Originally posted by JS357In simplest terms, we're made to last; only our temporal bodies are disposable. The "we're" includes our knowledge, memory banks, information we've stored: the essence of our unique personalities; our indestructable immaterial beings.
"Your purpose in life as well as mine is to fulfill our physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual potential."
Well said, meaning I like it. Of course (IMO) our recognition and acceptance of our purpose is what makes it real.
Originally posted by Grampy BobbyYou think your knowledge and memories will last beyond death?
In simplest terms, we're made to last; only our temporal bodies are disposable. The "we're" includes our knowledge, memory banks, information we've stored: the essence of our unique personalities; our indestructable immaterial beings.
Originally posted by Grampy BobbyI don't think what you said that I liked, implies everlasting memory. I think it's an add-on. Pull that camel's nose back out of the tent.
In simplest terms, we're made to last; only our temporal bodies are disposable. The "we're" includes our knowledge, memory banks, information we've stored: the essence of our unique personalities; our indestructable immaterial beings.
Remembering things is hard enough with my (more or less) working brain.
Originally posted by JS357"I don't think what you said that I liked..."
I don't think what you said that I liked, implies everlasting memory. I think it's an add-on. Pull that camel's nose back out of the tent.
Remembering things is hard enough [b]with my (more or less) working brain.[/b]
Unsure of your meaning here.
Originally posted by Great King RatAnd I belief effect is totally irrelevant to the thread.
Small sidenote: I've made a mistake by mixing up "meaning" and... let's call it "effect". The effect your existence has on the world will get less and less over time.
However, that - in my opinion - is not what the OP was after. He did not ask "What is [b]your point of life", but "What's the point of life". Later he said Life has meaning...we are meant to serve the greater good of mankind. It indeed seemed to me he was looking for a "bigger" meaning of life than just whatever any random person might consider important in life.[/b]
Well then I think we both agree that life has no point independent of what we make of it.
I agree mostly with normbenign. Life all seems to be about endlessly copying the DNA-molecule. The fact that some individuals don't copy their DNA molecule is not important because there are more than enough backups available.
And I totally disagree. Life in general copies itself or dies. There is no reason whatsoever for equating this with 'point' or 'meaning'.
However, no matter how many times the DNA-molecule manages to copy itself, there will come a time when all it's copies will perish. Seems rather pointless to me.
It is pointless even if it copied itself forever and took over the whole universe. Effect is not equivalent to point or meaning. The size of the effect or how long that effect lasts is irrelevant. It is still not a 'point' or 'meaning' and never will be until some conscious entity decides it is.
Originally posted by Grampy BobbyBut my memory banks and knowledge are ever changing and keep gaining and losing all the time. They cannot, by definition, be indestructible.
The "we're" includes our knowledge, memory banks, information we've stored: the essence of our unique personalities; our indestructable immaterial beings.
Originally posted by twhiteheadOne of the accomplishments of life is that humans better communicate their thoughts to future generations. Early on it was by showing young men how to hunt and fight, and young women how to care for a home.
But my memory banks and knowledge are ever changing and keep gaining and losing all the time. They cannot, by definition, be indestructible.
Later, this stuff was carved onto the walls of caves, or to tablets or papyrus. Written language immensely accelerated the growth of culture. Now photographs, digital writings, magnetic and optical discs preserve men's thoughts. While much more detail can be recorded on a DVD, or other digital media, one wonders if any of this stuff will be around as long as the drawings on the cave walls.
Originally posted by twhiteheadHopefully our memory banks are ever changing out misinformation, partial facts and half truths for accurate information, indisputable facts and absolute truth. Timely phenomenon: Human memory banks appointing janitors to take out the trash.
But my memory banks and knowledge are ever changing and keep gaining and losing all the time. They cannot, by definition, be indestructible.
Originally posted by normbenignTransference in perpetuity: excellent corollary point.
One of the accomplishments of life is that humans better communicate their thoughts to future generations. Early on it was by showing young men how to hunt and fight, and young women how to care for a home.
Later, this stuff was carved onto the walls of caves, or to tablets or papyrus. Written language immensely accelerated the growth of culture. No ...[text shortened]... edia, one wonders if any of this stuff will be around as long as the drawings on the cave walls.
Originally posted by Grampy BobbyLewis was just playing with words.
In his book, Mere Christianity, Lewis writes…. "Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should have never found out it has no meaning: just as, if there was no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be a word without meaning" (pg 39)
Originally posted by Grampy BobbyThere is research showing that people's memories develop over time in the direction of fitting in better with their "narrative" of life and what life is about. IOW, they do not necessarily change in the direction of accuracy and truth. But if you ask them, of course, they will tend to believe that their narrative of life is accurate and true and is actually reinforced by those very memories.)
Hopefully our memory banks are ever changing out misinformation, partial facts and half truths for accurate information, indisputable facts and absolute truth. Timely phenomenon: Human memory banks appointing janitors to take out the trash.
Originally posted by JS357The vast majority of memories are very short term. But of the longer term ones, even those are mostly, lost over time and replaced with new ones.
There is research showing that people's memories develop over time in the direction of fitting in better with their "narrative" of life and what life is about.
Knowledge, the abstraction of general ideas, builds up over time, but even that is constantly changing. That is why I say Grampy didn't think before he posted.
When I was 5, I knew where the swing was. That was an absolute truth. I have since forgotten that fact. I now know where my car is. That too is an absolute truth. That too will be forgotten.
Originally posted by twhiteheadI am thinking of things more like "Why I went to college."
The vast majority of memories are very short term. But of the longer term ones, even those are mostly, lost over time and replaced with new ones.
Knowledge, the abstraction of general ideas, builds up over time, but even that is constantly changing. That is why I say Grampy didn't think before he posted.
When I was 5, I knew where the swing was. That wa ...[text shortened]... hat fact. I now know where my car is. That too is an absolute truth. That too will be forgotten.
I seem to remember going, anyway.🙂