If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

[FoJaR]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

alright, your analogy is better, but you're still wrong.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE JOB YOU WANT IF YOU DONT PUT IN THE EFFORT IN COLLEGE?

you gotta perform well in school, or you're gonna end up pushing a mop, for all eternity.

[windsurfer-sp]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

Ok first of all I think that ppl who dont believe in an afterlife dont have motivation for life but keep on living because there instincts are to do so. Its a sort of bio-mechanical natural response of such, they are also taught to by parents and such. Thats why ppl who are suicidal have broken what they are naturally trained to do, which is to survive.

Secondly an afterlife to atheists isn't nescerally heaven/hell. It could be any form of consciousness which may not be in a heaven or hell form, these sorts of thoughts are what can cause phobias aka therapingdragon.

Thirdly I do believe in an afterlife of heaven and hell. I believe that the motivation towards life is that I need to get as many of my freinds and family and enemies and strangers and anyone I can, to go to heaven and not hell through Jesus Christ, not just being good or bad. That is my answer for the question of the meaning of life.

To answer the question directly, people who dont believe in afterlife live for worldly temporary motivations (money, power, fame). These aren't nescerally bad things but dont go with you when you die.

Other motivations can be family and relationships these motivations aren't bad motivations but aren't permanent enough to base your life upon. People die, relationships break ppl get divorced. As soon as that happens your motivation for life may dry up and then what you kill yourself?

I recommend a permanent motivation which cant be found without a belief in an afterlife which unfortunately is not part of the question.

I hope this helps A2, good luck with your essay.

In the future I'm defiantly going to ask you guys for essay advice on my next essay when school starts

[TheRapingDragon]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

why wont you have your memories in an afterlife?

forgive me if i dont make that logical leap.

Because I believe that memories are part of your brain, when you die your brain dies, if anything we are a collection of molecules, bacteria, etc. When we die all of that scatters to find another organism to inhabit, thus everything about "you" is broken up, scattered, and replaced. Thus, if anything of you "lives on" it will never be in the same original form, with the same original memories.

Apologies if some of that seems stupid, my science never was A* material.

[kylehaas]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

well, yeah. i definately beleive in life after death... but all those EMO people, im sure they wouldnt agree with me... perhaps thats why they are so screwed up?

[Cj_leonine]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

Dear Fojar, Quadruple post.

[Sarah1492]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

there's a theory... can't remember wut religion it is but I think its cool... its that when u die u get a new life as something else. it could be a king, it could be an elephant. but it all dependds on how good u were and wut u did in your previous life. and i know that there are people, maybe monks?, i dont no but they can tell u wut u were... but then again theres heaven.... i just dont no, but i also want to live mi life to the fullest

[TheRapingDragon]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

Sarah, quick bit of advice, especially seeing as how this is the critical thinking section - try to type out your words. "You" instead of "u" takes no time at all. People will tend to not pay attention to your post as much if you litter it with "text speak" such as "tell u wut u were".

Also, you are talking about reincarnation.

Also, Fojar I forgot to mention, but you tell me you won't make the leap to believe that your memories will go at death, yet you also tell another person that the brain dies at death, meaning "no workey workey".

If the brain is where your memories are stored, and it dies, then how can you keep your memories, what then do you believe to keep your memories, your "soul"? Or what?

[Angel Shiyue]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

Most of my motivation is that I want to make a mark on the world before I leave. Pretty much just something that people will remember me by when I'm gone. It scares me to think that once I die, that's it. No one will really remember me, etc.

[Sarah1492]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

my opinion is that we were put on this earth to make it better. i hope maybe i can find a way to do that

[itmorr]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

I agree with Tsugomaru, except for the part about life being a game to get to the top.

[Reach]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

As I see it, life is a pretty unique gift, and I only have one shot at it. There is no way to escape it alive, so you have to take it for what it is.

The universe is a pretty messed up yet magnificent place. I am always in awe when I look at the shere space and mystery the universe contains...it's amazing that something like this could actually exist, God or no God. It just fascinates me, and I enjoy learning and experiencing more of it each day. Just being one little part of the big picture is a nice feeling, and I'm grateful I was born with the amazing ability to explore it and share deep thoughts and feelings with other people.

I'm not one to believe that anyone or anything necessarily gives you purpose in your life. Purpose is derived from within, and as such the 'meaning of life' is an irrelevant question. The real question is, what is the meaning of YOUR life, and as you shape and explore this universe it inevitably becomes what defines you within the big picture.

I don't require some superficial notion that my body is merely a vessel into a world that is better than this one to see that life is something greater than myself. We are human beings, a natural creation of the universe. The very fact that our lives will come to an eternal end is what makes us...us, and what makes everything what it is. Everything dies, everything ends, and only when you can truely accept that, in my opinion, can you realize the true beauty is all around you just waiting for you to tap into it (Actually, I do have some ideas involving a universe that wasn't created and can't be destroyed, though another topic entirely XD).

[talisman]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

skimskimskim

I think the more important question is why homo sapiens tends to assign 'purpose' and 'meaning' to things in the first place. What is the evolutionary function of retaining this artifcial 'structure' in our lives? How does it facilitate certain biological goals like reproduction and individual preservation?

I used to wonder alot about "the meaning of life" before I took a step back and realized any such debate surrounding this concept presupposes that there is a "meaning of life" in the first place! The idea is so attractive... so comforting, if you will, that it is easy to see how it has gained widespread appeal and universal inclusion into all religions. Yet "meaning" is a decidedly arbitrarily human idea, and almost inescapable at that.

So I decided that it's better not to think about what the meaning or purpose of one's life is, but just to live life and do what you want to. Sure, rely on the goal-oriented nature of human problem-solving to help you accomplish things, but don't confuse that with some sort of universal, or even personal, "purpose" or "meaning". It's unnecessary.

[Lucifericrucifix]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

My motivation is merely progression as a being. We are severely flawed at birth and many of us continue to be until we reach the grave as well. My motivation is merely betterment of myself.

[cC@Zz]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

Alot of people want to better themselves and believe there is an afterlife. I wish I was more like those kinds of people, but I just can't believe theres an afterlife without proof. I still try to better myself but sometimes I feel like if there is no afterlife its all pointless.

[RandomPscho]

Re: If you don't believe in an afterlife, what is your motivation?

It is all pointless. The reason for living is what you make it out to be.