What's life to you?

[SF1900]

Life to me is giving back to others.

[Natural Man]

Hapiness = best odds of survival than your neighbor/colleagues/others... the more you dominate, the happier you are. Not being able to dominate means you have lower odds of survival compared to the competition = frustration, anger. You can dominate being smart, being rich, being strong, being wise... But all of this evaporates over time as you get older. If you ve been kind to your offsprings, they ll take care of you, and when you wont have anymore power over them they ll love you the way you loved them. As a result you take care of others because you care about the way they ll care of you when you wont be in position of dominating them anymore. We first only care about ourselves as kids and teenagers, then we re told to contribute to society, then for a few, we get to enjoy being part of the society, and utlimately we replicate our genes and then focus on protecting them and teaching them how to outperform, outsmart, the competition. Being successful at doing so, makes us happy. Being unsuccessful makes us unhappy. I wont even talk about the growing number of people in occident who dont even want an offsprings because they come from dysfcunctional families ridden with sins and trahisons. On the other end you have billions of third world uneducate, ignorant people who outbreed westerners. Westerners are smart, but depressed and dont reproduce.

You can either dominate being benevolent, or being evil. Both paths will get you different results. At some point you have to use your strenght to defend life. Using strenght to destroy life is violence.

Someone 's else misfortune makes you happy. Your own misfortune might make them happy, too. Sometimes you have to kill to survive. You cant help everyone, and you arent responsible for everyone else bad actions. You re forced to take sides every day. Every life form only exists to contribute. If you cant contribute, you re useless, and have no meaning.
Everyone thinks he's right and the other is wrong. As a result billions of individuals fight against each others , just like every animal and plant fight against others animals and plants. Animals arent conscious of existing. Humans, do. They re animal who are conscious of being animals. As a result, they re not entirely animals anymore, they re something else... Humans. We all know what is the next level, step. Being an eternal, good doing, constantly happy life form...
In the end only those who follow God's path will find hapiness, those who want to become like him.
Life is a test, a challenge, a constant free for all, struggle for survival. Every single life form has no other purpose but to outlive other life forms at all costs, and all we do, just like animals and plants, is to try to find the best way to outpower, outsmart the competition. Life is tough, because to get some rest, you first need to struggle.
People who look and think alike stick together and can cooperate. You can make good or bad things of your existence. We all hope that one day, we ll know eternal, constant bliss forever. But until then, it's everyone for himself. People who share the same core beliefs will unite together against those who have different core beliefs. Good people are preparing the kingdom of God on earth.
Life has no other purpose but to insure it's own replication, survival.
We all hope for eternal bliss. For betterment. For perfection. But it is not possible on earth, as human beings to know this. Is there something different, above it all? Is this hope a trick of evolution, of our thought process to keep us alive?

Our only freedom, is to do good or evil.

[Ursus]

Dude, going through this same shit with my dad. He's 60 and looks great, but now talks about "getting older" and his "limitations". I'm like, when did you go from being my dad to being my granddad? I guess we all age.

I am 26 and its sad to see but happens to us all.

[andreisdaman]

I have 2 jobs. 1 fulltime and I also still work as a door supervisor as it is extra cash i can save and also because I am good at it and like it.

what exactly is a door supervisor???

[andreisdaman]

Just keep trying to do the next right thing,and be the best person you can be......... even if you fall short at times.

Oh yeah,get as much quality vagina as possible as often as possible.

this I do try to do...vagina and the pursuit of it keeps you young

[wes]

Girls and sons who have not been loved by their fathers seek attention once teens and adults to compensate for what they didnt have originally. Fathers either left them alone, or were distant most of the time and not encouraging them. Some even despised them which would shape their personality and the way they d interact with others for the rest of their life.
They are extremistic in everything they do, always looking exageratly for attention, and have troubles adapting to society's rules, because they also have troubles defining their own identity and respecting authority and hierarchy.


Also boys who got picked on by others during childhood and adolescence -often sons without a father figure- try to compensate by lifting weights, to develop muscles and survive in ther male world. They re insecure because they re girly, childish, feminine having been raised by a single mom. They lift obsessively hoping it will transform them into men, to compensate for their lack of influence from a father figure that was not there. Unfortunaltey they can get as big as they can it doesnt cure their insecurity and who they truly are, how they grew up being raised by a single mom. They re no as manly as other men whatever they do, and they often have a big lack of masculine presence they dont know how to balance, hence often being borderline homosexuals while trying to get their manhood back thru various manly activities (mma, cars, weight lifting etc). They are often the ones that, in order to get respect from other males will go the steroids route to get even "bigger" attemptint to cure their insecurity , but being natural not being "enough", they still feel "too small", insecure, amongst other males. The lack of a father figure also often means they didnt have guidance to continue studies and are often working shitty manual jobs.

[dr.chimps]

Hapiness = best odds of survival than your neighbor/colleagues/others... the more you dominate, the happier you are. Not being able to dominate means you have lower odds of survival compared to the competition = frustration, anger. You can dominate being smart, being rich, being strong, being wise... But all of this evaporates over time as you get older. If you ve been kind to your offsprings, they ll take care of you, and when you wont have anymore power over them they ll love you the way you loved them. As a result you take care of others because you care about the way they ll care of you when you wont be in position of dominating them anymore. We first only care about ourselves as kids and teenagers, then we re told to contribute to society, then for a few, we get to enjoy being part of the society, and utlimately we replicate our genes and then focus on protecting them and teaching them how to outperform, outsmart, the competition. Being successful at doing so, makes us happy. Being unsuccessful makes us unhappy. I wont even talk about the growing number of people in occident who dont even want an offsprings because they come from dysfcunctional families ridden with sins and trahisons. On the other end you have billions of third world uneducate, ignorant people who outbreed westerners. Westerners are smart, but depressed and dont reproduce.

You can either dominate being benevolent, or being evil. Both paths will get you different results. At some point you have to use your strenght to defend life. Using strenght to destroy life is violence.

Someone 's else misfortune makes you happy. Your own misfortune might make them happy, too. Sometimes you have to kill to survive. You cant help everyone, and you arent responsible for everyone else bad actions. You re forced to take sides every day. Every life form only exists to contribute. If you cant contribute, you re useless, and have no meaning.
Everyone thinks he's right and the other is wrong. As a result billions of individuals fight against each others , just like every animal and plant fight against others animals and plants. Animals arent conscious of existing. Humans, do. They re animal who are conscious of being animals. As a result, they re not entirely animals anymore, they re something else... Humans. We all know what is the next level, step. Being an eternal, good doing, constantly happy life form...
In the end only those who follow God's path will find hapiness, those who want to become like him.
Life is a test, a challenge, a constant free for all, struggle for survival. Every single life form has no other purpose but to outlive other life forms at all costs, and all we do, just like animals and plants, is to try to find the best way to outpower, outsmart the competition. Life is tough, because to get some rest, you first need to struggle.
People who look and think alike stick together and can cooperate. You can make good or bad things of your existence. We all hope that one day, we ll know eternal, constant bliss forever. But until then, it's everyone for himself. People who share the same core beliefs will unite together against those who have different core beliefs. Good people are preparing the kingdom of God on earth.
Life has no other purpose but to insure it's own replication, survival.
We all hope for eternal bliss. For betterment. For perfection. But it is not possible on earth, as human beings to know this. Is there something different, above it all? Is this hope a trick of evolution, of our thought process to keep us alive?

Our only freedom, is to do good or evil.

Cripes. What is this guy's damage!? Imagine being seated next to him at a dinner party?

'Waiter? Could you please bring me a noose. Thanks much.'   

[garebear]

Define "accomplishment". Different meanings for different people.

Tax cuts for the rich.

WTF do you think accomplishment means? Isn't that a universally understood concept?

[devilsmile]

What if money got you endless nights with this  

about 30 euros in venezuela...

in america... about 3000 thousand if you're rly handsome and have game.

Tax cuts for the rich.

WTF do you think accomplishment means? Isn't that a universally understood concept?

now that is a life achievement.

How would you like to have a job where you make money out of every single man, woman and child on earth who basicly just transmit money into your bank account.
And what you do for them in exchange for their service? Make NDAA Martial laws, TSA, order all foods to be treated with chemicals before selling, ristrict their freedoms, insert ID chips in their hands etc. You are the king of babylon.

But satan gives you about 85 years to live like a ruler who owns everything on avarage, but god gives you eternity of freedom from hunger, thirst, cold, pain and agony, you would be complete for all eternity smiling and laughing out of joy. Ofcourse you gotta be a slave for the babylon kings for 85 years on avarage before god grants you this peace but for eternity.. I think it's worth it.

[James28]

Happiness=Love

If you have someone to love and who loves you in return no matter, that's the essence of a good life. Being loved and being in love in the end is a life well spent, regardless of how nice the house, bed sheets or room is you die in. An incredibly wise man at work once told me that NOBODY that ever died wished in their last moments that they had worked more, made just a little bit more money or bought nicer cars. You'll wish two things. That you loved more, and shagged more. Only if you've done those two things in abundance, you'll die happy. Love and sex, it seems to have a lot to do with happiness!

[devilsmile]

Happiness=Love

If you have someone to love and who loves you in return no matter, that's the essence of a good life. Being loved and being in love in the end is a life well spent, regardless of how nice the house, bed sheets or room is you die in. An incredibly wise man at work once told me that NOBODY that ever died wished in their last moments that they had worked more, made just a little bit more money or bought nicer cars. You'll wish two things. That you loved more, and shagged more. Only if you've done those two things in abundance, you'll die happy. Love and sex, it seems to have a lot to do with happiness!

agreed, when you have someone who you can hold on to it makes everything easyer. Love is the best, it's the answer to everything.

only the lucky few can experience that, in the meanwhile you should get to know to yourself. But it's hard at times to find what makes you tik, some people find it right away, some people take forever to find it... some never find it... but I think only then are you ready for a stable relationship.

[garebear]

about 30 euros in venezuela...

in america... about 3000 thousand if you're rly handsome and have game.

now that is a life achievement.

How would you like to have a job where you make money out of every single man, woman and child on earth who basicly just transmit money into your bank account.
And what you do for them in exchange for their service? Make NDAA Martial laws, TSA, order all foods to be treated with chemicals before selling, ristrict their freedoms, insert ID chips in their hands etc. You are the king of babylon.

But satan gives you about 85 years to live like a ruler who owns everything on avarage, but god gives you eternity of freedom from hunger, thirst, cold, pain and agony, you would be complete for all eternity smiling and laughing out of joy. Ofcourse you gotta be a slave for the babylon kings for 85 years on avarage before god grants you this peace but for eternity.. I think it's worth it.

Are you drunk?

[devilsmile]

Are you drunk?

absolutely not, this is my wiseguy mode. But what I said was the truth 

[Kwon_2]

Those three things is all that's needed.

First and foremost, your health, a functional family with a good wife that supports you etc, and then a decent economy (nothing special).

Nothing more is needed for an enjoyable existence.

[James28]

agreed, when you have someone who you can hold on to it makes everything easyer. Love is the best, it's the answer to everything.

only the lucky few can experience that, in the meanwhile you should get to know to yourself. But it's hard at times to find what makes you tik, some people find it right away, some people take forever to find it... some never find it... but I think only then are you ready for a stable relationship.

Do you know impossibly hard it is for a multifaceted, self aware organism (so, smart humans) to get to know/accept themselves? Sometimes I wish so hard I was a simpleminded halfwit that could find happiness in a pack of beer and have all they want in life when the unemployment money comes through, but I'm not. I see the forest for the trees. I see my own limitations haunting me daily. It's more a case of accepting who you are than learning about who you are. We all know what and who we are, some just spend a lifetime trying NOT being that person. It's acceptance. Then comes peace. Then comes happiness.

[devilsmile]

Do you know impossibly hard it is for a multifaceted, self aware organism (so, smart humans) to get to know/accept themselves? Sometimes I wish so hard I was a simpleminded halfwit that could find happiness in a pack of beer and have all they want in life when the unemployment money comes through, but I'm not. I see the forest for the trees. I see my own limitations haunting me daily. It's more a case of accepting who you are than learning about who you are. We all know what and who we are, some just spend a lifetime trying NOT being that person. It's acceptance. Then comes peace. Then comes happiness.

You said it best, I agree. Well, actually, I do think that every person has something they would love to do that comes naturally to them. But there's more dreamers than those who are just happy for whatever they have.

[James28]

You said it best, I agree. Well, actually, I do think that every person has something they would love to do that comes naturally to them. But there's more dreamers than those who are just happy for whatever they have.

Maybe, but it depends what you mean with that? Many naturally gifted and celebrated individuals still fight the same demons as we do. What use is skill and fortune if we have nobody to champion and celebrate with us? Does it mean we see ourselves as adequate and complete, even if the world does? Why would people such as Michael Hutchence, Diane Arbus, Jonathan Brandis, Mike Kelley and countless others kill themselves, even as their gifts transform and shape the world?

I've spent countless hours upon hours driving myself mad with these questions and in the end I always end up with acceptance. You're an imperfect being. I'm an imperfect being. The girl I'm seeing on Wednesday evening is an imperfect being. All that matters in that I'm perfect for myself and we're perfect for each other. But that only comes through acceptance of self. Simple concept but a lifetime to master.

[Tito24]

health and a girl you love, doing nice work and being able to pay the rent

[syntaxmachine]

Happiness is terribly overrated. To see that this is so, read about Robert Nozick's "experience machine," which appears in his book Anarchy, the State, and Utopia. It is a thought experiment where we are asked whether we'd want to be plugged into a machine that could stimulate our brain such that we always have pleasurable experiences. But, the reality we'd be experiencing would be totally false and we'd never actually be doing anything in the real world (in other words, we'd each be in our own little pod and would never actually interact).

If happiness (pleasure) were all that mattered here then we'd gladly plug in and forget about the real world. But most (normal) people reject that; it seems like there is something more to value to our existence than just being happy all the time, like actually doing real things, interacting with real people, accomplishing stuff, understanding the world better, etc. So, if you would opt out of being plugged in (I think most people would), you need to say that there is more to life than just happiness.

P.S. If this all sounds like the Matrix then that's because it is ... or rather, the Matrix stole the idea, as the book was written in the 70's.

[James28]

Happiness is terribly overrated. To see that this is so, read about Robert Nozick's "experience machine," which appears in his book Anarchy, the State, and Utopia. It is a thought experiment where we are asked whether we'd want to be plugged into a machine that could stimulate our brain such that we always have pleasurable experiences. But, the reality we'd be experiencing would be totally false and we'd never actually be doing anything in the real world (in other words, we'd each be in our own little pod and would never actually interact).

If happiness (pleasure) were all that mattered here then we'd gladly plug in and forget about the real world. But most (normal) people reject that; it seems like there is something more to value to our existence than just being happy all the time, like actually doing real things, interacting with real people, accomplishing stuff, understanding the world better, etc. So, if you would opt out of being plugged in (I think most people would), you need to say that there is more to life than just happiness.

P.S. If this all sounds like the Matrix then that's because it is ... or rather, the Matrix stole the idea, as the book was written in the 70's.

Maybe it's because people want REAL experiences and not fake ones that, well, Nozick's machine brought. Stupid analogy to be honest. And stupid experiment. I'll never want to be plugged into a machine for fake happiness. I'll take my chances in the real world.

[syntaxmachine]

Most people agree with you and that is sort of the point of the thought experiment. Why are you calling the experiment "stupid"?

[James28]

Most people agree with you and that is sort of the point of the thought experiment. Why are you calling the experiment "stupid"?

Because it's not realistic. It has to be something that makes people think hard. It's not natural for a human to be controlled and locked up. It's not in our nature and we fear it therefore the experiment was moot from the start. Why do you think criminals go to jail? You take freedom away. The ultimate punishment. I'll have a think and see if I can come back with a different alternative. Nothing comes to mind right now.

[syntaxmachine]

Because it's not realistic. It has to be something that makes people think hard. It's not natural for a human to be controlled and locked up. It's not in our nature and we fear it therefore the experiment was moot from the start. Why do you think criminals go to jail? You take freedom away. The ultimate punishment. I'll have a think and see if I can come back with a different alternative. Nothing comes to mind right now.

The stimulations of the brain by the machine would be indiscernible (from an experiential standpoint) from really being free and doing stuff; that's realistic. For example, astronauts are trained in a way such that they experience what will happen in space despite it not having happened at all (their brains are tricked, in essence*). Thus, ultimate pleasure + the experiential equivalent of freedom would be attained by plugging in to the machine. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference, unlike being in prison versus out of prison.

I think that when we sketch these basic facts, we see that the thought experiment isn't stupid but rather achieves its goal of making us question whether a bunch of pleasant states is all that we are really after, or all that we really value, in existing.

*I'm referring to the more recent stuff, where they're using electrodes to stimulate the astronauts' brains in order to simulate the experience of spaceflight, e.g. http://www.nsbri.org/newsflash/indivArticle.asp?id=454&articleID=133.

[_bruce_]

Health, earning money with things you like, social network, adventure.

[Marty Champions]

unhealthy gym