
Ask HN: Why is life worth living? - ehPReth
Day after day after day after day forever... what&#x27;s the point? :&#x2F; How do you all do it?
======
notaphilosopher
Some might say to reproduce, reduce suffering in other beings, create, work,
enjoy, and/or maximize entropy.

It's whatever reason you want it to or it simply just is. Pondering on it
doesn't help live it well; in fact, usually the opposite.

It's a gift. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I count innumerable reasons
for gratitude even though I:

\- can't work (just got SSDI after a 10 year Byzantine odyssey)

\- can't have friends

\- have no money

\- live in a van

\- to save bullet-points: also ADHD, mild Asperger's, treatement-resistant
depression (tried 14 medications), sleep apnea, insomnia, high blood pressure,
tachycardia, undiagnosed connective tissue disorder, stutter, hunch-back,
osteoarthritis, overweight/skinny extremities, a torn shoulder, plantar
fasciitis, gradual neurological decline (I can't code or focus anymore), and
failing vision (ARMD runs in my family).

\- And TMJ, vestibular schwannoma, or vascular stenosis because all I can
think about is the pain in my ear, neck, throat, and head while the ER CT
radiologist said "it's nothing" while my ear rings, feels like a spike is in
my head, and I hear my pulse constantly.

^ These aren't complaints, per se, but facts for perspective.

Life is suffering. Make the best of the available opportunities in the now
with as much grace as one can muster. Fuck biology and existential
uncertainty, and just squeeze the juice of life because it'll all be over in a
flash anyhow. Why not have a good time for as long and as often as possible?
Fuck it.

I would things, jump in the deep end, get the fuck out of your comfort-zone,
and give fewest fucks short of going Jim Morrison. Don't die in retirement in
front of a TV or be like a modern human staring at glowing screens waiting by
the phone for outrage news or social media approval. Be a source of making or
doing something, anything. Be cool with mistakes and imperfections, they give
it character. Learn a new skill. Make your bed. Do something.

PS: Stay away from uppers, downers, and booze. Btw, Missing a dose of
mirtazapine felt exactly like a hangover, so it seems plausible that
depression is only deepened by ab/use of some substances. Instead, Maslow's
hierarchy focus: exercise, sleep, diet, light, etc.

~~~
lihaciudaniel
Wow so insightful you should be a philosopher

------
smt88
For me, life is worth living because of joyful moments with family/friends,
day-to-day pleasures like eating good food, and working on interesting
projects.

If you feel like you're having trouble doing it, you may be depressed or have
some other issue that's causing feelings of hopelessness. Some hormone
imbalances and nutrient deficiencies can cause that.

Everyone's reasons for living are different and specific. I would urge you to
see a therapist who specializes in depression. I know the initial hurdle is
high for some people, but if you feel like you have nothing to lose, why not
try it?

------
WheelsAtLarge
Yes, sometimes we feel overwhelmed by what is happing in our life. But I can
tell you that it's just temporary.

I've decided that there so much to be thankful about that it overpowers those
things that I can't control and stress me. So every time I feel down I start
to think about the countless items that people do to help me every day.
They're just so many. And it makes me realize how thankful I am and how lucky
I am.

You might want to talk to someone that can give you some better advice.

I put this here just in case. Take care!

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call 1-800-273-8255

------
thiagomarzagao
Dogs. Find a nearby shelter, volunteer there, be overwhelmed by the love
you'll receive. You won't ask that question again.

------
ekr
This question cannot be answered intellectually, analytically. If your nervous
system is functioning well, the question won't even come up in your mind. Life
is enjoyable, when there is no suffering.

------
fenici
It's the opportunity we're given, to either create a meaningful life or not.
I'm kind curious to see what happens during my lifetime. Also, drugs :)

------
quietthrow
Life is a flicker of consciousness between two great silences. In that flicker
(of 60-100 years) what matters is the journey not the destination. The journey
depending on how narrow or wide you gaze is made up of decades,years,
quarters, months, days, hours, minutes, seconds and so on. You pick the unit
that makes sense to you depending on what you are optimizing for. Diff goals -
or to borrow your word point - can be tied to different units. Personally when
the going gets tough widen your gaze on life to see as far back as possible
for all the good things that have happened to you despite you not believing
they are good. To change your belief simply imagine a life worse than yours -
a life of a parent in a war torn country and how they worry about their kid
being harmed , or getting abused based into their sex or may be quadrapeligic
or whatever thst you think is worse than you. You can find joy and /or
satisfaction in helping others if what you do for yourself dosnt interest you.
Go volunteer at hospice or soup kitchen etc. Sometimes we all need a temporary
diversion to get perspective and detach from the daily mundane and/or
meaningless. Those kinds of activities help. We are wired to take things for
granted and some distancing from what we take granted for is a excellent way
to bring back the appreciation for things thst we take for granted. In the end
the point of life is to make it worthwhile but that’s my perspective. The best
I can say for you about the point of life is that it’s personal and thst you
have to find the poor for yourself. The good thing is you get to define it.
The bad thing is you get to define it. Given that, perspective matters. Hope
this helps.

Please ask for help if even if you think you don’t need it. Take care.

------
AbenezerMamo
Because you matter, and that matters. Take it one day at a time because change
is easy once you start so you have to do whatever it takes to just get started
on doing something positive. Keeping a streak ends up being a better way to
make habits stick — ask Seinfeld.

Make it a great day.

------
giantg2
It's worth living when you find joy or purpose. One big thing is not to base
your self worth on others' opinion. This includes ideas you may have that are
formed on societal expectations. What are some things you genuinely enjoy or
think you may enjoy?

------
kleer001
Life is a gift. We can appreciate it or not. But it's the only one we get.

------
w3mmpp
> How do you all do it?

One day at a time, without thinking too much about the future or the past,
where most of the problems usually are.

> What's the point

Some find the point of life in the physical world, through their job, travel
or some other activities, other need more spiritual food, whether it's
philosophy or religion. Personally, I need both or after a while I feel out of
balance.

Those questions are old as the world, so don't despair, you're not alone, and
there are answers out there.

------
bsldld
Because of this:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYfNvmF0Bqw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYfNvmF0Bqw)

------
zerr
You should concentrate on the current pleasurables - you enjoy what you're
eating, drinking, lurking on HN, etc... so why not continue doing these while
you can?

Take a look at some volume of air near you - would you rather be that
particular emptiness? (not quite empty, but you get the point - and you can
also pick some block of vacuum...). So basically the choice is - continue
living or become a block of vacuum.

------
oldsklgdfth
On why questions:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp4dpeJVDxs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp4dpeJVDxs)

On what is the reason to continue living: To be in harmony with nature.

~~~
lihaciudaniel
And to conduct a virtuous life....

------
arkis22
It isn't worth not living

------
lihaciudaniel
Life is worth living if you live in USA that's a gift in itself.It is also
worth it for your family if you have one.

------
arcadeparade
you should watch this:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paterson_(film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paterson_\(film\))

------
Gabriel_Martin
You can spend your time bringing happiness to yourself. Seems good.

------
meiraleal
Because it is the best option? Maybe evolution?

------
verdades
When talking about worth in the capitalist sense, the human body is worth over
half a million dollars. That is a lot of value to society. But I suppose you
mean in the philosophical sense.

I suggest reading from the great philosophers:
[https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-
meaning/](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/)

