Atheists: What do you feel is your purpose in life?

Question

Or do you feel you even have one at all? Do think there is a REASON for you being here?

This is a serious question. I really want to know. Thank You.

Answer 1

I haven't got one yet, but one day I hope to be rich enough to acquire one.  A small bottle-nose would be nice.

Oh!  You said "purpose."

Try "The Robot's Rebellion: finding meaning in the age of Darwin"

by Keith Stanovich.  Thought-provoking stuff.

But no, I don't find it intuitively obvious that there has to be a higher Reason with a capital letter or that history has to have Meaning in the Hegelian sense.

Answer 2

Whatever purpose I choose. :) My purpose is not what someone else chooses for me, but what I choose to make of myself.

Answer 3

To procreate and die just like EVERY other living thing on the planet.

~

Answer 4

I do not think there is a reason for much of anything. No divine, set in stone reason.

I think this is the reason man has created all of the religions and systems that they have created.

But... even with all that... I know i am here... and that you and other "me's  are here ( i refer to humans), so i might as well make some sense of things.

My purpose in life, as i have decided, is to enjoy my life, and to further drive my society, humanity, and my planet into a better future. I do not expect a magical being to sort things out, or that everything will be fine when i die. I think when i die its like unplugging your computer... and then the computer rotting or rusting into a state of inoperability, and then non-existence.

So I think that it is up to us to enjoy life, understand the universe we have been born into, and to make things better for the next generations of me. And to try to make sure there is a future. (no nuclear wars, global warming, asteroids, etc.

And also to reproduce, have little mes running around and to teach them how to think, (not what to think) so they can make the best of their life as well.

Does that help>?

Answer 5

The reason I am here is because my mom and dad had s*x and his sperm and her egg got together and made a truth chick  love shake.

(ok, i just threw up in my mouth a bit on that. YUCK!)

Answer 6

There is no particular reason for me being here.  My purpose is what I choose it to be.

Answer 7

To do good, be nice to people and let the believe whatever they feel comfortable with. Unlike christians...i will help anybody without an ulterior motive.

Answer 8

I don't think there is a reason for me (or anyone) being here, apart from the fact that my parents decided they wanted children. I don't "feel" a particular purpose of life, I think that I am free to choose any purpose I want. And therefore I chose to learn, to see the world from different angles, and to point out the things that seem uncommonly absurd to me.

Answer 9

Well there's no mandated purpose to my existence.  I happened to come into being.  There are reasons life in general came into being, but no reason for me in particular.

Answer 10

To race motorcycles.

Answer 11

Every body has one purpose in life and that is the continuation of the species.  

Answer 12

Everyone makes their own purpose.

Answer 13

To live life to the fullest extent, cause this is the only chance we have!  

Answer 14

The acquisition and dissemination of knowledge.

Answer 15

There is no set reason for me to be here.  Thus my purpose is whatever I make of it.  Life tends to be more fulfilling without a set purpose.

Answer 16

I just plod along, doing what comes naturally, and everything seems to be going OK.

Answer 17

A purpose in life can be whatever you decide it is. People define their lives and give their lives meaning. Just as man created God, to give their lives some objective force with which to govern them, before they had any scientific understanding, man can shape what is and isn't in their lives.

Answer 18

Seriously,... I don't need a purpose or a reason to be.

I am.

That is sufficient.

I don't believe in afterlife or any kind of "eternal" existence, I don't believe in "fate", karma, or any kind of supernatural influence in the world.

The "universe" is impersonal and doesn't give a rat's *ss about us and our little machinations.

But, I have a family, and I live in civilized society, so I follow the laws of our state, country, etc. to the best I can.

Answer 19

I live, make my mark on the world then die. How big a mark you can make is the important thing.

Answer 20

that is a fantastic question.

all i can say is......whatever reason i may exist has nothing to do with ANYTHING written in a book by mere men.

susan b anthony said it best

""I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."

Answer 21

Why should there be a REASON? Life - as we know it - has evolved over hundreds of millions of years. Now we are sentient, sapient beings. We are intelligent, resourceful and inventive. The only REASON that people think there is some REASON for our existence is because they can't accept that there is nothing before life and nothing after death. Their mind's can't fathom such things. Non-sentient, non-sapient living creatures (such as cats) eat, sleep, procreate with nary a thought for their REASON for being.

To argue that we have a REASON for being and, for example cats, don't is the nub of one of the BIG mistakes of religous thought; that we are the only important creatures and that everything else was "put here" for us - it is anthropocentric, arrogant and JUST PLAIN WRONG...

Answer 22

No.  I don't have a reason, I'm here by pure chance from the result of my mom and dad...yeah.

Answer 23

The _reason_ is my mom liked my dad in that special way, and my _purpose_ is whatever I feel like today.

Answer 24

Well, prove to us that you have a "purpose"... No one does, thats just an anthropomorphised projection of yourselves onto an non living Universe.

For us, from my point of view, our goal is to live a good and well informed life, to leave behind more good than ill, and to have enjoyed it as much as is reasonably possible.

Because this go around is the ONLY one anyone gets.  

Answer 25

The reason I am here is because I have not yet succumbed to the many forces out for my destruction (age, disease, war, famine, etc.). Someday I will so succumb, and then I will cease to exist.

Should I choose to end my life on my own (not bloody likely, but people do it), I would also cease to exist, just prematurely.

Answer 26

I am not atheist, I'm Christian, but still there are some times when I wonder what the heck am I doing here? I often feel very sad, unsatisfied and unhappy and I wish I was never born... But there are other times when I feel better, luckily... But I can never find a right purpose to live, a purpose that's worth it..  

Answer 27

Simple. We have no purpose. I find that very freeing! I feel it's a fabulous coincidence that this species has evolved so well and we will continue to. But what I really like, is that my only purpose is to enjoy my life and appreciate the things around me and create my own experience, from myself, not some deity.

Answer 28

I don''t think there needs to be a "higher reason"...actually to me, thinking about that I'm just here because "God" willed it, feels kind of lame....like I'm someones personal entertainment or something.

The purpose in life is simple.  To just enjoy and experience, to help others (oh yes i believe you should be your brothers keeper, and not just because I will burn in h**l if i don't), to make things better for everyone in your life...you, your family, friends, and anyone else you can touch in your life.

We are all in this world together, none of us really know whats going on, we are just trying to make the best of life as we all can.  Why not be good to each other, understand everyone has their own views and needs, and just live our lives as best we can.

Answer 29

life is like a good wine for me , you should taste it when it is old.

thank you.

Answer 30

I think there is just as much reason for me as there is for any other animal on this planet. I just lucked out to be able to be human.

By the way, is that a drink in your avatar? Can I have it? ;)

Answer 31

1- to crush your enemy,

2- see them driven before you,

and

3- to hear the lamentation of thier women.