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The question of whether life is worth living is not a philosophical question. It is an existential question. As such, no one can answer the question for another. The question should be, "Is MY life worth living?"

We cannot look at another individual's life and determine whether his or her life is worth living. From the outside, another's life might look horrendous. They might be in dire poverty and in seemingly hopeless circumstances. But they may love life and cling to it ferociously.

On the other hand, someone whose life seems idyllic, someone with plenty of money, a beautiful family, a successful and well-respected career, may find life unbearable and commit suicide.

I knew such a man. He was a successful businessman. He had a lovely wife and four small daughters. He had the perfect life by anyone's standards. But the first thing he thought of every day when he woke up was whether he would continue to live for another day.

What Makes Life Worth Living?

This is a more philosophical question. What qualities, attitudes, experiences, or circumstances would tend toward a positive quality of life? Can these be sought out and nurtured?

Children

Children do not wonder if life is worth living. They simply live the life they are given every day. Some children may experience lives of poverty, hunger, and even serious abuse. Even in this country of plenty, child suicide is on the rise.

But if we take a child with a relatively normal family life, they do not question their life. They simply live it as fully as possible. What are the qualities of a child that can help us to understand what can give meaning to our life and make it worth living?

Curiosity

Curiosity is a driving force in the life of every child. From the moment we are born, we are bombarded by new experiences and sensations. Exploration comes naturally to us and we want to know everything about everything. We seek out new information. We seek out new experiences. We seek out new sensations and feelings.

How many parents have been driven to the brink of madness by the incessant questioning of a child? They want to know "why?" and "how?" and "what?" and "where?" Nothing is accepted at face value.

Experiences/Learning

Chil dren would never think that what they are doing as learning. Learning is something you do in school and it can be tedious and boring. But children never stop learning. Most of their early learning does not come from books or lectures. It comes from their own experiences. As adults, the quality of life

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