Feb 11, 2013

What is the meaning of life?

I won't be responding to this question; although, someday I know I want to be able to (I'm not quite there yet). Not too long ago, I began reading about Joseph Campbell, while researching him it led me to Einstein. I've always been fascinating by people and their perspective on life, and especially people in history who've changed and questioned what is considered the norm or people who've greatly influenced the world as we know it today. For example, Galileo, the Buddha and Einstein.

Here is Einstein's response to the question, What is the meaning of Life?

"If we speak of the purpose and goal of an action we mean simply the question: which kind of desire should we fulfill by the action or its consequences or which undesired consequences should be prevented? We can, of course, also speak in a clear way of the goal of an action from the standpoint of a community to which the individual belongs. In such cases the goal of the action has also to do at least indirectly with fulfillment of desires of the individuals which constitute a society. If you ask for the purpose or goal of society as a whole or of an individual taken as a whole the question loses its meaning. This is, of course, even more so if you ask the purpose or meaning of nature in general. For in those cases it seems quite arbitrary if not unreasonable to assume somebody whose desires are connected with the happenings. Nevertheless we all feel that it is indeed very reasonable and important to ask ourselves how we should try to conduct our lives. The answer is, in my opinion: satisfaction of the desires and needs of all, as far as this can be achieved, and achievement of harmony and beauty in the human relationships. This presupposes a good deal of conscious thought and of self-education. It is undeniable that the enlightened Greeks and the old Oriental sages had achieved a higher level in this all-important field than what is alive in our schools and universities."



There is your dose of inspiration, something to ponder on a Monday. What do you think of his response? 

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