Not surprisingly there is a wikipedia entry for this topic. At the end of the large material from across time and geography covering greeks, western, eastern , contemporary, Physics and all such topics.. there was a summary of sorts. my choice is "To find the meaning of life". Clearly this means different things for different people and the objective is find one's own. I stand corrected. It should be "to seek to find the meaning of life" as the journey is the key than the end. Even within religious context, the options are plenty than just get to god. So what do you pick?
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"What is the meaning of life?" is a question many people ask themselves at some point during their lives, most in the context "What is the purpose of life?"[4] Here are some of the life goals people choose, and some of their beliefs on what the purpose of life is:
Dante and Beatrice see God as a point of light surrounded by angels; from Gustave Doré's illustrations for the Divine Comedy
Quote from Wikipedia
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"What is the meaning of life?" is a question many people ask themselves at some point during their lives, most in the context "What is the purpose of life?"[4] Here are some of the life goals people choose, and some of their beliefs on what the purpose of life is:
[edit] To realize one's potential and ideals
- To chase dreams.[6]
To live one's dreams.[133] - To spend it for something that will outlast it.[134]
- To matter: to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.[134]
- To expand one's potential in life.[133]
- To become the person you've always wanted to be.[135]
- To become the best version of yourself.[136]
- To seek happiness[137][138] and flourish.[7]
- To be a true authentic human being.[139]
- To be able to put the whole of oneself into one's feelings, one's work, one's beliefs.[134]
- To follow our destiny.[140]
To submit to our destiny.[141] - To create your own destiny.[142]
- To achieve eudaimonia [143], a flourishing of human spirit.
[edit] To achieve biological perfection
- To survive,[144] that is, to live as long as possible,[145] including pursuit of immortality (through scientific means).[146]
To live forever[146] or die trying.[147] - To evolve.[148][149]
- To replicate, to reproduce.[6] "The 'dream' of every cell is to become two cells."[150][151][152][153]
- To be fruitful and multiply.[154] (Genesis 1:28)
[edit] To seek wisdom and knowledge
- To expand one's perception of the world.[133]
- To follow the clues and walk out the exit.[155]
- To learn as many things as possible in life.[156]
To know as much as possible about as many things as possible.[157] - To seek wisdom and knowledge and to tame the mind, as to avoid suffering caused by ignorance and find happiness.[158]
- To face our fears and accept the lessons life offers us.[140]
- To find the meaning of life.[159]
To find the purpose of life.[160]
To find a reason to live.[161] - To resolve the imbalance of the mind by understanding the nature of reality.[162]
[edit] To do good, to do the right thing
- To leave the world a better place than you found it.[6]
To do your best to leave every situation better than you found it.[6] - To benefit others.[12]
- To give more than you take.[6]
- To end suffering.[163][164][165]
- To create equality.[166][167][168]
- To challenge oppression.[169]
- To distribute wealth.[170][171]
- To be generous.[172][173]
- To contribute to the well-being and spirit of others.[174]
- To help others,[7][173] to help one another.[175]
To take every chance to help another while on your journey here.[6] - To be creative and innovative.[174]
- To forgive.[6]
To accept and forgive human flaws.[176][177] - To be emotionally sincere.[134]
- To be responsible.[134]
- To be honorable.[134]
- To seek peace.[134]
[edit] To attain spiritual enlightenment
- To reach the highest heaven and be at the heart of the Divine.[178]
- To have a pure soul and experience God.[134]
- To understand the mystery of God.[140]
- To know God.[179]
- To know oneself, know others, and know the will of heaven.[180]
- To attain union with God.[181]
[edit] To love, to feel, to enjoy the act of living
- To love more.[6]
- To love those who mean the most. Every life you touch will touch you back.[6]
- To treasure every enjoyable sensation one has.[6]
- To seek beauty in all its forms.[6]
- To have fun.[174]
To enjoy life.[140] - To seek pleasure[134] and avoid pain.[182]
- To be compassionate.[134]
- To be moved by the tears and pain of others, and try to help them out of love and compassion.[6]
- To love others as best we possibly can.[6]
- To love something bigger, greater, and beyond ourselves, something we did not create or have the power to create, something intangible and made holy by our very belief in it.[6]
- To love God[179] and all of his creations.[183]
- To glorify God by enjoying him forever.[184]
- To eat, drink, and be merry.[185]
[edit] To have power, to be better
- To strive for power[31] and superiority.[182]
- To rule the world.[141]
- To know and master the world.[186][187]
To know and master nature.[188] - To fill the Earth and subdue it.[154] (Genesis 1:28)
- ...To crush your enemies—See them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women! [189]
- To obtain freedom (Romans 8:20-21)
[edit] Life has no meaning
- Life or human existence has no real meaning or purpose because human existence occurred out of a random chance in nature, and anything that exists by chance has no intended purpose.[162]
- Life has no meaning, but as humans we try to associate a meaning or purpose so we can justify our existence.[6]
- There is no point in life, and that is exactly what makes it so special.[6]
[edit] One should not seek to know and understand the meaning of life
- The answer to the meaning of life is too profound to be known and understood.[162]
- You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.[6]
- The meaning of life is to forget about the search for the meaning of life.[6]
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