I ask Chatgpt to give you advise.

TLDR: You need to find out the meaning of your life yourself.
I elect Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kant, Confucius, Schopenhauer being my favourite approach to life.

Sycamore: Can you tell me what famous philosopher think about the meaning of life?

Chatgpt:

1. Aristotle: Aristotle believed that the meaning of life is to achieve happiness, which he called eudaimonia. According to him, happiness is achieved through a life of virtue and excellence, which involves using reason to develop good character and living in accordance with the moral virtues. He believed that humans are social animals and that a life of friendship and community is essential for achieving happiness.

2. Epicurus: Epicurus believed that the meaning of life is to achieve a state of tranquility and freedom from pain and anxiety, which he called ataraxia. According to him, this can be achieved by living a simple life of pleasure, but not excessive indulgence, and avoiding unnecessary desires and fears.

3. Friedrich Nietzsche: Nietzsche believed that life has no inherent meaning or purpose, and that individuals must create their own meaning through self-overcoming and the pursuit of their individual will to power. He believed that individuals should embrace the challenges of life and find meaning through their struggles, rather than seeking comfort or conformity.

4. Jean-Paul Sartre: Sartre believed that life has no inherent meaning, and that individuals are free to create their own meaning through their choices and actions. He believed that individuals should embrace their freedom and take responsibility for their lives, rather than relying on external factors or pre-determined destinies.

5. Martin Heidegger: Heidegger believed that the meaning of life is to exist in a state of authenticity, which involves being aware of one's mortality and the finite nature of existence. He believed that individuals should embrace the existential anxiety that comes with this awareness and strive to live a meaningful life, despite its inherent limitations.

6. Immanuel Kant: Kant believed that the ultimate goal of human life is to achieve a state of moral perfection or what he called the "Kingdom of Ends," where all individuals act in accordance with the universal moral law. He believed that the meaning of life is not derived from external factors such as wealth, power, or pleasure, but rather from the internal pursuit of fulfilling one's moral duty.

7. Confucius: Confucius believed that the meaning of life is to achieve harmony with oneself, others, and the world. According to him, this can be achieved by following the moral principles of benevolence, righteousness, and respect for tradition, and cultivating the virtues of wisdom, courage, and sincerity.

8. Arthur Schopenhauer: Schopenhauer believed that life is full of suffering and that the only way to achieve meaning is to transcend the individual will and embrace a state of detachment and inner peace. According to him, this can be achieved through the contemplation of beauty, art, and nature, and the realization that all individuals are part of the same universal will.

9. Plato: Plato believed that the meaning of life is to achieve knowledge and understanding of the eternal Forms or Ideas that underlie the material world. According to him, this can be achieved through a life of philosophy and the pursuit of truth and wisdom, which involves transcending the physical world and accessing the realm of the Forms.

10. Simone de Beauvoir: de Beauvoir believed that the meaning of life is to embrace one's freedom and reject the limitations that society imposes on individuals based on their gender, race, or class. She believed that individuals should strive to create their own identities and meaning, rather than conforming to societal norms or expectations.

I also ask Chatgpt to answer the question on what poets think about the meaning of life.
I like Emily Dickinson and Tagore's answer.

Sycamore: Can you tell me what many famous poet think about the meaning of life?

Chatgpt:

Certainly, I can give you an overview of what some of the most famous poets have said about the meaning of life. I will provide brief explanations of ten poets and their perspectives on the subject.

1. William Wordsworth: Wordsworth believed that the meaning of life can be found in nature and the contemplation of natural beauty. He believed that nature can inspire individuals to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

2. Emily Dickinson: Dickinson believed that the meaning of life can be found in the exploration of the self and the inner life of the mind. She believed that individuals should embrace their own unique perspectives and find meaning in the exploration of their own consciousness.

3. Walt Whitman: Whitman believed that the meaning of life can be found in the pursuit of individual freedom and self-expression. He believed that individuals should embrace their own unique identity and find meaning in the expression of their own thoughts and feelings.

4. Rumi: Rumi believed that the meaning of life can be found in the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment and the realization of the divine within oneself. He believed that individuals should cultivate their own inner light and seek to connect with the divine through meditation and contemplation.

5. T.S. Eliot: Eliot believed that the meaning of life can be found in the pursuit of transcendence and the exploration of the mysteries of the universe. He believed that individuals should seek to understand the deeper truths of existence and transcend their own individual selves.

6. Langston Hughes: Hughes believed that the meaning of life can be found in the pursuit of social justice and the liberation of oppressed peoples. He believed that individuals should work to create a more just and equitable society and find meaning in the pursuit of social change.

7. Pablo Neruda: Neruda believed that the meaning of life can be found in the pursuit of love and the exploration of human relationships. He believed that individuals should embrace their own passions and desires and find meaning in the connections they make with others.

8. Maya Angelou: Angelou believed that the meaning of life can be found in the pursuit of personal growth and the realization of one's full potential. She believed that individuals should embrace their own strengths and weaknesses and find meaning in the journey of self-discovery.

9. Rabindranath Tagore: Tagore believed that the meaning of life can be found in the pursuit of beauty and the expression of the human spirit. He believed that individuals should cultivate their own creative impulses and find meaning in the pursuit of artistic expression.

10. Percy Bysshe Shelley: Shelley believed that the meaning of life can be found in the pursuit of social progress and the transformation of society. He believed that individuals should work to create a more just and equitable world and find meaning in the pursuit of social change.

In conclusion, these are some of the perspectives on the meaning of life from ten famous poets. While they all approach the topic from different angles, they share a common belief in the importance of finding meaning and purpose in life through personal growth, social change, creativity, and spirituality.

Yes you are right the language is not exactly perfect.
If you prefer, 'nothing in human life is permanent'.

The ultimate of Buddhism is Nirvana, similar but not precisely equivalent with Abrahamic's 'heaven' or 'one with god'.

This post has been edited by Sycamore: Dec 30 2024, 06:16 PM

This is just semantics game.
If 'NOTHING' is the ultimate, then human life as a derivation of 'NOTHING', might as well be called as 'NOTHING-human life'.

For Abrahamic, they call the 'NOTHING' as 'God'.
'NOTHING' in fact is not nothing as human think.
Anything human can think is not nothing.
There is nothing called 'nothing'.

Hence 'NOTHING' is badly named, counterintuitive to human language and modern thinking.
You might want to rethink it.

This post has been edited by Sycamore: Dec 30 2024, 06:47 PM

This is a debate about consciousness or human consciousness.

Human consciousness 'seems to start' (let's not get into debate on this) with human life.
Human cannot truly understand anything outside human consciousness.

But we know for a fact animal seems to have 'some sort of consciousness'.
But we are unable to truly understand 'animal consciousness'.

Then the ultimate question comes: does universe have 'consciousness'? does atom have 'consciousness'?
What if the air have 'some sort of consciousness' but it is different from 'human consciousness' and human cannot understand?

The Chinese thought of this very long ago, though it is in a different language.
万物皆有情灵

This post has been edited by Sycamore: Dec 30 2024, 08:10 PM