January 13, 2009
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Right to Exist?
Sometimes I wonder…
If we aren’t doing something, anything, that helps or saves at least someone or something, what is the purpose of our existence? Are we wasting our lives? What right do we have to exist if we don’t at least try to do something to make things better for others?
Comments (13)
Well… I guess I feel that as long as we are having a basically positive effect on our environment, in the every day, with everyone we meet and know, then there is a great deal of meaning to our existence.
…Of course, that’s an ideal… we aren’t positive every day… but it’s worth a shot.
I believe in the same things, we should be helping people more. I don’t think we were brought here just to think of ourselves.
I think it depends on your outlook on things…and how you save things. I always feel bad for not volunteering, but if you are providing a service to someone, aren’t you still helping others out, even if it’s not in terms of community service? I think we all give back a little bit with our jobs, even though we don’t always see it…
that’s probably the reason why so amny suffer from depression, while others suffer from starvation
That is a very good question to ask Kellen. This might not apply to you but this is how it is for me. I believe in God and I’m not sure if you do. I believe that he created me. Because I do, I think only He holds the answer to the question why I exist. I mean, I think only the potter knows what the clay is all about and why he created it… :-/
Do I live my life for others, yes I do.
Sometimes I wonder that too, and now I even think that it doesn’t make any sense to live to improve someone else’s life either. Because their purpose is to improve ours, and in the end, it means nothing if its purpose is entirely dependent upon itself.
That was a badly written proof, but hopefully, that makes sense.
It’s interesting to see that we feel we need to have a purpose in life. I don’t think we need anything to gain the right to exist–it seems we just do. That privilege appears to be more of something taken than anything else.
I don’t know what our purpose is, but I believe we have one. Whether or not I need to know that purpose–well, I’m not quite sure about that question yet.
-Anna.
A friend of mine, who is actually a Xanga user (moritheil), once made a post and had a quote in it that I keep on my desk.
“If I am not for others, what am I? And if now now, when?” -Rabb Hillel
wow.
haha.
not to offend all the people whose blogs i haven’t been able to encounter,but you’re the first person whose thoughts on xanga seem very profound. they’re deep and it’s easy to relate because it’s not about drugs or drinking or something so specific, but just a broad, universal topic to ponder.
for your parent(s)?
I know in US culture, the goal of adulthood is to ssparate oneself as far from the parent(s) as possible.
The older i get, the more i realize how much they have affected me, how subconsciously i am trying to succeed for them.
aren’t parent(s) the basis for your existence?
@ddeborah31 - thank you for the compliment ^_^ I’m not always profound at all but I’m glad you’ve liked what I’ve written so far.
@ClockworkBunny - this is pretty close to my philosophy actually. But still it’s hard to know if you are having any kind of a beneficial effect and there’s always the fear that maybe you could be and ought to be doing a lot more.
@buckeyegirl31 - I wonder about that. In our jobs we are for the most part minor contributors will little sway into the direction of the whole company. How do we know if we aren’t contributing to something that causes harm.
@relaxolgy - good point. it’s a nice dichotomy. And ultimately I guess feeds the same disparities. It’s hard to act when depressed.
@purplepixiepoo - If I were the clay, I’d demand the builder tell me what he’s making me into and why. But if he doesn’t answer, I’d look elsewehere for meaning. But that’s just me.
@StorybookAuthor - It does make sense. But hopefully we are making the whole human species better. To what ends? Well what else is there? I don’t know if I “need” to know my purpose, but I damn well want to know.
@Laryssa - very nice quote. I’ll try and remember it.
@duckling8912 - I don’t think so. But parental pride and respect can create a lot of value for people in their successes
@nephyo - Pretty reasonable….
I don’t question why we’re here. To be honest, I don’t think it really makes a difference. We are here, and that’s the point. Now we just need to do the best we can with what we’ve been given.