Ask HN: What is the purpose of Life? - codesternews
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brad0
“Purpose” is a construct that us humans have created. As far as I know no
other animal has the concept of “purpose” in the way that you’re referring to.

Ultimately we attach purpose to ourselves because it feels good, or
alternatively avoids the pain of existence.

If my purpose is to teach the next generation about science then it gives me a
reason to get out of bed in the morning. It’s a thing that is greater than
myself.

Some people refer to their purpose as their “immortality project”.

If your actions through your life make changes to the world that those changes
still exist after you die, in a way you’ve become immortal.

I’d say the purpose of life is to understand the world and try to push it a
little bit forward in your own way. It doesn’t have to be big, it just has to
matter to you.

If you’re a bit lost with life, don’t stress about it too much. The best thing
you can probably do is be okay with being lost. It’ll either pass or you’ll
get curious enough to start looking for answers.

However if you’re asking why are people and animals alive I don’t really know.
I think it’s just because sex feels good and then babies happen? Then those
babies grow up and the cycle repeats for millions of years.

So the purpose of life is sex I guess.

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amarraja
To keep up to date with the latest Javascript frameworks

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ai_ia
Then I am failing at life.

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andrei_says_
May I suggest this interactive answer in the form of a text game by Markus
Persson, the maker of Minecraft?

It gave me the answer as an experience and a feeling, not as a mental concept,
and I appreciated it deeply.

[http://game.notch.net/drowning/](http://game.notch.net/drowning/)

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Rainymood
Our biological purpose is to pass on our genes and reproduce.

In our "civilized" sense of "purpose" there is no purpose at all. This is
great because that means you can are free to whatever purpose you want to live
for.

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dmfdmf
_Purpose_ is a teleological term and life is the ultimate end, an end in
itself. So, as the saying goes, asking what is the purpose of life is
tantamount to asking what is North of the North pole, i.e. it is an invalid
question. In your terms, expressed as a tautology; the purpose of life is
life.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleology)

[http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/ultimate_value.html](http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/ultimate_value.html)

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p0d
To love God and your neighbour. Neighbour being in the abstract sense, not
just the person who lives next door.

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croo
Whatever you set as purpose. You are free to choose.

Sounds great right? :)

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mrobert2
Hey guys, if you can't find your passion in life, you should definitely try
Numerology. It's basically a way to find your purpose in life with numbers, it
worked for thousands of people everywhere around the globe. Words can lie, but
numbers can't. Try it now for free with this free detailed video report.
[http://freenumerologistvreport.pagedemo.co/](http://freenumerologistvreport.pagedemo.co/)

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rthomas6
The purpose of life is to live. :)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21RwqnB8GrE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21RwqnB8GrE)

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tejinderss
Knew this would be Alan watts without clicking on the link. Not disappointed

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PeOe
Everyone should have his or her own purpose. But overall I would say it´s to
evolve. You grow, you learn a language and go to school, you do a job which
should have his own purpose and you can learn from emotional and social
circumstances. You can learn from mistakes and from a broken heart and at the
end, you changed the world in some smaller or bigger ways. So I think learning
is a big part of your life.

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IpV8
"Everything that we know and love is reducible to the absurd acts of chemicals
and there is therefore no intrinsic value in this material universe"

"Hypocrite that you are for you trust the chemicals in your brain to tell you
they are chemicals. All knowledge is ultimately based on that which we cannot
prove

Will you fight? Or will you perish like a dog?"

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ankitank
Are you referring to the chaotic ethereal notion that life is a biochemical
accident and that we're not here for some grand purpose?

We have the opportunity to create our own purpose, our own meaning and which
is why attitude and graciousness matter.

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sp527
Our only discernible purpose is to propagate our genetic material (we are in
fact 'machines' for doing so). Everything else is just something you or
someone else has made up. So pick something that you can live with (:D).

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hotdox
[https://www.fs.blog/2014/05/hunter-s-thompson-to-hume-
logan/](https://www.fs.blog/2014/05/hunter-s-thompson-to-hume-logan/)

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airbreather
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai)

reason for getting out of bed every morning

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Kubi
What is the purpose of Your Life? (No need to answer here.)

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cryptozeus
First think : Is there even a purpose of life ?

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kewafb14
Eat. Procreate. Die. Repeat? ;)

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esbafb8
Nailed it! In just a few words :)

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ak39
The die part though.

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croozeus
To find the purpose itself :-)

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bradknowles
42

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source99
To enjoy the journey

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securitybits_io
How about living?

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mabynogy
Reproduction.

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matt_the_bass
Ask Conway.

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billconan
to fulfill my curiosity

