<p>Of continuing to live when you know that you will not amount to anything. I mean really what purpose do we serve by living? We either spend our lives laboring under people we hate or even if we are sucessful, then what? Even if we have everything in the world whats the use? Why do we need to live? I really can't comprehend what keeps mankind alive. Please answer as you feel appropriate.</p>
<p>Ha, nice thread. I always ask myself that. It's really a depressing concept, mainly because it ulitmately is true. It's weird to think we work all of our lives just to make a few bucks, reproduce, die, and then the cycle goes on.</p>
<p>This board seems more depressing to me than usual.</p>
<p>Anyway, I think that before we can answer the question, "What's the use?", in any definitive sense, we need to find out whether sentience & intelligence can occur as natural results of the interactions between atoms.</p>
<p>If so, then you can come to some really WEIRD conclusions. For example, if intelligence can result from the simple interactions between particles obeying mathematically precise laws (like f=ma), then there's no reason why a computer simulation following the exact same laws cannot create a true-to-life intelligent being; in other words, we could be living inside a computer simulation! Scientists in the "real" world may be studying our universe right now; considering how large Earth is relative to the cosmos, we probably wouldn't even subjects of the experiment, but rather just a happy coincidence or statistical noise, perhaps not even deserving of a single sentence in the published paper. Another wacky conclusion: if a computer simulation using the simple laws of physics can create an intelligence, why not calculations on pen and paper? If you calculate the Universe by hand up until the point where intelligent life evolves, is it murder to discontinue your calculations when your hand gets sore?</p>
<p>On the other hand, perhaps interacting atoms cannot create intelligence, after all. Then, maybe the purpose of life is to reach the afterlife in one piece.</p>
<p>For now, it's probably best to just overeat and be happy.</p>
<p>All I can say is 42</p>
<p>Maybe you should stop being depressed and get a life.</p>
<p>^^ I agree.</p>
<p>No, I completely understand what the OP is saying. And it's not like the human race is going to last much longer. I give us 50-100 years before the world ends :D .</p>
<p>Bassmaster maybe you should try and be a bit more sensitive to other people's problems. How can you just give a blanket statement like that? ANd also... "stop being depressed" is easier said than done.</p>
<p>We live because we were born into this world, because the fact that atoms and molecules interact so perfectly and the physics is just right to provide life, and to take the serendipity of our existance for granted, or to say that we will amount to nothing is to ignore the elegance of the natural world. Okay that sounds really lame but whenever I've been suicidal / depressed just taking a walk and looking at things - really looking, with your mind - makes me feel so much better. I'm not just here to die. Too many things fell into place, too many dice were rolled in my favor to get me here.</p>
<p>And I'm not going to waste the opportunity I've been given. What's paramount is your own happiness, with that nothing else really matters.</p>
<p>Seriously. Think about it.</p>
<p>^^Good post, fengshuibundi.</p>
<p>lol actually thats kinda true..but i try not to think about it</p>
<p>i mean you can live an amount to nothing and waste your life,thinking oh whats the point
or you can become successful, even if u still keep thinking whats the point at least u know u did something</p>
<p>I've thought about this a lot ... I want to live so I can go on ego trips, have sex, and watch sunsets.</p>
<p>I'm not kidding.</p>
<p>Edit: I have to agree with perplex, overeating is very fun.</p>
<p>Sunrises.</p>
<p>Sunrises are beautiful. Also means that you've survived a full day and yet another is opening up for you to take.</p>
<p>Ego trips are hottttt. Well in moderation.</p>
<p>I don't konw about... living just to have sex. Sounds kinda like you'd be more of a tool for other people than anything.</p>