaning isn't part of their paradigm in some way.

 

[Ken-1122]

I would ask, Necessary for what?
I doubt that even those who state that purpose/meaning isn't necessary actually live as though purpose/meaning isn't part of their paradigm in some way.

Yeah; I'll bet most people live their lives in a way that is similar to Joe's yet when asked about purpose, they feel a need to claim some type of purpose in their lives even though there is not.

 

[Jonaitis]

I don't think we have a purpose unless we choose to make one for ourselves... unless the person is a slave; then his purpose in life is whatever his master demands of him.

So purpose is mainly subjective to the individual. If prostitution is the life for one person, murder the life of next person, robbery is the life of the last person, and if they are happy in doing it, why should we stop them from fulfilling their perceived purpose if it makes them happy and content? Who are we to judge that their form of happiness is less important than another's?

 

[Hishandmaiden]

Consider the life of Joe. A typical day is getting up in the morning, taking a shower, going to work at a job he really doesn’t care about; but does it because he likes the pay. After 8 hours, he leaves work, goes to the gym, for an hour then goes home; sits in front of the TV, eat dinner and watch his favorite TV programs till its time to go to bed then everything starts all over again.

On weekends he may have dinner with his girl friend, perhaps see a movie, play darts or pool at the local bar with friends, instead of going to work, but everything else is pretty much the same; and Joe is perfectly happy doing this. Is there really meaning or a sense of purpose to Joe’s life? Does it really matter if he is happy following this routine? Is purpose/meaning in your life really necessary? Your thoughts?

There is a meaning or sense of purpose in life, even in a life like Joe. For all we know, Joe and his girlfriend might marry and gave birth to the next billy graham of the century.

A purpose in my life is important and necessary. God gave me that purpose and sense of meaning.

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[Seadish]

Consider the life of Joe. A typical day is getting up in the morning, taking a shower, going to work at a job he really doesn’t care about; but does it because he likes the pay. After 8 hours, he leaves work, goes to the gym, for an hour then goes home; sits in front of the TV, eat dinner and watch his favorite TV programs till its time to go to bed then everything starts all over again.

On weekends he may have dinner with his girl friend, perhaps see a movie, play darts or pool at the local bar with friends, instead of going to work, but everything else is pretty much the same; and Joe is perfectly happy doing this. Is there really meaning or a sense of purpose to Joe’s life? Does it really matter if he is happy following this routine? Is purpose/meaning in your life really necessary? Your thoughts?

Yes! I don't want to get so comfortable in life that. Don't strive for Gods call on my life

 

[Ken-1122]

So purpose is mainly subjective to the individual. If prostitution is the life for one person, murder the life of next person, robbery is the life of the last person, and if they are happy in doing it, why should we stop them from fulfilling their perceived purpose if it makes them happy and content? Who are we to judge that their form of happiness is less important than another's?

No; that's not what I said. I said most people don't have a purpose, unless they make something their purpose. So unless the prostitute decides prostitution is their purpose in life, that prostitute has no purpose. The same for the other people you mentioned.

 

[Ken-1122]

There is a meaning or sense of purpose in life, even in a life like Joe. For all we know, Joe and his girlfriend might marry and gave birth to the next billy graham of the century.

But most likely giving birth to the next Billy Graham is not going to happen. So how does Joe figure out what his purpose is, and since Joe is not a slave, who decides what his purpose is?

 

[durangodawood]

So purpose is mainly subjective to the individual. If prostitution is the life for one person, murder the life of next person, robbery is the life of the last person, and if they are happy in doing it, why should we stop them from fulfilling their perceived purpose if it makes them happy and content? Who are we to judge that their form of happiness is less important than another's?

???

Are you suggesting that personal purpose is the only ethical consideration?

Or that whatever every single person happens to be doing is a realized "purpose" in their lives?

That sounds absurd actually.

 

[Rajni]

Well, if the point is to be pointless, that's still a purpose, I suppose...

 

[zephcom]

Consider the life of Joe. A typical day is getting up in the morning, taking a shower, going to work at a job he really doesn’t care about; but does it because he likes the pay. After 8 hours, he leaves work, goes to the gym, for an hour then goes home; sits in front of the TV, eat dinner and watch his favorite TV programs till its time to go to bed then everything starts all over again.

On weekends he may have dinner with his girl friend, perhaps see a movie, play darts or pool at the local bar with friends, instead of going to work, but everything else is pretty much the same; and Joe is perfectly happy doing this. Is there really meaning or a sense of purpose to Joe’s life? Does it really matter if he is happy following this routine? Is purpose/meaning in your life really necessary? Your thoughts?

Poor Joe. What did he do to generate such scrutiny???

Seriously, you say Joe is perfectly happy doing this. Where is it written that being happy is wrong? Why isn't the pursuit of happiness not considered a purpose/meaning in one's life?

I think that people become too concerned that they don't have lofty goals and ambitions that somehow 'justify' their lives.

I like the idea that Joe is happy.

 

[mama2one]

Is purpose/meaning in your life really necessary?

we only have one life
if we allow God to use us, we lead a purposeful life

Colossians 3:23
work at everything you do with all your heart
work as if you were working for the Lord

2 Peter 1:3
God's power has given us everything we need to lead a Godly life


(^ above verses from child's Sunday school which they simplify)

 

[zephcom]

we only have one life
if we allow God to use us, we lead a purposeful life

Colossians 3:23
work at everything you do with all your heart
work as if you were working for the Lord

2 Peter 1:3
God's power has given us everything we need to lead a Godly life

Of course that is a religious point of view which has no meaning for anyone not part of the religion.

I would suggest that simply being happy with one's life, whether it is a religious life or not, is a purposeful life.

 

[mama2one]

I would suggest that simply being happy with one's life, whether it is a religious life or not, is a purposeful life.

don't see being happy as a purpose
I don't strive to be happy
most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be, anyway

however, being joyful and spreading joy is different

 

[zephcom]

don't see being happy as a purpose
I don't strive to be happy
most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be, anyway

There does seem to be a rather large amount of people who are not happy. We see unhappiness in their actions in politics, religion, and even on the highways.

That you don't strive to be happy doesn't mean that others should not strive for happiness. Medically, happy people have less health problems. In jobs, happy people perform their jobs better. I would suspect that even within religions, happy people represent their religion better.

Certainly happy people are less likely to commit suicide.

 

[mama2one]

There does seem to be a rather large amount of people who are not happy..

there's a difference in being happy and being joyful

people think they'll be happy if they get a better job, get married, lose weight, make more money, retire, etc

Luke 12:15
"Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against wanting to have more and more things. Life is not made up of how much a person has."

(verse from Sunday school)

 

[zephcom]

there's a difference in being happy and being joyful

people think they'll be happy if they get a better job, get married, lose weight, make more money, retire, etc

Luke 12:15
"Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against wanting to have more and more things. Life is not made up of how much a person has."

(verse from Sunday school)

I didn't say anything about being joyful. The pursuit of happiness can take many forms and people are welcome to make mistakes in that pursuit. But just because mistakes can be made does not imply the attempts are not worthy of the pursuit.

We are all different and what makes me happy....retirement....may not make you happy. But my happiness in being retired is not diminished if you choose to work until death claims you.

 

[Eight Foot Manchild]

So purpose is mainly subjective to the individual. If prostitution is the life for one person, murder the life of next person, robbery is the life of the last person, and if they are happy in doing it, why should we stop them from fulfilling their perceived purpose if it makes them happy and content? Who are we to judge that their form of happiness is less important than another's?

???

Are you suggesting that personal purpose is the only ethical consideration?

Or that whatever every single person happens to be doing is a realized "purpose" in their lives?

That sounds absurd actually.

I would also point out that Yahweh, or any other 'god' you care to imagine, does nothing whatsoever to illuminate our understanding of purpose.

Even granting that he exists, there is no indication that he has set out a purpose for us.

Even granting that he exists, and that he has set out a purpose for us, there is no means of reliably gleaning what that purpose is.

Even granting that he exists, and that he has set out a purpose for us, and that there is a reliable means of gleaning what that purpose is, there is no reason why that purpose need necessarily be adopted.

So as per usual, apologetics has no answer to the philosophical problems it likes to lay at the feet of non-believers, as if they've got it all figured out and it's our obligation to meet them at their lofty position. As if we're just supposed to grant them that ground, a propos of nothing.