So what exactly is the point of it all then?

[Thinkingthesethoughts]

Life? What are we here for?

I’m not depressed, just having a midweek musing while ill at home on the sofa.
If it’s just to reproduce and pass our genes on, how does that explain infertility?
Unless we have occupations that make a huge difference in people’s lives, or change the course of history somehow, how are we making any difference?

Why do you feel we’re here?

Deep philosophical questions. I think we forget that we are animals that walk around with a big questionning brain. Because of that we have to make meaning about existence.

We are here by chance and, as far as I can see it, our only purpose is to live mindfully and to our full potential. What it means will differ for every person.

Nothing. People had sex and produced offspring, to consume, exist, then die, same as other mammals.

Our lives have no more meaning than a blade of grass. If you happen to do positive, important things then that's a happy bonus.

Existentialism…

not always good to overthink these things, for mental health purposes. Maybe find a reminder? A hobby you love? A loved one? If we get really cheesy, a beautiful sunset?

I find it hard to believe/understand that we’d just be here by chance and for no real reason

To have the experience of a human life and whatever that brings for each individual. I suppose like education for the soul. If you believe in that. I do.

@Feelsomuchbetter But for us to then pass on that knowledge to others?

I think we can pretty much agree that it is a scientific fact. Unless you are religious, in which case there is probably no shortage of purposes in scripture of your choosing.

Not really here for anything.

Evolution is essentially chance as to what comes along, and then adaptation ("survival of the fittest") determines who/what thrives and gets to reproduce.

Why infertility? Same as for many diseases and differences - some errors in copying the genetic code across to the new organism.

Some of those "errors" lead to new evolution which is more successful and then replicates and spreads. Some of the "errors" are less successful and tend to die out. Some are neutral and therefore persist at a certain level in the population.

If you're having a need for meaning, maybe check out Martin Seligman and Positive Psychology - in his PERMA(H) theory, the M is for "meaning" - but even they would say that you have to create the meaning for yourself.

Otherwise religions usually claim to have the answers for "why". Google tells me there are currently ~4200 religions in the world, so there's a reasonable set to choose from...

I believe we are here just to experience. We're the universe experiencing itself.

@QuickDenimDeer You’re probably right…I have all those things, but these thoughts do occasionally show themselves

Think beyond humans -why are lions here, or icebergs, or redwood trees? If the answer is, "they just are", then that's pretty much why humans are here.

My latest cod-philosophical musing is to wonder how far away from earth you would have to be to smell it. Has Earth's smell changed in the last billion years?

There isn't. We're here anyway, though, so may as well make the best of it.

Why? It's freeing 😊
If you're into religion you could make up a reason based on that.

I'm in recovery from addiction and coping with suicide loss

A lot of it is choices and action and not so much what life is about

I chose to continue with life after suicide loss

I had the other option but figured I'd be a long time dead may as well continue

I chose to be in recovery and make positive use of the time i have left

I don't think there's a greater 'purpose' - I think life is bloody amazing in its own right. We should get out of our heads a bit more and experience nature/life and our own bodies and senses a bit more. There doesn't have to be a reason. We just are.
This doesn't mean I don't care about other people, in fact I care even more about kindness and empathy because connection makes the experience of life better, I accept some people have good lives alone (hermits etc) but I don't think anybody has a good experience of life by being unkind and cruel.

To love; to find our own purpose, however big or small, in order to try to make life a little better for those around us; and as a means by which the universe can begin to understand itself (IMVHO).

I think we are here by fluke, chaos, fate.

Life is about giving it your own meaning, to look for anything else is to hold on to a handful of sand.

To evolve sufficiently that we can eventually understand the universe?

We're just here by chance. I don't think humans (or humanity) is anything special, really.

No point. No purpose. Just crack on and try and live an enjoyable life.

If at all possible do it in such a way that others can enjoy theirs too. Even better if you can actually help other people enjoy their lives!

We are just animals in an ecosystem. Why are tigers here, or flies? I don’t think our lives are supposed to have any purpose other than the continued existence of life on Earth.

How are so many convinced there is no purpose or point to it all…how/what made you realise this?

In my case, (45 yo) bluntly and without philosophy, because some two idiots decided to procreate.
(Emotionally abusive parents).
😐