Why do people so commonly abide by the phrase "You only live once"?

Question

Why is the phrase "You only live once" so easily accepted into people's philosophical way of thinking when there is currently no true knowledge of, or evidence, indicating whether it is true or false? It may be a random, vague question- but think about it....

The phrase is so commonly overlooked and adopted into certain people's attitudes, whilst seemingly not even consciously being questioned!

Regardless of religion, many (usually young) people tend to have this "Gotta do everything that I can while i'm still alive, morals aside" attitude.

Does this mean that people who use the phrase are atheists, or, at least, do not believe in an afterlife?

I guess it's more of an opinion question more than anything, but just something I thought about.

Answer 1

Because it's true!  Duh.

Answer 2

Perhaps because "There is no true knowledge of, or evidence that we live more than once" doesn't roll off the tongue quite the same way.

Answer 3

i think it's a stupid excuse to use when you want to do something and you know it's not the smartest thing to do so you say,"you only live once" because you know you don't have a better reason.

Answer 4

when they say that phrase they are referring to the life here as we know it.They want to make the most of the short life we have on earth ,not necessarily doing immoral things either.Most people dont even put as much thought into what they say and really are being general.

Answer 5

well there are people like myself that even though we dont know for a fact, we use logic and reasoning to come to the conclusion that we do only live once. and even if there was an after life and ect its still not this world right? so we only live here once. we only get one of these physical human lives. so while were here why not live it up. why waste it assuming that theres greener grass on the other side. i like the green grass we got here and ima have a ball playing in it.

Answer 6

Well, 1. you are talking about people around you, in your country. In India, the common thought is that you live many times, and they consist more than a billion of the world's population.

2. there is truth in the phrase, cus you do not live twice (as yourself, not other encarnations)!

3. We may hope for an afterlife, or a second life. but we are never sure.

4. The philosophy of "CARPE DIEM" is the dominant philosophy in the modern, western world. and the western culture is the dominant one in the world today. Remember the "survival of the fittest"? the philosophies of mankind, too, follow the law of "evolution" (perhaps). So when the dominant culture is based on scientific questioning, and questions any beliefs in the metaphysical, what do you expect?

5. morality can be kept in such a world only by belief in some "humanistic" ethics: "Live and let live".

Answer 7

Because these saying define a person's attitude, and some people are more than happy adopting these sayings in order to define themselves...because they don't know how else to build their identities.

Answer 8

ignorance

Answer 9

It's mainly, in my opinion, due to the fact that multiple lives cannot be tangibly verified.  After all, as I have seen it, the open acceptance of "anything is possible," is a huge delusion created by our ignorance or lack of knowledge concerning the laws of the universe and how everything within it fits together and interacts.  It is a lack of knowing truly what is actually probable.  Thus, in our lack of knowledge, we forget that all things are conceivable or can be imagined, but that which we imagine has not always proven itself to be real.  So all things are conceivable but all things conceived are not always possible.

It is best to keep oneself grounded in what you can verify due to the fact that the human mind is so wildly creative and can visualize almost anything.  All we have been able to verify so far is that we live this life and then die.  Whatever experience comes afterward (if any) is so far left to the dead and perhaps it is best that way...

If mankind truly believed that we lived only once, would we waste our time so greatly as we do?  We spend the first 20 or so years of our lives cooped up in a classroom and the rest of it working a job we rarely like, followed shortly by retirement.  We rarely fully live via direct experience anymore, but rather through our minds and this seems to rob me, especially, of what it really is to be alive because I can care less about alleged human knowledge, for I believe we know absolutely nothing and are here more for the experience than to "learn" half the bullshit we have available here as others may say.

Answer 10

Because we might only live once and we age and then die so that is the general belief. No one knows if we live after death so it makes sense.

Answer 11

I think it refers to only living on this earth once ; and is usually used in the context as sort of reassurance for enjoying something special. Like"live it up now..you only live once".

Answer 12

Well, given the total absence of evidence to the contrary, isn't it the one ABSOLUTE truth for all known forms of life? So why not make it your life's philosophy? And it can be a guiding principle in behaving decently and with dignity, whatever life throws at you - knowing that one has to seek redemption in the here and now... not some nebulous comfort zone of an afterlife.

Answer 13

i dont think it necessarily means that the person who said it is an atheist. i think its just comfot in risk-taking. like if you want to do something, and you're questioning it, the phrase "you only live once" may be your deciding factor

Answer 14

yeah, i understand where you're coming from but its like they say 'you're only young once' so get away with things while you can..no-one knows what happens after you die and it cant be proved that we are re-born/re-incarcerated..

Answer 15

they do not beleive in reincarnation or the afterlife. if they did, truely did they would not let themselves say that.