[FairfieldLife] Re: Post TMO View of Meaning in Life
Ok, I'll bite. :-) --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, new.morning [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: In a recent conversation, someone mentioned Frankl's book -- Mans Search for Meaning -- which i read some time ago -- but when I was wrapped up in a TMO world view. I began reflecting on it. Frankl, as I refreshed my memory on a website, said there is not abstract meaning of life, but only meaning in the context of moment, in any given action -- and having the freedom to define that moment (that is the freedom to view any circumstance in ones on view -- in a positive view.) Thats my quick take -- I am sure some of that is mangled. But it conveys the essence of it pretty well, IMO. I guess it goes without saying that I tend to agree with him. I was wondering what others think. Perhaps there will be some cute, some dismissive responses. No problem -- particularly if there are some well considered views offered up. Would the more well-considered views make the thread more meaningful? :-) Some tangental questions: Meaningfulness vs purposefulness -- can something be purposeful but not meaningful? Absolutely. IMO, of course. I'm not a big person for searching for meaning in life. I'm not convinced life has any meaning at all. And y'know...I don't miss it. :-) The TMO -- the purpose of life is expansion of happiness. Fine. But is there meaning in happiness -- and its expansion? That's what some choose to believe. Me, I don't. If the seeming *purpose* of life is expansion, that does NOT imply to me that that's the *meaning* of life. It's just what seems to be happening, not *why* it's happening. Maybe there ISN'T a *why*. Socrates asked what is the good life -- a life well spent. is that the same as meaningfulness? Not in my opinion. That's more like life as purpose- fulness. We're back to the conversation with Dana Sawyer that Rick posted here recently. There are all sorts of inner revelations and perceptions of the meaning of life that one could have subject- ively. We hear them every day on this forum. But the real bottom line for Dana -- and for me -- is, Do these subjective experiences of 'higher' states of consciousness actually seem to change the person's everyday behavior in a way that most people watching them from the outside -- objectively -- would agree is beneficial for humanity? If not, then what worth do these subjective experiences actually HAVE? Meaningfulness vs. purposefulness. One can have cool revelations all day, but if one never puts them to any purpose for the benefit of others, what meaning have they really *found*, eh? SSRS said a couple of things that stuck with me. Paraphrasing Don't take life too seriously. It all doesn't matter Sort of a nihilistic approach -- but in a good way :) I don't see it as nihilistic in any way. More accurate than anything else. The only people who might get uptight at the suggestion that life might have NO meaning at all are those who are heavily attached to their lives *having* meaning. From my point of view, a lot of people really seem to NEED their lives to have meaning. So they glom onto whatever meaning seems most appropriate to them. Cool, I guess. Me, I'm fairly comfortable with my life having no meaning at all, just being a dance from here to here, from Then (another form of now) to Now (the latest and greatest form of now). H. Now that I think of it, dance may be the proper metaphor for what I'm feeling as I type this, thinking out loud. Think Snoopy in the Peanuts comic strip, doing his Dance To Spring, twirling away, waving his hands (uh...paws) flung in the air, clearly enjoying his life so much that it bursts out of him in spon- taneous and joyful dance. Does Snoopy's dance MEAN anything? Is it symbolic of something? Does it have layers and layers of meaning attached to it? Is it part of God's plan? Or is it just dance? I'm not convinced that the dance of life has meaning. But it sure does have purpose. The purpose of Snoopy's dance was to make millions of readers smile with the remembrance that someone *can* dance like that. If one or two of them did, inspired by Snoopy's example, then Charles Schultz's life had purpose. But that doesn't necessarily give it meaning.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Post TMO View of Meaning in Life
snip SSRS said a couple of things that stuck with me. Paraphrasing Don't take life too seriously. It all doesn't matter Sort of a nihilistic approach -- but in a good way :) Also Don't Strive! Just drop it Thus perhaps leading to a conclusion that there is not meaning in life -- life is hollow and empty. Meaning is only in THAT. (or Dat) FYI - A somewhat useful summary page about the different ways to understand the meaning of life question is available by searching on either meaning or meaning of life on Wiki. SSRS even gets a quote displayed on the wiki page. empty
[FairfieldLife] Re: Post TMO View of Meaning in Life
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: snip I'm not a big person for searching for meaning in life. I'm not convinced life has any meaning at all. FWIW, this is one point on which I agree with Barry. I don't even think the phrase meaning of life has any meaning.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Post TMO View of Meaning in Life
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, new.morning [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: In a recent conversation, someone mentioned Frankl's book -- Mans Search for Meaning -- which i read some time ago -- but when I was wrapped up in a TMO world view. I began reflecting on it. Frankl, as I refreshed my memory on a website, said there is not abstract meaning of life, but only meaning in the context of moment, in any given action -- and having the freedom to define that moment (that is the freedom to view any circumstance in ones on view -- in a positive view.) Thats my quick take -- I am sure some of that is mangled. I was wondering what others think. Perhaps there will be some cute, some dismissive responses. No problem -- particularly if there are some well considered views offered up. Some tangental questions: Meaningfulness vs purposefulness -- can something be purposeful but not meaningful? The TMO -- the purpose of life is expansion of happiness. Fine. But is there meaning in happiness -- and its expansion? Socrates asked what is the good life -- a life well spent. is that the same as meaningfulness? SSRS said a couple of things that stuck with me. Paraphrasing Don't take life too seriously. It all doesn't matter Sort of a nihilistic approach -- but in a good way :) Also Don't Strive! Just drop it Thus perhaps leading to a conclusion that there is not meaning in life -- life is hollow and empty. Meaning is only in THAT. (or Dat) I'd suggest yes, the particle finds meaning only in THAT, and in turn THAT finds meaning only in the particle -- both in a sense needing each other for maximum Life, or for a current of attention/Love to flow and give a sense of purpose, learning, expansion, joy, and so on ... :-)
[FairfieldLife] Re: Post TMO View of Meaning in Life
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Rory Goff [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, new.morning no_reply@ wrote: In a recent conversation, someone mentioned Frankl's book -- Mans Search for Meaning -- which i read some time ago -- but when I was wrapped up in a TMO world view. I began reflecting on it. Frankl, as I refreshed my memory on a website, said there is not abstract meaning of life, but only meaning in the context of moment, in any given action -- and having the freedom to define that moment (that is the freedom to view any circumstance in ones on view -- in a positive view.) Thats my quick take -- I am sure some of that is mangled. I was wondering what others think. Perhaps there will be some cute, some dismissive responses. No problem -- particularly if there are some well considered views offered up. Some tangental questions: Meaningfulness vs purposefulness -- can something be purposeful but not meaningful? The TMO -- the purpose of life is expansion of happiness. Fine. But is there meaning in happiness -- and its expansion? Socrates asked what is the good life -- a life well spent. is that the same as meaningfulness? SSRS said a couple of things that stuck with me. Paraphrasing Don't take life too seriously. It all doesn't matter Sort of a nihilistic approach -- but in a good way :) Also Don't Strive! Just drop it Thus perhaps leading to a conclusion that there is not meaning in life -- life is hollow and empty. Meaning is only in THAT. (or Dat) I'd suggest yes, the particle finds meaning only in THAT, and in turn THAT finds meaning only in the particle -- both in a sense needing each other for maximum Life, or for a current of attention/Love to flow and give a sense of purpose, learning, expansion, joy, and so on ... :-) Don't take life too seriously. It all doesn't matter-- could be said this way: To not 'take' life, don't usurp, don't be bound to what life offers of its own, too seriously, (because) it all doesn't (consist of) matter.:-) Don't strive! Just drop it!-- perhaps because the ego in a state of ignorance will strive to continue its own blindness, no matter what its endeavor. Just drop it, means plummet to the infinite depths of the transcendent instead, and discover the true meaning of Life.:-)
