Many of us spend our lives thinking of science and philosophy. Looking for answers to the meaning of life the universe and our place in it. And then eventually we die. Have we not accomplished anything? Does our knowledge somehow live on beyond death? What is the point of seeking knowledge?
The way I see it:
Our brains like to recognise patterns, this is an evolutionary trait of ours.
Acquiring knowledge gives us the understanding to identify more patterns
This manifests as that good feeling when something new clicks and it makes sense where it didn’t before. Dopamine is the source of that good feeling and it’s part of our brains’ reward system to motivate us to do things that’ll help us survive.
Chemically, the point of life is to do stuff that triggers our reward systems, and so we seek out the good feeling that comes with figuring stuff out like we seek out other sources of it.
So basically, the meaning of life is to enjoy life, and humans just enjoy learning
I’d be pretty darn bored if I didn’t.
It’s nice to have something to pass the time until we eventually die.
That gave me a good chuckle, thanks
It’s not for me, really. I already took advantage of the knowledge others left. Whatever I can gather and expand will be for the younger and the next generations.
That has been one of my thoughts as well. If I try to gain as much knowledge as I can and share it with others then it might prove beneficial to those in the future. So in one way the knowledge I have acquired lives on.
It does, maybe. That’s culture. In my culture the food is fantastic, and I’m sometimes in awe just thinking about ingredients and dishes. When you take something more rigorous like science, it can transport your mind in ways that can change entire civilizations.
You would have died in early childhood had you not sought knowledge, but fortunately knowledge-seeking in inbuilt and needs no justification.
That’s awesome. I like it.
Knowledge-seeking is not necessarily a selfish act. Ideally, knowledge is something to be shared, to propagate, to enhance our species in the long term.
Most of our advancements in science, medicine, philosophy, etc. weren’t discovered in a single lifetime. It’s the culmination of hundreds of thousands of researchers, scientists, and even some laymen who got lucky and stumbled upon a discovery. And over time and many generations, we build upon the knowledge that’s already been discovered and find new and more complete knowledge that benefits our world.
There are some who are fascinated with a single topic and dedicated their lives to researching it. Then there are autodidacts (self-taught learners), like my late father, who spend their entire lives studying everything they can get their hands on. And of course, there are those who don’t care to learn and just try to exist and get by until the day they die. Plus many other flavors of knowledge-gatherers in the world.
Is any of this wrong? No; everyone is free to pursue whatever knowledge they can or want, or even a lack of it if they desire.
Is it pointless? Not really. As stated before, your knowledge can be passed on to benefit future generations. Or if you keep to yourself, then perhaps you’re learning for your own self benefit. Being better educated about your world and yourself can only serve to help you make more informed decisions in your life.
What’s the meaning of life? There’s isn’t one specific meaning. We happen to exist, and whatever you decide to dedicate your life toward is what gives you meaning. So no pressure about meeting some imaginary goal or standard of accomplishment. Do what makes you happy and what benefits those you love and care for, and you’ll carve out your own meaning in life.
We have only seen farther because we stand on the shoulders of giants.
Nah bruh, not buying it. Why do we do anything when we know we’re gonna die? Because it’s fun or otherwise desirable.
And it makes life more tolerable for yourself and others.
Do stuff and then die, or just die. Feels like a pretty easy choice to understand.
For meaning
To make our lives better while we live them and to pass it on to those that will still be here when we’re gone.
alot of people dont. and it is possible that in doing so , or lack of doing so, has negative consequences that affect the lives of many.
this question alone is a great example of seeking knowledge. and the natural urge to do so.
Why not?
What a narcissistic set of questions.
Also:
Does our knowledge somehow live on beyond death?
… yes? Look around. Humanity is a long collective enterprise.
Wait till you hear what they think about construction workers!
What else is there to do?
“Tiger got to hunt, bird got to fly; Man got to sit and wonder ‘why, why, why?’ Tiger got to sleep, bird got to land; Man got to tell himself he understand."
The alternative is extinction, plain and simple. The only reason we even are where we are as a species is due solely to the undying drive to seek more knowledge as a means of survival.
A couple hundred thousand years of continued existence as a species seems like a pretty decent accomplishment.
Extinction is an interesting existential threat, but I believe a more reasonable motivation would be not wanting to see living humans suffer through collapse. So like the extinction of the good life.
Up to a point I think we’d survive, just not in a form that we would recognise, or perhaps even care to preserve.
Hard disagree, we do not survive as a species without intelligence. It has been the most important factor in our survival since we developed as a distinct group of hominids.
Surviving but reverting or regressing to a form that doesn’t not explore intelligence as a means of survival is the same as extinction in my book. Interestingly this reminds me of some of the fates in ‘All Tomorrows’
I don’t think there’s any disagreement to be had. My wording was poorly chosen. I meant reasonable not like as an ought, but as a realistic description of the animating factor in people’s lives - caring about the future of humans they immediately know about.
I’m also a huge fan of Nemo Ramjet’s writing.
