by Matthew Mulville

Created on: September 01, 2007

There are uncertainties in so many areas of the World and Mind. Even those who hold true to their beliefs on these subjects are, yet, a little uncertain about them. One of the major questions that are constantly being asked is how to find the meaning of Life. Now, there are those who believe they know the meaning of Life and that the need to find it is no longer important. But there are, however, many that do not believe in any particular meaning or purpose and have no idea how to even begin to search for it.

Finding the meaning of Life is a process that has been going on for a very, very long time. Some feel that the actual "meaning" will never be found. This doubt is caused by the overwhelming amount of differing opinions on the topic. A large number of those opinions are extremely personalized and do not necessarily apply to other people because of their difference in opinions. One may say that their meaning of Life is to love. That meaning, I believe, can be scratched off from the list of general possibilities. You may disagree strongly because of your beliefs in certain Religions or lifestyles that discount all other living creatures in the World. The experience of Life stretches far beyond the boundaries of Mankind. Yes, some Animals have been found to possess qualities that suggest that they have the capability of love or conditional affection, but not all. Many people I have talked to conclude that the meaning of Life is to be happy. Though, again, they may have found their meaning of Life, they have definitely not found the general meaning of Life. The one of which that qualifies for all things that experience that of which. There are creatures in the World that do not have any behavior that proves that they actually experience happiness. These two examples of personal meanings of Life I have given are both on the "lighter side" of living, as some may say. A different area of the spectrum includes a belief that the meaning of Life is to reproduce and Die. This meaning is a little more on the right track in that it does apply to all experiencing living creatures, namely Insects, who base their entire lives around reproduction, caring for eggs, feeding, and protecting themselves and like others. Yet there are Humans, who do not base their entire lives on this. There are also other creatures that mate once then live the rest of their lives doing something besides. I have found that the meaning of Life being to reproduce and die is wrong as well. I decided this because I came across the question of "why?". Why would creatures want, or have a driving force, to just reproduce more of their species? What is the reason for the act? The meaning of Life being to reproduce could, however, be a secondary meaning, one of which is desired after the actual primary meaning has or is being fulfilled.

To find the meaning of Life, in a general sense, is a very difficult problem to solve. It would have to apply to every single creature that experiences Life. Also, it would have to be a meaning that does not depend on the existence of, possibly, another meaning. For example, living to breed would spark the question of "why?". Answering this "why?" with "To keep the species in existence." does not make sense because it still leaves room for another "why?". So long an answer is open for the question of "why?", it is likely not to be the meaning of Life.

Perhaps we will never find the true, general meaning of Life because of this question "why?". But we can, however, continue to get closer and closer by answering "why?" over and over again forever. And so the thing keeping us from the answer of the meaning of Life, perhaps, is the question of "why?".

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