Why are we born?

Indeed it is very intriguing to ask this question. For nobody can say certainly and of course confidently why we are born.

Indeed life is so short, and it passes finally. We plant so many dreams yet we can not see fruition. We value life and behave as if we we are immortal. We keep on amassing so much wealth, and build houses, and yet we are unsure whether we can really really live there.

Are these questions as to why we are born and are here are immaterail?
We are just and get finshed off, and our egos, and feelings, and the idea of God, consciousness or immortality are nonesense?

Planets and other celestial beings or bodies are simply things that get blown up into void?

This universe is so vast, and limitless and it goes expanding eternally.


It gives me an inkling of timelessness and spacelessness.

Is there a creator? If there is how is He. Is he the way we came to know through mythologies?

I feel if there is God, he has nothing to do with our praise or reprisal. He is above all worldy attributes. He has no role in everything we do.

What we know for certain is that we are 'built' to procreate and to flee from death. There is an inner purposiveness to live. Surely suicide is always an option, but as you can see, it's the exception, not the rule. All the rest---the cars, big homes, hot jobs, next vacation---are anchored to the passions. We can't deny them, they're built into the very structure of our consciousness, or else there would be no sense of awareness to them.

Myth is a way to answer the question you posed, but they are just a bunch of stories designed to make people sort out their own lives, the way Tolstoy's Ivan Illitch reports his own life and death.

We all could be myths, like smoke, lingering over this infernal machine, life.

Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay
To mould me Man? Did I beseech thee,
From Darkness to promote me?
--Milton, Paradise Lost


I don't think there is a reason we are born. Nor is there a reason for us to live. We live as we die--alone. The key is to make a meaning for oneself, and to enjoy this experience of living as much as possible in the time allotted.

We are born because of the result of a difficult biological process instigated by the sexual intercourse of two human beings.

Because we're not hatched.:D

Man is not born with a reason. It is something we must find throughout the course of our lives. No one asked or wished to be born into this world, but reality cannot be changed.

Personally, I believe that our reason for living Is derived from those around us. We live for the people we know, who share with us the same reality.

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Originally Posted by stlukesguild

Because we're not hatched.:D

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Speak fer yerself! ;)

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Originally Posted by City Of Dreams

Personally, I believe that our reason for living Is derived from those around us. We live for the people we know, who share with us the same reality.

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I doubt it, perhaps some people do but thats not a catch all answer.

We were born to reproduce those better than us, until we reached perfection.

But why? Someone out there exists and he/she/it was bored? ...Scary.

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Originally Posted by Mariami

We were born to reproduce those better than us, until we reached perfection.

But why? Someone out there exists and he/she/it was bored? ...Scary.

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This is really interesting. Indeed ideas get perfected, new ideas crop up when they are shared with others. I am really moved by this idea, the idea that man is born to reproduce refined beings, more advanced and of course evolved than what he is now.

Everything is moving towards perfection and this fact is both scientifically and spiritually true.

I really like this idea. This is the intention of mine to read such idealoas.

The advantage of sharing ideas through the thread is we at times arrive at ideas that are more refined.

This idea that man is born to reproduce and to move to or reach perfection is a dimension of truth I have not realize or visualize before.

After reading this post I am at least a step ahead towards truth. This is one of the answers I am satisfied with.

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Originally Posted by blazeofglory

This is really interesting. Indeed ideas get perfected, new ideas crop up when they are shared with others. I am really moved by this idea, the idea that man is born to reproduce refined beings, more advanced and of course evolved than what he is now.

Everything is moving towards perfection and this fact is both scientifically and spiritually true.

I really like this idea. This is the intention of mine to read such idealoas.

The advantage of sharing ideas through the thread is we at times arrive at ideas that are more refined.

This idea that man is born to reproduce and to move to or reach perfection is a dimension of truth I have not realize or visualize before.

After reading this post I am at least a step ahead towards truth. This is one of the answers I am satisfied with.

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Yet what is perfection? And what will we do after humankind has reached there, will there be no meaning to reproduce anymore?

primarily, we are born for the continuity of the human race.

maybe we were born so that we can tell others what it was like to be living--others including alien lifeforms.

maybe we were born so that the earth could have something to nurture and so that it would also have an end.

maybe we were born so that the truth could be found.

maybe we were bron so the truth could be hidden in the earth and man wou8ld have to journey through it so that he could find it, thus bringing life to the earth.

sorry, i'm not really up for a serioous philosophical discussion now. but hey, there;s a philosophical statement. serious and philosophical..

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Originally Posted by Mariami

We were born to reproduce those better than us, until we reached perfection.

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The Extinction is human 's last perfection

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Originally Posted by blazeofglory

This is really interesting. Indeed ideas get perfected, new ideas crop up when they are shared with others. I am really moved by this idea, the idea that man is born to reproduce refined beings, more advanced and of course evolved than what he is now.

Everything is moving towards perfection and this fact is both scientifically and spiritually true.

I really like this idea. This is the intention of mine to read such idealoas.

The advantage of sharing ideas through the thread is we at times arrive at ideas that are more refined.

This idea that man is born to reproduce and to move to or reach perfection is a dimension of truth I have not realize or visualize before.

After reading this post I am at least a step ahead towards truth. This is one of the answers I am satisfied with.

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I'm not satisfied with it though, the main reason is that I don't think the statement that we are evolving (in a biological sense) toward perfection is true.
If you understand evolution then you must aknowledge that selection pressures are what drive evolution - that is to say peolpe have to die without having reproduced in order for evolution to work.
Modern medicine is very much taking the edge off of this process - many more people are living that if you left to nature alone would infact die. For example If it were left to nature I would not be here to type this post as my mother is type 1 diabetic and would have died in her early teens. Also with fertility treatments even people who cant reproduce naturally are now able to (in a large part anyway).
Plus when you factor in that the more intellectual people tend to have more demanding careers and have fewer children as a result (this is very apparent in western society) there is actually a negative impact on evolution - i.e. as a species not only are we no longer evolving as we should be but we are actually putting negative selection pressures on ourselves and might well be degenerating (or whatever the opposite of evolution is).

However I agree that our culture and civilisation is evolving.

Edit: A quick google produced this site http://www.onelife.com/evolve/degen.html seems to discuss some of these ideas though I've only given it a cursory glance.

The problem I have with the idea of us continually evolving into perfect beings is this: if becoming a perfect race was the goal, why weren't we just born a perfect race?

I think that maybe we were created by a fluke. Something random just happened and we in fact have no purpose. Life is to be lived how you wish it to be lived. If you wish to give it a purpose, then you can do so. If you wish to just float around in life living it, that's cool too. Life is like a blank slate you can project your philosophies and aspirations onto.

In response to Drapperdrake's ideas about human degeneration (along with the link he put up), I think that whether or not it's true, it's very creepy. Eerily reminiscent of Hitler's Eugenics. Even though the link tries to say that the idea shouldn't be judged because of what Hitler did, think about it. How could the information that our gene pool is being tarnished be positively used without killing those who are tarnishing the gene pool or sterilizing them? It can't be used, really. And do we really have the right to kill or sterilize people just to keep the gene pool up? And who are we to say whether someone is tarnishing the gene pool or not? There are some people who are physically or mentally handicapped in certain areas who excel in others. What would you do with a person who was socially handicapped yet was an amazing mathematician? He degenerates the gene pool in one way yet enriches it in another way.

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Originally Posted by Joyeuse

The problem I have with the idea of us continually evolving into perfect beings is this: if becoming a perfect race was the goal, why weren't we just born a perfect race?

I think that maybe we were created by a fluke. Something random just happened and we in fact have no purpose. Life is to be lived how you wish it to be lived. If you wish to give it a purpose, then you can do so. If you wish to just float around in life living it, that's cool too. Life is like a blank slate you can project your philosophies and aspirations onto.

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I think factually you are correct, however I think we all have a responsibilty to apply ethics to our lives.

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Originally Posted by Joyeuse

In response to Drapperdrake's ideas about human degeneration (along with the link he put up), I think that whether or not it's true, it's very creepy. Eerily reminiscent of Hitler's Eugenics. Even though the link tries to say that the idea shouldn't be judged because of what Hitler did, think about it. How could the information that our gene pool is being tarnished be positively used without killing those who are tarnishing the gene pool or sterilizing them? It can't be used, really. And do we really have the right to kill or sterilize people just to keep the gene pool up? And who are we to say whether someone is tarnishing the gene pool or not? There are some people who are physically or mentally handicapped in certain areas who excel in others. What would you do with a person who was socially handicapped yet was an amazing mathematician? He degenerates the gene pool in one way yet enriches it in another way.

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Well yes indeed, I certainly hope I never live to see the necessity of measures such as sterilization but if the theory is correct (and it hasn't been proven correct) then something like that would be needed.

As you point out eugenics or anything remotely like it is an extreamly inflammable idea and extreamly difficult to implement, but its conceivable that our current ethics may be a death sentence for the species.

Should Man have the given right to procreate?

Nothing happens by fluke.Every thing has a reason .We have a reason to be here.We are surely moving towards perfection but in order to reach there we have to go through a lot of cycles.
We are related to each other biologically.We are related to earth ,chemically and we are related to this universe atomically.We were born because the Universe was ones born and the sequence of activities followed and here we are today.If we have to find answers we can not isolate philosophy from science and spirituality because it would take more than just these three to answer such complex questions.

How ironic is that we have come from nothingness to nonliving to living beings today.So is it that we are related to the nonliving things as much as we to the living things.The cycle of living and non living is what amuses me.Are stars living like us or non living ?If according to us they are non living then how come they follow this cycle of life and death just like us and if what made us were non living things .What is our significance as human beings.

In bhagvad Gita it is said that we are the part and parcel of the supreme being and all of us are born from him.If we consider that supreme being as cosmos ,we inturn are constituted of cosmic dust as the rest of the cosmos itself .

So i would like to conclude and say that we were born because the Universe was born and We still have to find out why and how the universe was born out of nothingness.

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Originally Posted by DapperDrake

I think factually you are correct, however I think we all have a responsibilty to apply ethics to our lives.



Well yes indeed, I certainly hope I never live to see the necessity of measures such as sterilization but if the theory is correct (and it hasn't been proven correct) then something like that would be needed.

As you point out eugenics or anything remotely like it is an extreamly inflammable idea and extreamly difficult to implement, but its conceivable that our current ethics may be a death sentence for the species.

Should Man have the given right to procreate?

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Hmmm... How would our gene pool continuing in the direction its going actually be a death sentence to the human race? If you think about it, lethal genetic defects are usually weeded out of the gene pool pretty quickly. If they're not (long-term diseases,) than they aren't lethal enough to actually wipe out mankind. (To keep the faulty gene going, you would have to procreate; to procreate you would have to be alive.) The link you provided states that society would collapse and the old world would kill us all. Yet, it would take a radical and rapid change for mankind to be weak enough to not be able to maintain its own society (with machines, computers, and such) I don't think genes change that quickly.

Also, I do believe that Man has the given right to procreate, because we're talking about mens' bodies. Inherent in them is the ability to procreate, and they are not hurting anyone (directly) by doing this. If two people each decide they want to procreate with each other, than that is their own business.

Also, when talking about sterilization and murder and such, you also run into a major problem inherent in human nature: who will decide who is killed and who is sterilized? That is a (somewhat) subjective question. Anyone who has this power might use it to just kill others they don't like. (He proved himself genetically inferior by supporting an idea no sane man would support; that kind of idea)

[Sorry, this is starting to get off-topic. Maybe we should move this discussion to a new thread?]

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Originally Posted by Joyeuse

Hmmm... How would our gene pool continuing in the direction its going actually be a death sentence to the human race? If you think about it, lethal genetic defects are usually weeded out of the gene pool pretty quickly. If they're not (long-term diseases,) than they aren't lethal enough to actually wipe out mankind. (To keep the faulty gene going, you would have to procreate; to procreate you would have to be alive.) The link you provided states that society would collapse and the old world would kill us all. Yet, it would take a radical and rapid change for mankind to be weak enough to not be able to maintain its own society (with machines, computers, and such) I don't think genes change that quickly.

Also, I do believe that Man has the given right to procreate, because we're talking about mens' bodies. Inherent in them is the ability to procreate, and they are not hurting anyone (directly) by doing this. If two people each decide they want to procreate with each other, than that is their own business.

Also, when talking about sterilization and murder and such, you also run into a major problem inherent in human nature: who will decide who is killed and who is sterilized? That is a (somewhat) subjective question. Anyone who has this power might use it to just kill others they don't like. (He proved himself genetically inferior by supporting an idea no sane man would support; that kind of idea)

[Sorry, this is starting to get off-topic. Maybe we should move this discussion to a new thread?]

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Yes it is getting off topic and off my original point, I merely wanted to point out that its not by any means certain that the human race is currently evolving to become better (biologically). - That is my only point.

The link I supplied is perhaps a bit of a red herring, as I said I didn't really read the webpage but just observed that it seemed to be discussing similar topics. The propogation of mutations was not actually what I was refering to in my first post, I was refering more to the effects of selective breeding

but to answer your question "How would our gene pool continuing in the direction its going actually be a death sentence to the human race?", well I think you only need to use a bit of imagination - in a thousand years the cumulative effects of the selective pressures I refered to in my first post could dramatically reduce our IQ as a species - even with our current IQ it could be argued that we're strugling to keep civilisation viable with our growing populations.
Plus of course if you look at a species as an organism, you can see that the health and fittness of that organism are dependant on natural selection - who knows what happens in the long run when natural selection is removed? the organism (species) has evolved over billions of years purely by that mechanism.

But thats all highly speculative and I have no intention of supporting it in argument, take it for what its worth.

The rights of Man is another topic and also interesting - The right of procreation is of course jealously gaurded by most people, esp. women, but at the end of the day the Earth is only so big... How long can we continue to just let our population increase unchecked?

I think we are just a scientific experiment started made some alien, they wanted to see how long it would take for us to destroy a planet
in that sense we are all no more than some experiments developed by some awesome alien scientist :alien:

I was born with a specific purpose, but then I was found by the Martians and made their king, so I guess the destiny at birth is not all defining for ones life, there is always the Deus Ex Machina that can interfere and give you nice shiny spaceships to play with, and also a toothbrush.

My life is obscure and intricate to wholly comprehend.I did not chose my life initially,for I was born within the fusion of the nucleus of reproductive cells,and subsequently,this life commences.But the ultimate philosophy is what had Confucius cited,"Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters?Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?''
And this philosopher is inevitably intellectual.We should have tenacity,acquaintances and manfully.

Let me make this clear for all of you ...
We r born .TO WORSHIP THE ONLY CREATOR..THE ONLY ONE GOD..
to worship & build this earth..
And we came in to being coz GOD created us..
You were nothing but He put the soul into this piece of meat in the womb of ur mother ..
he gave u life.. food .... safe in ur mother womb.. no one .. NO ANYTHING can do that..
So now when u came to the world.. u should worship Him .. & follow his order.

Why are we born? I don't know. If I knew, I wouldn't be sitting here staring at my computer fighting sleep. What am I doing with my life would be a better question to ask myself indeed. Anyway, I haven't chosen to be born and to make an end to my life isn't the least my intention. But how to get the best of it (as crap as it is) is my consern till I'm put in my grave.
Taking from Shakespeare I would say
To be born or not be this is not the question
But making the best of it would be my intention

Why are we born? I don't know. If I knew, I wouldn't be sitting here staring at my computer fighting sleep. What am I doing with my life would be a better question to ask myself indeed. Anyway, I haven't chosen to be born and to make an end to my life isn't the least my intention. But how to get the best of it (as crap as it is) is my consern till I'm put in my grave.
Taking from Shakespeare I would say
To be born or not be this is not the question
But making the best of it would be my intention

We are born because our parents had desires, which resulted in our conception. It is simple biology. I do not believe we are born with any purpose or plan. If there is such a thing as a god, I hope he is not intervening. Do not touch a hair on my head, please leave me as I am. The purpose of my life, anyway, is whatever I will it or want it to be. As of now, my purpose is writing on this thread. In the next five minutes, my purpose will be something else. We are the product of desires, nothing more, nothing less.

to the extent that we trust our sense organs and extensions there of, biology answers the "why are we born" question.

To reproduce.

we are born again ,as our dormant innerself is not able to guide us to find the purpose of our lifeand we die without discovering our purpose of life and hence we are born again to find it out and this cycle goes on till we discover and resolve the mystry of life and its purpose

The anxiety of being born is the greatest shock we can expereince as human beings. The expereince of first coming out of the womb is unimaginable; to come out, completely ignorant, cold, crying, having had no consciousness. This shock is something we outgrow and forget, but then remember upon contemplation.

The question is as mind-boggling as the experience of being born again is. We sit in despair when no clear answer is given to us, or when the absurdity of the world outgrows the belief of an all-encompassing purpose. Our purpose can only be determined by ourselves and by what we make of ourselves. With self-discovery comes self-determination. As for me, my purpose for being here is to love and be loved. It is not the meaning of my life, for there is no meaning. It is merely the thing which keeps me getting up in the morning, what keeps me from falling into the abyss of apathy and indifference.

Why do we take refuge in existentialism where life is Absurd, Nothingness is disappointing?
Why do we seek for the creator to consider life to be meaningful?
If GOD was there and tangible, would it have been meaningful, the life?

I feel, if there would have been an authority, who would be judging our behaviours and will have rigid parameters to judge them, we would havebeen nothing but slaves.

The life has given us complete autonomy. I think thats the most fascinating thing. We have a right to do anything and everything, the only thing that stops us from doing anything is ourselves and nobody else...

For example, human can decide to be saint or devil, a killer or a savior, completely on his own. And he faces the consequences of the path s/he chooses. And these consequences niether have pattern nor parameters.
So its an unending exploration, which can keep the life intersting.

Wont you suicide, if somebody drwas a amap of your life and gives it to you?

First of all, is this question a significant one for the average man? I think we can take it that this question is one that everyone is interested in and puzzled over. There may, however, be some who will raise an objection.

"The Buddha taught the non-existence of 'the being', 'the individual', 'the self', 'you' and 'me'. He taught that there is no self to be born. So the problem 'Why were we born?' does not arise! "

This sort of objection is valid only at the very highest mental level, for someone who himself knows Freedom but for the ordinary man who does not yet know Freedom it is not a valid objection since it is not relevant, not to the point. A person who does not as yet know Dhamma thoroughly is bound to feel himself involved in the process of birth and to have a great many problems and questions. He has no idea for what purpose he has been born.

Thanks.

Maybe this should be in the religion thread?

Do not ask the question, don't waste time with it. Live in the "Now", do good deeds and follow your conscience.

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Originally Posted by DapperDrake

I think factually you are correct, however I think we all have a responsibilty to apply ethics to our lives.

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I don't believe in ethics as much as I believe in feelings and a heart that produces them. A heart must be noble to produce fantastic feelings, which will then guide a person through the path he takes.In fact, I consider ethics as rubbish, because so many people commit befouled deeds with a sententious ethical excuse.
Only a heart that creates beautiful sensations stands out.

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Originally Posted by DapperDrake

Well yes indeed, I certainly hope I never live to see the necessity of measures such as sterilization but if the theory is correct (and it hasn't been proven correct) then something like that would be needed.

Should Man have the given right to procreate?

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Sterilization is almost a crime against humanity. As I read through several of your posts under this thread, I wondered at your assumed knowledge of the development of human beings since thousands of years ago. I have no idea how you've managed to acquire such generalization of the pernicious effects of moden medicine on human race. Please allow me a question. How do you know your theory is correct? Do you have eyes that penetrate into all cornors on earth from above?
I do not know whether you're right or not, because I am too small. However, to hurt people you don't know because you think they are not good enough by birth, and to make them childless is against nature. It is an ugly idea.

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Originally Posted by Morten

We are born because of the result of a difficult biological process instigated by the sexual intercourse of two human beings.

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That's not why, it's how.

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Originally Posted by billyjack

to the extent that we trust our sense organs and extensions there of, biology answers the "why are we born" question.

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No, it doesn't.

No one knows why we're born. To chop it all down to a simple scientific or religious explanation is silly.

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Originally Posted by Boo Radley

Do not ask the question, don't waste time with it. Live in the "Now", do good deeds and follow your conscience.

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True that.

We are all put on this earth for a reason. The clue is to find our purpose and stick to it. The only reason people become unhappy, angry, violent, etc... is because we stray from our purpose in life. Once we reconnect with who we are, we can continue to go on with life and the reason we were born in the first place.

I found out why I am here forty-one years ago. I can only speak for myself. I can't speak for anyone else, and I certainly can't speak for wo/mankind.

It's a different matter I suppose if we are discussing why the human race is here. If we are discussing that, my thought is there is no answer. We can speculate, wonder, question, but in the end, I simply think there is no answer to the question.

You know what, I don't see why humans worry so much about having a purpose in life.

I think that the concept of having a purpose is set up to combat the one thing that humans fear more than death....boredom.
While most of the human race don't see it like that, history in a slight way showed that we create and destroy things to avoid boredom. Some examples are:
-Creating the concept of money so that higher powers control what the rest of the average population get from life
-Destroying indigenous communities so that people can acquire the ability to decide a person's fate itself