The Meaning of Life
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         Perhaps the most often asked question of difficulty is as simple as asking why we live. There are thousands of responses, the most significant of which are printed here along with my own views.
         People have always been obsessed with the meaning of life. There are dozens if not hundreds of movies dedicated to the vague meanings of life, including one by Monty Python (entitled The Meaning of Life). There are hundreds of songs titled or discussing "The Meaning Of Life" (including those by Offspring and Metallica from the world of modern rock). There are probably more great essays and speeches regarding the subject. There are thousands of novels and nonfiction books dealing with the topic, one of the most famous of which is Douglas Addams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (The purpose of the planet Earth). Subjects of interviews are often asked about "life" and its meaning or relevance to themselves.

Why is Life?

• Why not?
• Because there is death.
• Yes.
• Life is.
• Because the Good Book says so.

What is <the meaning of> Life?

• New Webster's Dictionary:
  • The state of animals and plants in which the natural functions are performed
  • vitality
  • present state of existance
  • time from birth to death
  • manner of living
  • animal being
  • spirit
  • vivacity
  • the living form
  • exact resemblance
  • rank in society
  • human affairs
  • a person
  • narrative of a (person's) existance
  • eternal felicity
• Webster's II Dictionary:  The property or quality distinguishing living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as growth, metabolism, response to stimuli, and reproduction.
• The absence of death, dullness, and nullness.
• What isn't life?
• The meaning of life, existance, the universe, and everything is 42.
• If we live in a world created with the sole purpose of answering that question, would you still want to know?
• Life is a sport. Drink it up.

Who is life?

• Who isn't life? Whoever is not dead.
• Well, it isn't the Grim Reaper.
• god?
• YOU.

Where is life?

• Where isn't life? We have found micro-organisms on EVERY SINGLE mass in space that we have sent objects to. Mars, Europa, and Io (two of Jupiter's moons) have eroded riverbeds. Mars has icecaps.
• Are we alone? (Trust no one?)
• Right here
• got a mirror handy?

When is life?

• When isn't/wasn't life? (yea, we won't ever know)
• The time between the Beginning of Time and the End of Time.
• five seconds ago.

How is life?

• Fine, thank you.
• yes.
• Because of an extremely unlikely coincidence, certain lifeless sacs evolved into what we now classify as alive.
• Life sucks and then you die.

Is Life?

• Life is.
• (This is actually a good question)
• ...worth it?

Why do we live, think, and philosophize?

• Because.
• "Just do it." (you take advice from shoes?)
• 'twould be really dull if we didn't think and philosophize the way we do.
• Socrates taught to question others. Humans have the ability to think, so why waste it by not philosophizing? The question is really, "Why do we think?" and the answer can be found upon enlightenment. Or ask Siddhartha.

What is the Question of Life to Which the Answer is 42?

• What is 6 times 7?
• What is [ 3 ( cos(90) * x/153 + 54/6 * cos(180) + 4! ) - 3 ] ?
• What the Earth was built to tell us.
• Ask the mice.
• Is Douglass Addams a mouse?

© 1999 Khopesh, L+d. Khopesh (khopesh@mindless.com)

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