Life is pointless

Originally posted by Tuning Spork
But can someone explain to me what is "the point" of having "a point"?

Probably not. What's yer point?

www.youtube.com...

edit on 9-4-2012 by Tuning Spork because: (no reason given)

edit on 9-4-2012 by Tuning Spork because: (no reason given)

edit on 9-4-2012 by Tuning Spork because: (no reason given)

This reminds me of one time when I was taking business law and banking fundamentals in college, and we had a young banker come in to give us a lecture on entrepreneurship and that sort of thing and he wanted to tell us some banking secrets.

So we all gathered around and this was like the second day he had been there and I had spoke to him and so I wouldn't say we were friends but we were acquaintances now, and so in this discussion he wanted to tell us this big secret but he didn't call it that he was hoping to open our eyes to the banking world, and he said, did you know that the bank can create money out of thin air by lending out 7 times what they have on deposit?

And I said yeah whats your point? Anyone in ATS would know that and that the Fed was privately owned and that we don't use the gold standard, and these sorts of things so I knew a great deal about the banking industry but when I said that I wasn't being facetious I was waiting for the secret and hoping he would get to the point.

And I floored him by not being completely shocked that the bank can create money out of thin air. That was his point. That was the big secret he wanted to tell us.
Thinking back, I can remember the first time I heard of that long ago I think it was a banking secret, but I think that as soon as the Internet was created, that was the first big secret to become public.

Whats my point? We're all gonna die.
Just kidding, I have no point.

I just went through this phase. Just remember that your thoughts and beliefs about the world being pointless are also pointless and illusory. It sounds like you are somewhat lost as what to do now. Remember, being lost is only a problem when you think you have somewhere to go.

Yes like the poster above I went through this phase also but it gets better after the first 40 years or so
Chin up

I usually wouldn't jump in on a thread that has reached this length without having been involved from its early posts. This one I though I should.

I agree OP that life is pointless. It isn't about trying to find purpose and live up to that. It is about what you do after you realize that it is pointless. You have four options. 1. Try to improve the world. 2. Just try to get by until you die. 3. Try to make things worse. 4. Kill yourself.

I settled on option 2. I know I can't improve the world. At best I could only improve a small component in the world, but knowing full well that it would be destroyed soon. I don't go looking for ways to make things worse. Killing yourself does nothing for you and only negatively impacts the people and world around you.

Some people genuinely think they can improve the world. God bless them for trying. I can see no logical way that is possible now. Just try to get by in life, and consider yourself an observer of the demise of humanity.

reply to post by morpheusxxz


This is what my spiritual teacher called the Absolute Truth and it drove him to madness. It's best to just put the idea to the side and pay no attention to it, because fighting it like my teacher did doesn't fix the problem. I know it, but I'm not going to try to fight it. Religion is supposed to solve the problem of life having no meaning. My spiritual practice does nothing to fix this, but it does give a solution. In what I was taught was to fight it, but my teacher's mistake taught me well not to pay attention to the fact that everything has no meaning and just live life to the fullest.

The fact that humans have evolved far enough to bee aware of the future is enough to realize the Absolute Truth, but it's up to each of us to figure out what to do with it. We can join a religion and fall into the illusions or face it and know the Absolute Truth and go insane trying to fight it.

The given solution to your problem as presented to me by my teacher is to do something with your life that will cause you to be remembered like Jesus or Hilter. You choose, either path has it's perils. You could also go the creative rout and become an artist and get your name out there. The flesh doesn't live forever, but the spirit does. There are many routs one can take to make themselves worth something after realization of the Absolute Truth. Whatever you do, do not kill yourself, because you might have been open to the Absolute Truth by an outside force seeking your harm. Take all this into consideration when you decide what to do about it now that you know.

I was on Anti-depressants for awhile and some of them just make things worse or brief episodes. Even if by all means of justification you decide your life is pointless or life in general you can try to get ecstatic by thinking of life as a playground. Go on a vacation or a stay-cation and just try to bask in the amazement that is life.

I retreat into playing video games too, I have been doing it all my life. I got the strategy guide for Mass Effect 3 but I am waiting for it to come down in price. Same thing with new Resident Evil and Silent Hill. I just got a bunch of old games at GameStops sale and I am playing those now L A Noire and Crysis 2 . It's amazing how far the blue rays and HD DVDs have come compared to the NES or PAC Man.

At times when I was younger I probably went through the same phases as you. If your sarcastic or pessimistic or just fed up and searching for a greater truth about calling things illusions distracting you from reality maybe for awhile just hit a wall. If there is anything I have learned from my life it's that one day can be feeling something then going to extreme opposite in a few years. You will never know where you will end up.

You talked about a black void and avoiding life which considered hell till you go to the permanent one. In 18 pages of people coming by and giving advice maybe considered a different perspective. If your in a slump you can eventually get out of it. I used to think that when I started working I couldn't get through the time and was strenuous and felt like torture and I didn't know what to do with myself or get through the time. If you had things too hard on yourself do you know anyone you can ask for help. Saying love is a illusion are you suggesting it isn't real? Love can motivate a lot of people to do things whethers it's for a pet a signicant other or family. Maybe take a step back from philosophizing all of life's mysteries and take time to smell the roses.

I had a cousin who lost his job and couldn't get out of bed for 6 months, stop showering and eating . He said to me I am never going to see 100,000 dollars in my life and some other things I shouldn't say. He turned around now has a new girlfriend and he is happy. You just got to get through it. Hopefully it wont be a lifelong depression that you will always have to wrestle with. I hope something someone said might be able to resonate with you.

reply to post by lapi7

Not true...5 groups of 4 plus 5 groups of 1.6 =28.
Split Infinity

Originally posted by shamaniski
Go live in the wild. Live away from society. Try to make it with no electricity, internet, etc. Try that for a while and then decide what you want from life. My guess is you wont try these things. So you still care a lot.

I did something like this once around my 18th birthday. As far away from society as I could get. Most of it was by accident but its what started me. My father had just lost his job, we had just moved to the rural because less money..so it was cheaper. Literally slept in a small furniture-less house for month, nothing paid set up. It was summer, so no heat/ac, no lighting but three flashlights, no internet, had a phone but decided to turn it off. No gas/water, nothing for almost a month, probably 25 days. We ate fast food. He only had money for specific things he needed/we needed. I grew up semi-privileged and my parents had just divorced a year before so this was this biggest blow to me, amongst other things.

In the end, I liked a lot of it, some of it I mean. It taught me to be crafty and use what I already have. We got the necessities on at the end of the month but we went without some of that stuff longer, because it wasnt necessity. Especially the furniture, we slept on the floor, then we bought a cot and some dressers, then a bed, etc etc, with other things too. It took awhile I mean.

It actually didnt teach me to love life, it just taught me how to live with lots and lots less at a young age and I respected people who didnt have much A LOT more. It's been 4 years and we've come a long way but its still not like it was before he lost his job, but I think the important thing is, is that I dont mind.

A couple of years ago I got interested in philosophy. Hating life is what turned me to philosophy in the first place.


I just want to add, we did have some material stuff like clothes, shoes, little stuff here, etc and there and some tools and stuff for outside stuff, but my mother took nearly 90% of everything, even MY stuff. Thats why I decided to turn my phone off, she tried to take it back saying I give it over or she'll cut it off. I wasnt in the mood to fight, so I gave it over.

Originally posted by korathin
reply to post by morpheusxxz

 

The point of life is simple, it is to live. Breathe, breathe out. That is all that is required of life. We just tend to over complicate things.

OOH! So close! lol Life is about multiplying. From microbes to insects to birds to elephants, each species would make this planet standing room only if left unchecked.

I was always a "Why?" person.

There may be a number of Whys.


One question is:
Who determines the Whys and Wherefores?

And if we try to escape (by death, delusion, ignorance, or ignoring, or even suicide), might we end up right back where we started? Or, as some would suggest, at a worse starting point? Should we just assume that there is nothing after this life here?


"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity... ¶ and striving after the wind".

The original word translated by some as "vanity" apparently means something like: emptiness (my choice), meaningless (several versions), Absurdity, Frustration, Futility, Nonsense, etc.; and maybe more literally means something like "vapor".

And believe it or not, that quote is from—what?? the Bible?? LOL. Yep. And that book of Ecclesiastes concludes certain sections with such suggestions as: enjoy life, enjoy work, enjoy your life in this seeming-futility (or something like that), not be too "righteous" (yep, it says that!: religious people, take note) or too "wicked" (hurtful); AND, can't forget this one, it says that the "end" of the matter is (drum roll, please): "Fear elohim, and keep his commands...". (Why do that? Because many of the elohim are more powerful than we are, and can cause a world of suffering if you don't. Nearly all Bibles translate that as "God", but that's their interpretation of the original word elohim/elohiym, which isn't always rendered that way.) And while we're trying to enjoy life within this world:

I suggest following yet another 3 principles: Do rightly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your elohim. Wouldn't those first two just make the world a way better place?

Oh, and for the religious people who don't do the following, but think they're okay anyway, the passages that say "Love your neighbor/neighbour..." mean: Hey you, Love the person nearby you!! Oh, and Love the person nearby you as yourself!! No small task!

WHY? Always Why? As my favorite book says, "Why not?" LOL. (Hey, give it a break; it's a kid's book, with some humor adults can like.) Try it, you'll like it: The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster, which starts "There was once a boy name Milo who didn't know what to do with himself—not just sometimes, but always." (Even though I am an adult, I just reread this recently, after getting it as an e-book.)

IF there is no reason, no Why, then MAKE one!—before someone makes one for you! LOL.

Some weird book I read, called, In the Presence of Aliens (which I found irritating), the one thing I got out of it was that some "alien" (or maybe spirit, or whatever) had this to say about humans: that they had NO PURPOSE. Wow. Just an empty shell, waiting for some other being to take control, like we're puppets or gebbeths? No thanks.

And some would suggest that "spirits" (or whatever they are) at times try to make purposes for us, or give them to us. Yikes.

I came across some weird experiences. One woman, who typically seemed totally normal to a lot of people, came to a place in her life where she was quite down. She did not seem mentally disturbed though. At this point, she exhibited signs of – believe it or not – demonic possession. Now, I don't know WHAT or WHO that was, but it was very bizarre getting a phone call, with her saying, I'm scratching myself with my keys; and then hearing what sounded like her voice being taken control of by something; weird stuff like, "She's ours. We're going to hurt her", etc. (if I remember correctly). Just including this, because if you don't choose a path, if you let go too much, if you give up, if you're open somehow to whatever these things are, they could possibly take control (in a bad way).

Religions offer some kinds of "mercy", or karmic-reduction (?), or "salvation", some kinds of power over powers that try to rule us (in our minds, emotions, spirit, soul, body, whatever). In the Christian concept, one receives Power by receiving the "Holy Spirit", through Christ. (If interested, see Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; and all of Acts 2. But it might not be a coincidence that it's called Acts: Shakespeare wrote, "All the world's a stage...". And bizarrely, Psalm 46 in the KJV has "shake" and "spear", or "speare (sic)", 46 words in from the start, and 46 words in from the end (if you skip "Selah" at the end, and any "intro"); Shakespeare being a contemporary with the publication of the 1611 KJV; this doesn't seem like mere coincidence! Just having some fun here.)

My theory is that whoever is mucking with us – call them spirits, aliens, elohim, artificial intelligence, whatever – we may be stuck with their muck. Or not. (Help! Someone! Let me out of here! Right?) They are often invisible. (I know of no fiction that compares, but think: Matrix (all 3), The Adjustment Bureau, The Truman Show; and throw in seeming spirits; etc.) They don't WANT to be identified!

Deteriorata (depressing fun):
www.youtube.com...

timeisonwhoseside

©2012 Me.

Originally posted by artistpoet
Yes like the poster above I went through this phase also but it gets better after the first 40 years or so
Chin up

edit on 9-4-2012 by artistpoet because: typo

Till you hit 50...

LOL.

Seriously.

Originally posted by morpheusxxz

Originally posted by Jauk3
But what does it matter. Start having fun, get some nice hobbies. Enjoy the ride.

Sorry but nothing gives me fun anymore or I do not want to give myself into illusions knowing that the same question will come back in my mind after a few days.

It is the QUESTION that drives us.

Don't let it drive you.

—timeisonwhoseside

I have heart disease, vascular disease and cancer. I have long forgotten the joy of living. But there is a huge difference between my fate and you're winy attitude. You should try shutting off your computer and opening a book.

Maybe the OP would like to try Sartre.

reply to post by morpheusxxz

My existence does not make any difference in this world. So my death too won't make any

. That's where most folks would think "he should get a hobby, make some artwork" and before you know it you've created individual works of genius which is one trick that history's genius children used to do.

This thread has already made a difference.to a load of people. Have a day off tomorrow. You deserve it!!

Originally posted by morpheusxxz

You may say that I am going through depression but perhaps it maybe that I am loosing my ability to keep myself occupied with illusions.

This is the answer that few want to hear.
When you learn the Secret of Real Meditation life
becomes Bliss/Fullness instead of seeking, emptiness and despair.

Life is (the illusion) created by seeking.
When there is No Seeking there is Reality:
Which is Love/Bliss/Fullness.

You have to choose which path you want.
The answers are contained in the books The Knee of Listening
and The Method of the Siddhas.
If you want to read them PM me.

No reason to read the whole thread. Life is pointless.. beyond survival/reproduction of our species, and continuing on with whatever obscure purpose mother nature intended us. No reason to be down about it though; it can actually break the chains that bind you or it can be the chains that hold you down. It's all up to you, friend. Some people embrace fantasy desperately in order to make sense of a brutal world, others have no need of it.

"How much there is in the world I do not want." -Socrates

Originally posted by RRokkyy

Originally posted by morpheusxxz

You may say that I am going through depression but perhaps it maybe that I am loosing my ability to keep myself occupied with illusions.

This is the answer that few want to hear.
When you learn the Secret of Real Meditation life
becomes Bliss/Fullness instead of seeking, emptiness and despair.

Life is (the illusion) created by seeking.
When there is No Seeking there is Reality:
Which is Love/Bliss/Fullness.

You have to choose which path you want.
The answers are contained in the books The Knee of Listening
and The Method of the Siddhas.
If you want to read them PM me.

RRokkyy -- man you cannot be serious about leading anyone to a fraud/con man like Franklin Jones.
You probably know him by one of his other names (he used many names) -- like Bubba Free John,
Da Free John, Adi Da, Adidam, or "Avatar" Adi Da Samraj.

He spent some time in Scientology and Siddha Yoga (both cults), among other things.

Frank Jones was an American-born con man who posed as an "Avatar" (the Absolute/God in human form -- no previous karma) and Guru. You should read the horror stories of those who survived & escaped his cult.

Jones died in 2008, but apparently there are those who continue his cult -- more's the pity.

There's all kinds of info on Adi Da on various Anti-Cult sites.
Check out this site:

www.adidaarchives.org...

Originally posted by Willease
I have heart disease, vascular disease and cancer. I have long forgotten the joy of living. But there is a huge difference between my fate and you're winy attitude. You should try shutting off your computer and opening a book.

I'm pretty much in the same situation as you are, so I'm surprised that you have yet to come to the conclusion that each and every individual has mental obstacles to overcome, whether we deem these obstacles valid or not.

Originally posted by lostjohnny
reply to post by morpheusxxz

 

My existence does not make any difference in this world. So my death too won't make any

. That's where most folks would think "he should get a hobby, make some artwork" and before you know it you've created individual works of genius which is one trick that history's genius children used to do.
This thread has already made a difference.to a load of people. Have a day off tomorrow. You deserve it!!

Agreed. There are many many threads here on ATS. I don't even open some threads because the titles don't appeal to me. Some threads I open to find I just don't care about the subject matter.
Now, because I have responded to this thread it means that I feel some kind of connection to this topic, and it must be the same with everyone else that has posted here. This must reveal that the OP is not alone in his depression, and that can't ever be a bad thing.