We are born and we die and everything inbetween is our life.  On occassion I have paused and asked myself “why”.   More specifically why was I born, why will I die and what is the purpose of the time inbetween those two events?

Seeking Meaning

For me personally the answer to the question defines how I should behave and what I should do to occupy the time between birth and death.  Ultimately this becomes the meaning of my life.

This is not a unique question, nor am I the first to have asked it of myself, nor will I be the last.

Logically, people who commit  suicide have decided there is no purpose.  This could be supplemented by a belief that a stage exists after the human existence and rushing to death will start the next phase.   Of course there is no absolute evidence the next stage is better than the current state (or even exists).

 

To some degree this is a kind of bird in the hand versus bird in the tree argument.  (Life is the bird in hand, afterlife is the bird in tree).

And My Answer

Asking why and trying to determine an answer or even setting the answer is a very individual activity.  This is something we must do alone although everyone and everything around us is influential in what we decide.

Answers are also not carved in stone and as we encounter different personal experiences our answer to or even our need to have an answer can change.

My own perspective on the search for meaning is constantly evolving, although the underlying philosophy I adopted in my early teens still holds true for me today.

My life is about me and my purpose is maximum pleasure, however this cannot be at the expense of others.