What if you were to find out with absolute certainty that there is no life after death and that everything we...
...do is ultimately futile and utterly insignificant? How would that knowledge affect you?
26-30, M
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LadyGiselle
It would matter very little to me as far as there being no life after death. That is what i already think right now. I do not acknowledge your premise that just because there is no after life and no god than everything we do is futile and insignificant. But say I did so what its futile does that mean I should suddenly stop doing everything I love or do day to day in order to sulk or throw a tantrum because it's apparently insignificant? So long as it matters to me and I can be a person with ideals and have a go at life, why should I care. The fact that we do not live forever either in life or in death only makes living and existing far more significant and what we do in our lives on our own paths so much more important. It is more important to live life as you want and take chances and risks. To make it count and burn brightly and exist while we can right now. Because there is no second go around, no eternal afterlife there is just life. Cruel in a lot of ways, but real and meaningful and everything we think it is right now. the things in your life don't suddenly lose their worth or their value simply because there is no god or heaven. They should matter more because it doesn't last. Living with belief that life is insignificant just because there is no afterlife that sounds awful and I could never think that way. The only thing that is remotely futile is believing that anything, god or otherwise can prevent or raise us from death. It doesn't happen when you die that is just it.
OrWhatever · 26-30, M
Well, let's presuppose that there truly is no life after death (and I don't believe there to be life after death, by the way) and that the earth will eventually be devoid of all life, human and not human: what difference would my life make? I mean, life on earth will inevitably become extinct, so, besides a slightly different causal chain of events, what difference would my existence make?
LadyGiselle
None, you would make no difference whatsoever. Still I wouldn't view that as an acceptable reason to do nothing. We would all be in the those circumstances just the same. , if you are talking about making a difference globally or maybe to society if it's already decided and every personal choice we make is futile. As for all life ceasing to exist that could very well happen in the future anyway. I might as well except reality as it is. Also even if we didn't get to make a difference, it doesn't mean we can't still enjoy our time or we have to suddenly stop doing everything we enjoy. I think optimism is important.
5thApprentice
I disagree. Numerous people's actions throughout history have impacted society on a large scale - for the better and for the worse - that isn't insignificant at all. It'd be easy to curl up in a corner and cry that life is meaningless but if it is the case then why not make a meaning or a purpose where their is none?
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5thApprentice
Well, what happens if humanity doesn't go extinct? Would we not want our future descendents to inherit a gift rather than a curse? If everyone felt life was ultimately meaningless, what kind of world would we leave behind for our children, and their children, etc? Even if it does go extinct at least we did the best with what we had at the time.
OrWhatever · 26-30, M
Well (saying "well" is a thing for me at the moment, apparently), I think humanity's extinction is inevitable: even without, say, some major catastrophe causing us to go extinct, due to evolution, humanity will change over time into something quite different than what it is today and it will go extinct in that manner (by the way, I probably have no idea what the hell I'm talking about)... To be clear, I don't believe life is meaningless but I also don't believe life isn't meaningless; it seems impossible to determine with certainty whether life is meaningless or not, so what makes the most sense to me is to simultaneously have hope (that's not to say that I actually have this hope, though) that maybe life isn't meaningless while also not holding a belief that it's meaningful; so what, to me, seems to be the most practical thing to do would be to try to figure out how society can thrive the most, in the case that life is, in fact, meaningful. I'm not sure how much of that made sense, but...
5thApprentice
That made sense to me man. Its a good stance to have on the whole subject and is rather sensible.
yhenlim
i really believe that there is life after death as what the Bible says.. but since your question starts with 'what if', i would still choose to live my life the right way, knowing that i'll only live 1s and should live it the best way i can.. it's an advantage to those who believe in life after death so they can prepare for their eternity..
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silkgirl8
A big what if, I actually do not believe in life after death.
SparkofHope
I would still live as I live now but with more purpose.... to be even more of a humanitarian ....
OrWhatever · 26-30, M
But, the thing is, it wouldn't matter whether you were more of a humanitarian or you weren't.
SparkofHope
yes it would...to me... : )
OrWhatever · 26-30, M
Well, you may be right there, but it wouldn't matter whether or not it mattered to you.
mapleroses
i think i would be happy cause then i wouldn't need to be afraid of going to hell or born again and live all over again.
yacketyyack
with ABSOLUTE certainty is.....
TAXES ,and DEATH.
ANYTHING ELSE IS SPECULATIVE OR WISHFUL THINKING.
TAXES ,and DEATH.
ANYTHING ELSE IS SPECULATIVE OR WISHFUL THINKING.
ChessHottie
I would kill people. XD
OrWhatever · 26-30, M
Well, since it wouldn't matter, I wouldn't be able to justifiably condemn you for doing so... And you're also being sarcastic, so you very well might be disgusted at my saying that. :)
ChessHottie
mmmm maybe not. I think i really would kill people. Missionary or not. I will take the bad guys out. Unless I become the bad chick.
OrWhatever · 26-30, M
Well, I'd say that's an interesting response coming from a missionary.
delilah5
That will never happen. Ever.
OrWhatever · 26-30, M
Well, it's a hypothetical...