It's been answered. You just don't like the answer.

They're just things, ways in which I pass my time, I didn't attach any value or meaning to them. I listed them purely to make that point. So I still don't understand why there's some kind of pressure to seek meaning in them?

That's right, I didn't like the answer, but I was talking to Robin Agrees, not you, so your attempt to shut me down simply because I don't agree with him is inappropriate, unless he's speaking for you?

If not, then perhaps you can explain why my life should have 'meaning' anymore than a drop of rain should have meaning beyond a simple explanation for it's existence and behaviour.

Pressure to seek meaning in them? That's an odd statement.

Well if your life doesn't mean anything to you then I won't bother responding to you because it is meaningless to do so.

Are you saying your life does mean something to your family? Because that would mean there is meaning.
Which would make this not right.


Do they have any meaning or value to you?

I think we're confusing the different levels and types of 'meaning'. Take these definitions:

noun: meaning; plural noun: meanings

1. what is meant by a word, text, concept, or action.

adjective: meaning

1. intended to communicate something that is not directly expressed.

Clearly using 'meaning' as an adjective isn't relevant, your life isn't intended to to communicate something not directly expressed. So, if you take 'meaning' as a noun and then apply it to your life, than you're asking 'what is meant by my life?' and I don't think anything is meant by life, it just is. It's biology, and chemistry and Evolution etc etc, there is no greater 'meaning' to my life. I don't believe in any gods or some higher power that created me and that might imply then (but still isn't a necessary condition) that my life has a meaning beyond me simply existing. So, why would I seek 'meaning' then?

But, as Albert Camus discusses, we are 'intelligent', thinking, beings that attempt to rationalise and explain and can't help but seek purpose and meaning where there actually is none, and there lies the 'pressure' of which I spoke. However, I don't feel it. I'm quite happy just to exist, and then not exist.

Yes my life has meaning to them, and theirs to me. So in a trivial day to day way, there is meaning in my life, but is that the same as my life having meaning?

For example, if I were alone in the entire universe, would my life have some kind of external meaning? What would be 'meant' by my life?

I believe that MB condones the existential Uberman.

I think Nietzsche had serious issues. For me this isn't about rising 'above' Christian morality, of being 'superior'. It's simply a case of not needing the idea of gods. I'm a moral person without requiring any gods to give me moral direction (as I'm sure that you were prior to your deciding to accept the Christan version of god), and I'm content in my life without needing it to have meaning.

I was actually a pretty rotten person, but I digress. I think it's a mistake to say you don't need your life to have meaning, you most certainly don't mean this in an absolute sense. The Uberman is not so much concerned with ethics, but applying some meaning in the absence of God, which you obviously have done.

It's more of a rebuttal to the theist who would claim that your life is necessarily meaningless if God does not exist. Not that the Uberman necessarily defeats the objection, but it's a start.

Then I can't take you serious. To me you have the same value as a bag of rubbish. You are happy to exist. Good boy!

Now you're talking about 'value', make your mind up mate. What do you want to discuss? If you can't be consistent, there isn't much point to this.

Btw, it's 'I can't take you 'seriously', it's an adverb, not an adjective in that spot. Otherwise, you completely change the meaning, know what I mean?

I agree.

I would expect you to feel this way, I think it's a huge part of why people take on religious positions (and no, I'm not abandoning anything else I've said, this is simply another aspect of it), that they're the type of people who need their life to have meaning, otherwise what's the point of it all? The idea of 'god' provides that meaning, and a sens of purpose, something I can imagine is hugely attractive to some people.

I honestly don't care, there need be no point to my life.

I don't agree but I don't know much more about it than what I read in a few summaries. But on my side I do have the fact that 'Uber' is German for 'above' or 'superior' (it doesn't translate exactly) and I'm not superior, I'm just not someone that needs life to have meaning.

This is not to say that that I don't enjoy my life and wish it to continue, I'm simply ok with it having no greater meaning.

What do you mean greater meaning? What is the difference from meaning and greater meaning? If any?

You're creating a distinction in "greater meaning" and "meaning" when there isn't one. The fact that you enjoy your life is a sort of meaning you've created "above" the requirement for God to provide such meaning. Your family is obviously a big part of your life, and provides happiness and meaning. Don't make the mistake of defining "meaning" to only mean an absolute or universal directive or imperative, that's precisely what the Uberman tries to resolve.

Zinnngg!...

You said there is no meaning to life in general. But it looks like you have some so idk...

You haven't really been reading my posts have you, you just saw that I wrote 'there is meaning in my life' and thought 'ah ha' he contradicted himself!!', but actually I didn't. You just didn't understand the question.

No, you're just not understanding the distinction. Is the meaning that you assign to your life the same as the meaning that god gave your life by creating you? Do you claim to know what meaning your life has to god in order to even be able to answer that question?

Is it? What 'sort' of meaning is it NR?

And you shouldn't make the mistake of thinking there's only one kind of 'meaning' to life. If it were that simple then the answer to the question 'what is the meaning of life' would be 'whatever means something to you. If your family means something to you then chill, you found your life's meaning.'

I doubt that the kind of people who feel a need to seek meaning, or for there to be meaning in the first place, would be satisfied with that answer. I'm with Deep thought, the meaning of life really is 42.

I'm only looking at this through existentialism, namely the Uberman, so no there is no distinction.

It is as simple as whatever means something to you in the absence of a universal meaning provided by the creator of absolute meaning.

Your family is sufficient meaning in this framework.

No i read the part i highlighted. Ill show you again since i looks like you missed it and or are now reworking it.

There is meaning to your life in general for you. You have already expressed it. If there was not any meaning you would get no meaning form your family.



As far as adding words in front of meaning to get out of the jam. I dont know how you could know that there is no ultimate meaning. But if you know then ok, you can show your work for that belief right? Or is that something that you believe that you can show no evidence for?

I'm not in a jam Batair, I explained the distinction between the different types of 'meaning'. See my post to NR.

If the meaning of your life is as simple and obvious as what you're saying, that you mean something to your family or whatever, then why do people search for the meaning in life when the answer is right in front of them and so obvious? Clearly they're searching for a different type of meaning aren't they.

I don't know the theory well enough to argue this point but it's irrelevant because whatever philosophy you choose (and why would you only choose one?) the fact is that you personally believe in god, and you mean something to god, you would hope, and you can't possibly know what that meaning is. By definition it's a divine and unknowable meaning, it's god's thoughts about you.

So you have whatever your life means to you and people around you, what you might call 'trivial' meaning, and you have whatever your life means to god which definitely can't be considered trivial, and they are very different types of 'meaning' aren't they.

Do you still deny that there is a distinction? I think to do that, you have to deny either your god, or the trivial day to day meaning that you're describing. Tricky.

Alright.

You must not be reading my posts again. I already acknowledged that. Its what i meant ultimate meaning

Any evidence there is no ultimate meaning or is that a belief without being able to show evidence?