eric.bell
03-04-2010, 04:13 PM
Recently, I was reading a thread in this forum entitled "How to have immortality without God... Why does the world exist?" (OP mazHur). Well, upon reading it and participating in the discussion, I grew interested in how many of you would tackle these questions: What drives humans on in this life? and what makes them (us) happy? (and if it doesn't complicate the discussion too much, what is happiness?)
I wrote the following in said forum discussion, and it gives a basic idea of what I believe. (note 1: I underlined the sentences relating to the new topic.)
Let me start by saying that answering said questions is infeasible, if not impossible; and I lean toward the latter. But with that said--I do believe that explaining to one’s self or even to others is both feasible and possible, and that it is the very nature of man to ask these questions, as well as search out their answer(s). I would also add one question: what is the fundamental drive (and thus the fundamental means to happiness) for mankind?
The meaning of man’s existence, to me, is no more than to exist. No more, no less. As is any other perception that our senses show us. What greater meaning could there be than to exist? Nothing, say I. What is mankind’s drive? Hunger and thirst; for all manners of things: food and water, love and lust, material and immaterial (i.e. righteousness in each individual’s manner and ideal); life and, finally, death.
(note 2: I would like to keep the discussion to (inner) man without diving in to a possibility of a higher being, although I know it severely limits the discussion.)
I wrote the following in said forum discussion, and it gives a basic idea of what I believe. (note 1: I underlined the sentences relating to the new topic.)
Let me start by saying that answering said questions is infeasible, if not impossible; and I lean toward the latter. But with that said--I do believe that explaining to one’s self or even to others is both feasible and possible, and that it is the very nature of man to ask these questions, as well as search out their answer(s). I would also add one question: what is the fundamental drive (and thus the fundamental means to happiness) for mankind?
The meaning of man’s existence, to me, is no more than to exist. No more, no less. As is any other perception that our senses show us. What greater meaning could there be than to exist? Nothing, say I. What is mankind’s drive? Hunger and thirst; for all manners of things: food and water, love and lust, material and immaterial (i.e. righteousness in each individual’s manner and ideal); life and, finally, death.
(note 2: I would like to keep the discussion to (inner) man without diving in to a possibility of a higher being, although I know it severely limits the discussion.)