Do we exist?

[Adrian II]

im not mad, deppressed or suicidal but one could go mad thinking about what we are or why we are here......

You are most certainly not mad for pondering the question. Everybody faces it sooner or later in their lives.

I think the answer is that there is no meaning of life in any general sense. That's not a disaster. And it doesn't imply that 'life is meaningless'. Basically, it means you're free to give meaning to your life as you see fit. That is not a duty, it's not a necessity - it is simply a given fact. There are no hidden meanings either inside yourself or in the outside world, such as in evolution, in the Bible, any other philosopy or religion, or any outside source of 'authority'. You might go mad if you keep thinking that there is some obscure meaning to your life and you're somehow missing it, that you're missing the point of your own existence on earth. You're not, because there is none. The only point to your life is the one you consciously acknowledge. You can of course accept an outside source of meaning if you want to, but you are doing so at your discretion. It's your choice.

The downside of this is that you can't walk away from the consequences of your choices. You can never hide behind Karl Marx, the Bible or any other source of 'authority' and ascribed meaning, because you chose to follow them, believe in them, accept them as sources of meaning.

However, if you welcome the sort of inner freedom that comes with it, and if you acknowledge that many of the things that happen to you are actually the consequences your own choices, you may surprise yourself with what you are able to accomplish.

[Sjakihata]

Life is anything but meaningless. The fact that the fundamental value of man is freedom, makes any life meaningful, because each individual can chose his own fate. The meaning of life is thus relative, according to the project of each man and woman. (yes, I just read existentialism is a humanism )

[The_Emperor]

The Emperor said: "get out more!!"

Some people pursue a greater understanding. Others, either due to apathy or interest choose the "Ignorance is bliss" door.

Now in order to think that "Ignorance is bliss" you have to be deliberately hiding away from the truth...

Given that all of these many theories about the nature of our existance cannot ever be proven one way or the other then we will never know the truth.

This theory has only been embraced because of our new nature as technojunkies, Science seems to be the new religion, so our gods now in turn reflect that.

There is nothing to hide away from because we cannot ever know the answer to the question "why are we here?".

[LittleGrizzly]

It's pretty shallow to think that the mecahnics of living beings is enough to show true existence.

Ok so you don't beleave in souls. What do you beleave in? I'm asking because if you beleave that there nothing more then the mechanics then you automatically beleave that you will become nothing when you die. Also you would beleave that life is meaningless. Am I right or wrong?

Right just means i got to make sure i enjoy life.

[bmolsson]

I actually did not believe that I existed, until the bloody doctor slapped my ass. I must say getting born was not as funny as they said in my former life as a bug..... ;)

[Skomatth]

A note about the physics:

General Relativity and quantum mechanics aren't compatible because GR assumes bodies have definite positions and speeds which QM has shown that bodies don't have.

Also, the Big Bang refers to a period of rapid inflationary expansion caused by repulsive gravity due to a fluctuation in the inflaton field which created negative pressure. There was a brief period of time before this happened. In other words, the Big Bang is not the start of the universe, its the reason the observable universe is so big.

[Devastatin Dave]

Yes we exist but only because of me. You are all in my mind, atleast that's what the voices told me.