What is the meaning of life?

This is probably the most important question that humans ask. The reason for this is the fact that living is in essence a struggle against many trials and tribulations. Just getting through childhood and teen years is especially traumatic, and when you throw in the problems that adults face--work, marriage, money, relationships, and life crisis--life can seem like an unbearable burden.

It was much worse in the past. The plague epidemics in Europe and the Far East killed almost half the human population. Nearly every person alive then saw a loved one die. Death became so common it was incorporated into the art and culture of the time.

The world wars also cultivated a culture of death. World War I killed 30 million and World War II took another 50 million. The Spanish flu killed another 20 million. This was death on an industrial scale. Death became so prevalent it gave birth to existentialism, which considered life to be absurd. In other words, life doesn't make sense.

Religion tried to give a purpose to life by declaring that this life is only a path to supernatural life with God in Heaven. In other words, this life is only a means to a much better end. Many people joined monasteries because it would lead to a purer form of worship and adoration and a more probable ticket to Heaven. The immoral (sex, wealth and gluttony) vicissitudes of this life were to be avoided. If everyone followed that plan, there wouldn't be a problem. Humans would have become extinct.

So, what is the meaning of life? That's an excellent question that can only be answered by understanding what life is. I've already discussed this, but it comes down to being born, living by breathing oxygen, consuming food, mating, and then dying. That sums up life on the basic level. However, we humans want more. We have this metaphorical concept of life. We call it 'our life', which becomes a conglomeration of what we do and how we interact with others. If you were to ask people what their life is they would answer by telling you what they do for a living, whether they are married, and how many children they have. In some cases, people think about their life on the basis of their status or wealth. To some people life is all about achieving a privileged status of money and possessions. Life for them is like the game of 'Life'.

Thanks to @HarryPotterFreak7 for this view on life. She posted this in her fantastic book 'Project 2015'.

"I hate conventional ideas of the chronological order of life. I really do. Something about the fixed order of everyone on the planet living in the same way really bothers me. The whole deal with a set chronology is really troublesome. Like, I understand the basics of the first fifteen years. Like yeah. You gotta learn how to do physical things like peeing and pooping and eating independently, and then you gotta learn about things that don't pertain only to you, and yes basic math and language and science and social science is important and everything and school is important for that. So yes. The first fifteen years are compulsory.
But then there's everything after that that is also set up in such and such a way: Complete secondary education; Go to college; Get a degree; Get another degree because who has a good job with only one degree? Get a PhD if you want an even better job; Get that job; Slog.

Work five days a week and have the other two for relaxing and meeting friends and doing some more work and going places and pursuing other talents and skills and trying to build relationships because that ratio seems fair. And after you do all of that, work with ambition to get that promotion and once you get that promotion do the same thing again until you've either reached the top or you're too old to work any more. In the mean time, also manage to find a significant other and because society demands it, make children and work on them and work for them and start them off on the journey of life as you've seen it.

Then when you finish that, you retire and try to catch up on the things you've missed and you're either satisfied with how you've lived so far or regretting and having so many "what if" moments a day that you wonder if your children's children will have the same moments.
Not to mention all the extra time you've to spend on trying to catch up with the new day and age and find a way to economically sustain yourself.

And then you wait to die."

Yes, that sure sums it up!

In many cases, especially in poor and underdeveloped countries, living is just a struggle to stay alive. People, especially children, are faced with famine, poverty, war and environmental problems. They have a completely different outlook than we in developed countries do. Life for these people becomes a real burden.

One of the most important life functions involves mating. Most people think about and in many cases get married or cohabitate with a member of the other sex, or the same sex. This often results in the begetting or adoption of offspring. There seems to be a universal urge to pass our genetic code on to others. It's one way of achieving a form of immortality. This urge is often driven by lust, but this basic need to produce children is built into our species. It's the only reason that mankind has persisted on this planet. We humans are doing what all other species have been doing for eons. It's designed into all life on this planet. Procreation is also built into the human species. Reproduction has to be factored into any consideration of what life means. Sex exists for a purpose, a purpose that is even promulgated in the Book of Genesis--be fruitful and multiply.

Are we as a species linked together in a common cause to maintain and preserve humankind? Some think that this is the case, that we are subconsciously united in a common goal of the continuation of mankind. This could be the reason that scientists are searching for habitable planets in our galaxy. They realize that a cosmic catastrophic event could wipe out the human race and that the only way to avoid this is to get off the planet and colonize the galaxy. This goal gives new meaning to life.

For some people, achievement is paramount to life itself. The idea is to achieve all that one can according to ones abilities. This is why athletes aspire to be great and artists work to achieve recognition and admiration. In other words, human aspirations constitute the meaning of life. It drives many to a higher pursuit that neglects the other aspects of life, including marriage and children.

Some people consider life to lie in fantasy and dreams. Many animals dream, but it's questionable as to what they dream of. We are capable of having vivid dreams. Dreams can also be the dark side of life. Fantasy can be a dream world made up from the imagination. Dreams and fantasy could lead to great achievements. But, are they a part of life? Some people live in fantasy and make-believe as a substitute for normal life.

Of course, this question has been the theme for some silly movies like Monty Python's 'The Meaning of Life'. At the conclusion of this comedy the hostess is handed an envelope with the answer to the question: "Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations". Actually, that 's not bad advice.

All of this comes down to the conclusion that the meaning of life is a mystery, unless you believe in God. In that case it has a purpose.

Thanks for reading.