The meaning of life is something that people have pondered for eons. Here is one answer to the purpose of existence. Life is complicated, and there is a lot of stuff to do. It is the stuff that people can do and will do that makes up what people call “life.” The infinite complexity of life is part of the answer to the question of life.
Ultimately, being born causes each living thing to come up with an essential question. The question of life is to ask what to do with the amazing gift that life is. One can endlessly follow the path of self-improvement and find joy in bettering oneself. One could also fill their life with the pleasures of being alive. There are many things that one can do in the 80 or so years that human beings can experience. One could even create long-lasting bonds that create substance within one’s life.
The Path of Self-Improvement
The path of bettering oneself is a never-ending journey full of roadblocks, mountains, and valleys. To walk the path of self-improvement is to promise oneself to endlessly become better than they were yesterday. Many people walk this path and find joy in it. They learn new skills, talk to new people, and become better people in the process.
This is a wonderful way to live life. The path of self-improvement requires that one try to learn new things about oneself and the world. These people never stay too comfortable or complacent with their place in life. This sort of life is about the journey and wisdom found in trying to become a better person. However, this is only how some people choose to live their lives, and only one answer to the meaning of life.
Savor the Joy
Another answer would be to fill one’s life with the pleasures of being alive. Living life to experience the joys of life is how many people try to live their life. Smelling the flowers and forming lifelong fulfilling relationships with people are along this road. There are many joys in this life and these people attempt to maximize their own personal experience.
Things like volunteering, drinking a well-blended tea, or attending a concert are all acceptable in this life. The joy of existing is that one has the possibility to explore and find what they do and don’t like. The point of this path, however, is to find and savor the joy that one comes across in life. One may find something they like when they are younger but may dislike it when they are older. So these folks try to savor the joy found in their life experiences.
Bonds of Substance
Finally, finding and creating bonds of substance can be an extremely fulfilling way to answer the question of life as well. This answer is a deeply human answer.
Human beings are known as a social species, which means that living life to build bonds with others is a very human way to live. Some people live their life creating bonds with other people. Learning and bonding with people can also be a great way to answer the question of life.
Some people get married and have kids and savor those familial bonds. Other people enjoy falling in love and savoring romantic bonds. Other people enjoy chatting with strangers and forming bonds that way. All three of these methods are valid ways to create bonds of substance.
It is this same substance that, for many people, gives life true meaning. For many people, their answer to the question of life is to enjoy being with their family, their partner, or with their friends. Once again, all of these methods are valid.
It’s Anybody’s Guess
How one chooses to live their life is up to them. Whether they choose to improve themselves until they drop out or they choose to have a huge family, it is up to them. Everyone is different, and everyone has a different answer to the question of life.
This is part of what makes life so interesting. One could do a 100-year test and simply watch what people do over the course of their life. The infinite potential of life is part of what makes life so interesting. However, whatever kind of life one chooses, make sure it is a good one.
Written by Kenneth Mazerat
Sources
Psychology Today: What Is the Meaning of Life? by Neel Burton M.D.
Mark Manson: What Is Self-Improvement? by MARK MANSON
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Lesley’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
First Inset Image Courtesy of Mr. Sandman’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
