I am nearly 50, and the thoughts "what is the point of life?" and "what is the meaning of life?" have been driving me crazy for a good 30 of those years. I've listened and read so much stuff in that time but was no closer to enlightenment, then, it occurred to me:
Q: What is the point of life?
A: Life is pointless!
Q: What is the meaning of life?
A: Life is meaningless!
That's why you'll never get an answer to those questions if you want an answer other than "life is pointless/meaningless". This is why in 30 years of searching I've never found it. I think many times I've been close but didn't want to admit defeat in trying to find a point/meaning to it all. Maybe I knew it all along but upbringing/education had steered me away from the truth.
And here's the kicker -
life is equally pointless and meaningless for everybody on planet earth!
Elon Musk's life is pointless and meaningless, Donald Trump's life is pointless and meaningless, Greta Thunberg's life is pointless and meaningless, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez's life is pointless and meaningless, your life is pointless and meaningless, everybody's life is pointless and meaningless!
The realization of the pointlessness and meaninglessness of it all - for everybody - seems to have lifted a great weight off my shoulders. I thought something was wrong with me, why couldn't I find meaning to life, why couldn't I find a point to exist, and now I realize nothing was wrong with me, it is just life is totally pointless/meaningless.
All the animals on earth except humans, I can guarantee 100% they do not waste a second of their lives asking themselves "What is the point/meaning of life?" They simply get on with their lives, and do what they do.
Whilst life is pointless and meaningless, it doesn't mean that we have nothing to live for.
Everybody needs something to live for otherwise we commit suicide (maybe before now, I was living to find the answer to the questions above). And here's another kicker -
Whatever you want to live for, big or small, is an equally worthy thing to live for!
Elon Musk lives to create and grow his enterprises. Donald Trump lives to make America great again. Greta Thunberg lives to propagate climate terror. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez lives to usher in an age of socialism to the USA. And of course they live for other things too, like family, friends, etcetera. And they live for small things too - simple joys.
People often have regrets. Nothing you could have done or been would change the fact that life is pointless and meaningless.
The question now becomes:
Q: What do you live for?
And remember, big or small reasons are equally worthy. Maybe you live to enjoy going to bed every night. Maybe you live to simply see the sunrise/sunset every day. Maybe you live for food & drink. Whatever you live for, this is special to you. And it doesn't matter that some people live to do big things (like be a great President of the USA) or small things (like a great toilet cleaner), because whatever we live for is equally worthy.
Find things to live for - things that you love/like/that interest you specifically - and live for those things. Don't care what other people are doing, because everyone's life is equally pointless and meaningless. Often the most simplest and pure reasons to live are the best.
And it might be even easier to work out what you don't want to live for. What you don't want to live for is equally useful knowledge.
Now I finally think I start to understand this verse from the bible: "We are all equal in the eyes of God!"
THE END
Q: What do I live for?
This blog has always been my way of self psychological treatment. Now to follow my advice and work out what it is that I want to live for.
Things I live for (in no particular order):
- A simple life (keep it as simple as possible but no simpler)
- Not taking things too seriously - laugh at the absurdity of life - live in beauty!
- Food & drink
- Running (aiming for at least 2 times per week) + walking/trekking
- Exercising (currently 25 press up, 50 situps and 50 curls before sleep)
- Being debt free and prudent (paying off all credits cards, loans and mortgage)
- Blogging
- My work/career
- Trying to be the best (a god/godlike) at what I do (without over doing it)
- Being mindful that it (probably) won't last forever
- As a salaryman don't expect loyalty from an employer
- As a salaryman be grateful (and mindful) that you are paid a salary
- Learning & reading
- Beautiful art
- Listening to great music
- Watching great movies - like: Apocalypse Now, Blade Runner, Predator, Rambo, Tron ...
- My love dolls & furries
- Going to bed at night and sleeping with a beautiful sexy doll while Blade Runner Sleep Radio runs in the background (or something similar)
- My Lotus (but I won't get another - I have wasted too much on cars - I don't live to make car traders wealthy!)
- Peace and quiet
- Future plans (always worthwhile making plans for the future - put something(s) in your calendar to live for!)
- New experiences (variety is the spice of life)
Things I don't live for:
- Regrets (worrying about the past)
- Worrying about the future - I'll take each day as it comes (but it is still wise to make future plans)
- Consumerism (specifically excessive consumerism)
- Social Media
- Face sucking mobile phones - I don't want to spend all my time with my face in my smartphone like so many people do in this modern world
- Face sucking computers - similarly, even though my work dictates I must spend a lot of time in front of a computer, I don't want to spend too much time