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What is the point of life?

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Dr. Slack

Mon Nov 28 2011, 01:49PM

Registered Member #72 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 08:29AM
Location: UK St. Albans
Posts: 1659

Grenadier wrote ...

I'm just looking for something that makes me feel worthwhile.

Is that worthwhile in the present, or are we thinking more about leaving a legacy? Is it enough YouTube fame to get a buzz now, or enough to be known by future generations?

The former is a lot less difficult to deal with than the latter.

Dr. Drone

Mon Nov 28 2011, 04:36PM

Registered Member #290 Joined: Mon Mar 06 2006, 08:24PM
Location:
Posts: 1673

Ash Small

Mon Nov 28 2011, 05:16PM

Registered Member #3414 Joined: Sun Nov 14 2010, 05:05PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4245

Steve McConner wrote ...

..... the DNA probably couldn't care less about your existential crisis as long as it continues to propagate.

Is it a question of 'too much time spent writing computer code' and not enough time spent 'propagating DNA'?

(We all need 'time out' sometimes.)

Hon1nbo

Mon Nov 28 2011, 05:39PM

Registered Member #902 Joined: Sun Jul 15 2007, 08:17PM
Location: North Texas
Posts: 1040

"Ever Tried. Ever Failed. No Matter. Try Again. Fail Again. Fail Better." - Samuel Beckett.
Even Thomas Edison, when asked why he kept trying after so many failures at making a light bulb, he said "I didn't fail 1000 times. I found 1000 ways not to make a light bulb."

Never think that you have to be successful. Even if I could have one success handed to me right now, I wouldn't accept it unless I really worked at it. Then what afterwards? Move on.

Every invention in human history will eventually have the inventor forgotten either as they become obsolete, or they become so ubiquitous to daily life no one considers them important.
Look at the wheel. However important it is to all of society, no one knows the person who invented it. Just that it's there.
It is futile to worry about the size of your existence... In reality, people care most for the small works of the unknown. The people who may have not been successful but started the thoughts and ideas that spread on places like these, to communities of like minded individuals who may continue after you're gone.

Everyone will have a different idea of a purpose for life, but one thing is unanimous between them: do something with it. That doesn't mean you have to be good at what you do, but that you do it at all.

/ 2 cents
-Jimmy

P.S: I probably worded that atrociously, so I may edit it a little for clarity once my brain alms down a bit

Conundrum

Tue Nov 29 2011, 10:32AM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4061

Grenadier, the junk box failed because one muppet let it get lost.
It spectacularly succeded in terms of benefiting the community as a whole, it would have been the same if the box had got lost in the post.

To be fair, the box WAS getting too heavy and needed to be split into two and sent in opposite directions.
Other than that great idea, don't beat yourself up about it.

The online junkbox is IMHO a great idea.
However it would probably work better if postage was known to locations N.
i.e. "this part is going to cost $19 to send to USA, or $41 to UK"

My attitude is if you fail at something, you learned in the process.
Thomas Edison once said "Invention is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration"... Tesla disagreed BUT it is interesting to note that Edison succeeded commercially.

Purpose of life IMHO is to "derive the limits of the impossible."

i.e. if you set out to reach the stars then low earth orbit is quite acceptable

-A

Myke

Tue Nov 29 2011, 11:44PM

Registered Member #540 Joined: Mon Feb 19 2007, 07:49PM
Location: MIT
Posts: 969

Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing much in the way of projects. Usually I find it best to take a
break from projects and do something else so that later, you can come back to it with a fresh
mind. At times, I got somewhat tired of building circuits/other things that had been built before.
I'd think what two distinct areas can be combined to make something new and try to do research
for that.

I'd think building things for people won't get you very far. If you have a goal in mind, you are less
likely to find any new material because you can't wander very far and have ideas still be relevant to the
goal. Also if someone else thinks of an idea for another, with no insult to the other, it's likely the person
doesn't have adequate knowledge in the field to make new innovations. If do what you like without any
definite goal in mind, it might lead you on a new path which might turn out to be rewarding by chance.

*waves hands* This is all hand waving and might not be very cohesive in the thought process but meh.
Doing what you want whenever you want is fun. Seeing things to completion is also fun.

EDIT: A friend told me he thought the meaning of life for him was to maximize the integral of his happiness
over time. I think that's quite true and what many do.

M.A.D.

Wed Nov 30 2011, 04:44AM

Registered Member #4052 Joined: Thu Aug 11 2011, 04:43AM
Location: IN ,USA
Posts: 69

Edison did not invent the lightbulb, which is probably why he did not care that it involved 1000 failures. Although that is an idea you could steal a bunch of peoples inventions, slander them, and then be remembered as the world's greatest inventor, ever.

I do not think anyone can tell you the meaning of life because it is a personal opinion. However, I have noticed that it seems very rare for anyone to actually deeply consider it. Most people seem blissfully ignorant about it.

Finding a purpose and meaning in life has also been tormenting me for a long time now and all it seems to do is make me depressed. So I wish you the absolute best of luck.

Mads Barnkob

Wed Nov 30 2011, 11:34AM

Registered Member #1403 Joined: Tue Mar 18 2008, 06:05PM
Location: Denmark, Odense C
Posts: 1968

All you need is perspective.

As Dr.spark mentions, doing something for others gives value in your life. A thing I practised for 6 years was being in the national guard, the last year as sergeant, I unfortunately had to quit due to getting a new job. But when you have spend 4 days lying in the mud on an exercise, been running, fighting, carrying all your gear, you get home tired, but happy just have the conformity of 4 walls and warmth. Its all about getting perspective to be happy about what you have.

It sounds to me like you have been trying all along to make money, a living or career on inventing something, do it for the fun instead, because you will not get anywhere doing it half hearted next to school or another job. To succeed becoming selfemployed we are talking about 70+ hours a week for the first couple of years.

Make up with yourself if you want to work a lot and be happy with that, or work a little and be happy in your free time. I have tried both and will say that in the end I will choose time with my family and friends above making money.

LIFE LESSON LEARNED: If something works, you better damn well stick to it and not spend 5 months coding an open CMS.

I hate to say it, but I told you so, but look on it from the bright side, you learned this at a younger age than I did ;)

doctor electrons

Wed Nov 30 2011, 10:36PM

Registered Member #2390 Joined: Sat Sept 26 2009, 02:04PM
Location: Milwaukee Wisconsin
Posts: 381

To sum it up, the point of life is to do what you love and makes you happy, maybe learn
a thing or two along the way. A failure is only another attempt at success, it happens.
If you think about all of the things you're good at, i mean really good at, you love them!
If you think about all of the things you're bad at, you think they suck!
Sometimes success comes when you trick yourself into liking something.

Pinky's Brain

Wed Nov 30 2011, 11:17PM

Registered Member #2901 Joined: Thu Jun 03 2010, 01:25PM
Location:
Posts: 837

Grenadier wrote ...

So if I don't have what it takes to invent, what is the point of life?

Copious consumption of alcohol, love, sex, philantropy ...

Oh, and perseverance and perspective ... I know winners set out to conquer and all, but wouldn't it be a lot more relaxing if you did things for the love of it rather than unrealistic expectations of success? I don't think there is anything wrong with having a "boring 9 to 5" (for me it's more like 7 to 5:30 if I have traffic against me) and tinkering in your free time ... but maybe that's why I'm working a boring 9 to 5 :)

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