# meaning of life.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 13, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766 "2003-02-13T04:37:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nomadic\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/858c86/32.png) [@Nomadic\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nomadic_One)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/1 "2003-02-13T04:37:49Z")
…what is the meaning of life… \*…im still working on an answer to my own question and might have one later… ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/2 "2003-02-13T04:43:36Z")
There is an old joke in which a man, an average, everyday man, becomes interested in Eastern philosophy. After a while, reading about it isn’t enough, so he abandons his job, his wife, and his kids, flies off to Tibet, and climbs a mountain upon which lives a legendary religious master. He asks the master for the meaning of life. The master replies “,The meaning of life is a flower.” The man is outraged. “I gave up everything to come here,” he says, “and that’s all you have to say?! That the meaning of life is a flower?!” Counters the master “,You mean it’s not?!” ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/3 "2003-02-13T04:46:26Z")
[Some of the suggested road maps](http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=%22what+is+the+meaning+of+life%3F%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en) out there. ---
**Author:** ![Nomadic\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/858c86/32.png) [@Nomadic\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nomadic_One)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/4 "2003-02-13T04:49:01Z")
oh yea i forgot i can find every question about anything in google… hmm… ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/5 "2003-02-13T04:52:29Z")
**Moderator’s Note:** Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Board, **Nomadic\_One**. The “General Questions” forum is for questions with _factual_ answers. Our “Great Debates” forum is for “long-running discussions of the great questions of our time”, of which “What is the meaning of life?” is sort of a classic, so I’ll move this thread over there. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/6 "2003-02-13T04:56:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nomadic\_One \* > \*\*oh yea i forgot i can find every question about anything in google… hmm… \*\* Not necessarily this one, **Nomadic\_One** , unless you agree with the philosophies within. Welcome to the SDMB, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![Jiminy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5fc32e/32.png) [@Jiminy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jiminy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/7 "2003-02-13T05:01:03Z")
Life \Life\ (l[imac]f), n.; pl. Lives (l[imac]vz). [AS. l[imac]f; akin to D. lijf body, G. leib body, MHG. l[imac]p life, body, OHG. l[imac]b life, Icel. l[imac]f, life, body, Sw. lif, Dan. liv, and E. live, v. [root]119. See Live, and cf. Alive.] 1. The state of being which begins with generation, birth, or germination, and ends with death; also, the time during which this state continues; that state of an animal or plant in which all or any of its organs are capable of performing all or any of their functions; – used of all animal and vegetable organisms. ``` 2. Of human beings: The union of the soul and body; also, the duration of their union; sometimes, the deathless quality or existence of the soul; as, man is a creature having an immortal life. She shows a body rather than a life. --Shak. 3. (Philos) The potential principle, or force, by which the organs of animals and plants are started and continued in the performance of their several and co["o]perative functions; the vital force, whether regarded as physical or spiritual. 4. Figuratively: The potential or animating principle, also, the period of duration, of anything that is conceived of as resembling a natural organism in structure or functions; as, the life of a state, a machine, or a book; authority is the life of government. 5. A certain way or manner of living with respect to conditions, circumstances, character, conduct, occupation, etc.; hence, human affairs; also, lives, considered collectively, as a distinct class or type; as, low life; a good or evil life; the life of Indians, or of miners. That which before us lies in daily life. --Milton. By experience of life abroad in the world. --Ascham. Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime. --Longfellow. 'T is from high life high characters are drawn. --Pope 6. Animation; spirit; vivacity; vigor; energy. No notion of life and fire in fancy and in words. --Felton. That gives thy gestures grace and life. --Wordsworth. 7. That which imparts or excites spirit or vigor; that upon which enjoyment or success depends; as, he was the life of the company, or of the enterprise. 8. The living or actual form, person, thing, or state; as, a picture or a description from the life. 9. A person; a living being, usually a human being; as, many lives were sacrificed. 10. The system of animal nature; animals in general, or considered collectively. Full nature swarms with life. --Thomson. 11. An essential constituent of life, esp. the blood. The words that I speak unto you . . . they are life. --John vi. 63. The warm life came issuing through the wound. --Pope 12. A history of the acts and events of a life; a biography; as, Johnson wrote the life of Milton. 13. Enjoyment in the right use of the powers; especially, a spiritual existence; happiness in the favor of God; heavenly felicity. 14. Something dear to one as one's existence; a darling; -- used as a term of endearment. Note: Life forms the first part of many compounds, for the most part of obvious meaning; as, life-giving, life-sustaining, etc. Life annuity, an annuity payable during one's life. Life arrow, Life rocket, Life shot, an arrow, rocket, or shot, for carrying an attached line to a vessel in distress in order to save life. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/8 "2003-02-13T05:06:45Z")
I’m reasonably sure that the answer to the meaning of life is a small–but nontrivial–component of 42. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/9 "2003-02-13T05:29:01Z")
I really hate when people ask this question. Asking “what is the meaning of life” is linguistically the same as asking “what flavour is a triangle”. Sure, one can physically string those words together, but it doesn’t make logical sense. “Meaning” is no more a property of life than is “flavour” a property of triangles… ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/10 "2003-02-13T05:39:33Z")
Well that’s just silly. Triangles are obviously [cheese](http://www.kraftfoods.co.uk/dairylea/range.htm) flavour. Doesn’t help with the question though. And, as the mice found out, even if you get the answer, you’re not entirely sure what the question is. The best answer and question we have to date are “42” and “What do you get if you multiply six by nine” respectively, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/11 "2003-02-13T13:03:26Z")
Yay! for Douglas Adams, who I thought was forgotten after reading the first five posts 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/12 "2003-02-13T13:25:20Z")
Trigonal Planar wrote: > [@](#): > > “Meaning” is no more a property of life than is “flavour” a property of triangles… Speak for yourself. Just because you consider your own life to be meaningless, that doesn’t say anything about the lives of other people. A triangle, in the context of art, can have attributes like “meaning”. And so can life in the context of a moral journey. ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/13 "2003-02-13T13:48:22Z")
The meaning of life is the personal quest to find what gives your life “meaning” in the broadest sense. Find wonder in the wonderful, feel the awe from the awesome, in work and play seek to experience fulfilment. This “life” thing might or might not continue after your death, as it might or might not have existed before your birth. You might have only one chance at it, you might have many. Either way, what can you lose in maximising the experience of _this_ one? ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/14 "2003-02-13T14:16:40Z")
[The Master speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_027.html). ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/15 "2003-02-13T18:10:21Z")
Sorry, I’m not giving in that easy. Certain _interpretations_ of life may have certain meaning to certain individuals in their context of moving from point A to point B, but a blanket question of “what is the meaning of life” simply doens’t make sense. You must deffine exactly what your interpretatation of “life” and “meaning” is, along with the context in which they are being used. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/16 "2003-02-13T19:49:50Z")
Oh, lordy. Here we go with the definition maypole — the last gasp of a lost debate. Define life. Life is ABC. Define A and B and C. A is EFG. B is HIJ. C is KLM. Define E and F and G and H and I and J and K and L and M. And so on. Even biologists have not defined “life” to their own satisfaction. And asking for a definition of “meaning” has a certain spooky irony to it. Maybe you should define what you mean by “interpretations” and “individuals” and “sense” and “context”. Or else, maybe we should stop pretending that we don’t know what each other is talking about. The meaning of life is clearly subjective. Whatever meaning you assign to it will derive from whatever you most treasure about life as you understand it. As Jesus teaches, “Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.” ---
**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/17 "2003-02-13T20:01:27Z")
I dont know what the meaning of life is (other than 42). I do know the secret of life. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/18 "2003-02-13T22:31:05Z")
Libertarian: You’re actually not too far off base with that I’m saying. The meaning of life is, to borrow a math term, a “free variable”. It can take on any value. In the same sense that a triangle in a piece of artwork could take on any value. Abstract subjective values we assign to objects have nothing to do with the properties of those objects themselves. A triangle is a shape composed of 3 points joined by line segments. Color, flavour, etc. are not properties of triangles. However, we can assign a particular triangle a particular colour and interpret it as having flavour, a “sense”, meaning…whatever, afterwards. Similarly, and individual can assign a particular value to a particular element of their being alive, but you cannot say “life has meaning” any more than you can say “triangles have flavour”. Does my trip to the store have meaning? No. Does it have a _purpose_? Yes. If I take a trip to the store everyday at the same time to buy the same items in the same old routine, and I write a memoir on my days suffering with depression, then that trip might symbolize the pointlessness I felt. In that case, my trip to the store does have meaning. (BTW, that’s just an example.) ---
**Author:** ![man779977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@man779977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/man779977)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/19 "2003-02-14T01:36:36Z")
what if the meaning of your trip was to have a purpose? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![man779977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@man779977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/man779977)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766/20 "2003-02-14T01:41:05Z")
i have my own meaning for life as most of us do, you just have to find it [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-life/154766.md?page=2)