Video
Twitter
Facebook
RSS Feed
What gives life meaning?
Q; What gives life meaning?
By Erica Brown
Life is meaningful when transcendent moments are shared with others, when waking up each morning is an act of purpose and when we feel that the world is animated by forces that are greater than we are. Life is meaningful when we read, study and grow and realize that there is depth in all things when we give them time and attention. Life is meaningful when we give love and receive love and feel embraced by human relationships. Every once in a while, we each benefit from some small act of remarkable kindness. Suddenly we feel that an otherwise hostile world, often beset by random acts of destruction - how can we not think this when we look at pictures of Haiti right now? - becomes a place of meaning and solace.
--Dr. Erica Brown, Director for Adult Education at The Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning..
By
David Waters
|
January 22, 2010; 3:14 PM ET
Save & Share:
Previous: Is there such a thing as karma? |
Posted by: ThomasBaum | January 25, 2010 11:11 AM
Report Offensive Comment
I believe that our first transcendent moment is discovering that we're alive and self-aware - of course this occurs at a very early age, and meaning is forever attached to life.
We proceed from a state of complete dependence to a hoped for emotional self-sufficiency, and an ability to empathize with other humans and their suffering.
Unless we develop this capacity for empathy, our growth is stunted, self-centered and endless problems ensue.
Compassion is all about being a fully developed human.
Posted by: persiflage | January 23, 2010 7:24 PM
Report Offensive Comment
I believe that our first transcendent moment is discovering that we're alive and self-aware - of course this occurs at a very early age, and meaning is forever attached to life.
We proceed from a state of complete dependence to a hoped for emotional self-sufficiency, and an ability to empathize with other humans and their suffering.
Unless we develop this capacity for empathy, our growth is stunted, self-centered and endless problems ensue.
Compassion is all about being a fully developed human.
Posted by: persiflage | January 23, 2010 7:24 PM
Report Offensive Comment
Asking, and attempting to answer, this question, appears to suggest that life, in and of itself, is meaningless.
Was that the intention?
Posted by: PSolus | January 23, 2010 12:09 PM
Report Offensive Comment
The comments to this entry are closed.
PSolus
You wrote, "Asking, and attempting to answer, this question, appears to suggest that life, in and of itself, is meaningless."
I think that you are missing the point of what some are saying.
It is not that one cannot find meaning in life but that if ultimately we are nothing more than "worm food", as some put it, than ultimately life is meaningless.
This is the reason that many have asked questions throughout the ages, such as: Is there a "why" rather than just a "how"?, Is this all there is?, there are others.
If "life" is just a dead end, as some think, than even all of the knowledge that we have accumulated is ultimately meaningless, interesting and helpful in the short run but ultimately worthless.
Pretty simple, isn't it?
Take care, be ready.
Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.