Question Number 4: Struggle is needed to live a significant life.
Grade:____________Never_____Rarely_____Sometimes_____Usually_____Always
_________12th:____1(11%)____0(0%)_______4(44%)_______4(44%)______0(0%)
_________11th:____1(3%)_____4(11%)______17(37%)______15(33%)_____9(20%)
_________10th:____0(0%)_____0(0%)_______9(56%)_______4(25%)______3(19%)
__________9th:____1(1%)_____6(9%)_______20(29%)______24(35%)_____19(28%)
__________8th:____1(6%)_____5(29%)______2(12%)_______5(29%)______4(24%)
__________6th:____1(2%)_____6(14%)______9(21%)_______17(40%)_____10(23%)
Middle_School:____2(3%)_____11(18%)_____11(18%)______22(37%)_____14(23%)
__High_School:____3(2%)_____10(7%)______50(37%)______47(35%)_____26(19%)
________Total:____5(2%)_____21(10%)_____62(30%)______70(34%)_____44(23%)
The results for this question are hard to interpret. From the data we can see that the majority of the school believes that it is necessary to struggle to live a meaningful life, but the other answers from the survey are required to know what they think a meaningful life is, and also the question isn't open ended so we do not know what they think struggle is.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
For my third meaning of life interview I questioned my Mom, Gerri, on the meaning of life. While I do not have a hard copy of how that conversation went, these were her answers:
Cole: So, what do you think the meaning of life is?
Gerri: *sighs* What a stupid question. Well, there really isn't a meaning of life, the idea of a meaning of life is just something humans created, when really life doesn't have any meaning.
Cole: Okay, how about I rephrase the question. What do you think gives life meaning?
Gerri: Well nothing gives life meaning.
Cole: So why not just kill yourself?
Gerri: Because all humans have an instinct to survive. Its biology. We live to survive, to reproduce, and to further the evolution of human beings. That's the meaning of life in my opinion, its to survive and reproduce.
Cole: So, what do you think the meaning of life is?
Gerri: *sighs* What a stupid question. Well, there really isn't a meaning of life, the idea of a meaning of life is just something humans created, when really life doesn't have any meaning.
Cole: Okay, how about I rephrase the question. What do you think gives life meaning?
Gerri: Well nothing gives life meaning.
Cole: So why not just kill yourself?
Gerri: Because all humans have an instinct to survive. Its biology. We live to survive, to reproduce, and to further the evolution of human beings. That's the meaning of life in my opinion, its to survive and reproduce.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The person I asked about the meaning of life today was my good friend Kyle, who appears in this chat as Zerobane. Kyle at first didn't think that there was a meaning of life at all, but once the question was rephrased, he started to come up with ideas. What he decided on finally that the meaning of life for him was just to live, like to live in the short term, and not to live in the future.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The person I asked what the meaning of life was was my good friend Taylor, who in this IM appears as papple124. In this IM I am Dargazziocel. Taylor’s beliefs were that the meaning of life is to leave each day to its fullest. “the living moment (the moment that is happening) life is incommunicably important” he says. Here is all of our conversation:
Dargazziocel (10:08:10 AM): heya
papple124 (3:14:58 PM): hey
papple124 (3:15:00 PM): wassssup
Dargazziocel (10:15:15 AM): nothin much
Dargazziocel (10:15:22 AM): i have this school assignment
Dargazziocel (10:15:33 AM): i need to ask someone what the meaning of life is in their opinion
Dargazziocel (10:15:35 AM): so
Dargazziocel (10:15:39 AM): whats the meaning of life?
papple124 (3:15:43 PM): ohhh
papple124 (3:15:51 PM): well...
papple124 (3:16:14 PM): I have a whole lot to say about that one
Dargazziocel (10:16:28 AM): shoot
papple124 (3:16:49 PM): life is quite simply what it is; life
papple124 (3:16:52 PM): however
papple124 (3:17:18 PM): one should not see that as a nihilistic perspective becuse its not
papple124 (3:18:49 PM): life is insignificant in hindsight or foresight but in the living moment (the moment that is happening) life is incommunicably important
papple124 (3:19:29 PM): so the meaning of life is to live naturally and joyfully
Dargazziocel (10:19:58 AM): How would you define naturally and joyfully?
papple124 (3:20:51 PM): well the most important thing for one to do in any circumstance is to establish an equilibrium with the environment you are in
papple124 (3:21:17 PM): and living happily I think is pretty self explanatory
papple124 (3:21:35 PM): one should enjoy themselves within the bounds of situational morality
Dargazziocel (10:21:45 AM): well happy to me could mean something differnt then what happy means to you
papple124 (3:21:49 PM): ok well there you go then ^
Dargazziocel (10:22:07 AM): ah
papple124 (3:23:00 PM): have you heard of the idea of situational morality?
Dargazziocel (10:23:47 AM): where your current morals can be defined by the situation you are in?
Dargazziocel (10:23:52 AM): *thats a guess*
papple124 (3:23:59 PM): yea thats pretty much it in a nut shell
papple124 (3:24:23 PM): that which is right in one circumstance may not be right in another
Dargazziocel (10:25:09 AM): hmms
papple124 (3:25:15 PM): would you like an example?
Dargazziocel (10:25:38 AM): shoot
papple124 (3:26:02 PM): people say that to be honest is the right thing to do
papple124 (3:26:05 PM): however
papple124 (3:26:42 PM): in some situations honesty isn't needed and is instead hurtful
papple124 (3:27:40 PM): like when someone doesnt know something that would hurt them and wouldn't find out anyway or be effected by the honesty
Dargazziocel (10:29:08 AM): like a doctor telling his patient that this is his first time doing a surgery
papple124 (3:29:24 PM): haha well yes I suppose
Dargazziocel (10:30:35 AM): well thanks for sharing your opinion
Dargazziocel (10:08:10 AM): heya
papple124 (3:14:58 PM): hey
papple124 (3:15:00 PM): wassssup
Dargazziocel (10:15:15 AM): nothin much
Dargazziocel (10:15:22 AM): i have this school assignment
Dargazziocel (10:15:33 AM): i need to ask someone what the meaning of life is in their opinion
Dargazziocel (10:15:35 AM): so
Dargazziocel (10:15:39 AM): whats the meaning of life?
papple124 (3:15:43 PM): ohhh
papple124 (3:15:51 PM): well...
papple124 (3:16:14 PM): I have a whole lot to say about that one
Dargazziocel (10:16:28 AM): shoot
papple124 (3:16:49 PM): life is quite simply what it is; life
papple124 (3:16:52 PM): however
papple124 (3:17:18 PM): one should not see that as a nihilistic perspective becuse its not
papple124 (3:18:49 PM): life is insignificant in hindsight or foresight but in the living moment (the moment that is happening) life is incommunicably important
papple124 (3:19:29 PM): so the meaning of life is to live naturally and joyfully
Dargazziocel (10:19:58 AM): How would you define naturally and joyfully?
papple124 (3:20:51 PM): well the most important thing for one to do in any circumstance is to establish an equilibrium with the environment you are in
papple124 (3:21:17 PM): and living happily I think is pretty self explanatory
papple124 (3:21:35 PM): one should enjoy themselves within the bounds of situational morality
Dargazziocel (10:21:45 AM): well happy to me could mean something differnt then what happy means to you
papple124 (3:21:49 PM): ok well there you go then ^
Dargazziocel (10:22:07 AM): ah
papple124 (3:23:00 PM): have you heard of the idea of situational morality?
Dargazziocel (10:23:47 AM): where your current morals can be defined by the situation you are in?
Dargazziocel (10:23:52 AM): *thats a guess*
papple124 (3:23:59 PM): yea thats pretty much it in a nut shell
papple124 (3:24:23 PM): that which is right in one circumstance may not be right in another
Dargazziocel (10:25:09 AM): hmms
papple124 (3:25:15 PM): would you like an example?
Dargazziocel (10:25:38 AM): shoot
papple124 (3:26:02 PM): people say that to be honest is the right thing to do
papple124 (3:26:05 PM): however
papple124 (3:26:42 PM): in some situations honesty isn't needed and is instead hurtful
papple124 (3:27:40 PM): like when someone doesnt know something that would hurt them and wouldn't find out anyway or be effected by the honesty
Dargazziocel (10:29:08 AM): like a doctor telling his patient that this is his first time doing a surgery
papple124 (3:29:24 PM): haha well yes I suppose
Dargazziocel (10:30:35 AM): well thanks for sharing your opinion
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
The Meaning of Life Essay 1
Everyone has their own meaning of life that affects and influences all of the decisions that they will make in their life. What each person believes to be the meaning of life can be anything from the pursuit of happiness, whatever they believe happiness to be, to gaining recognition in the eyes of others. The meaning of life can be broken up into 3 sets of goals. You have your major long term goal(s); these are the overall goals such as living a life of happiness or living every day to its fullest or to change the lives of others. These long term goals are made up of smaller short term goals that will help you eventually reach your long term goal(s). These short term goals could be anything, one could be to do one nice thing a day or to graduate from high school and get into a good college. The final goal is the goal for after you are dead. This goal is what you want to happen after you have died, whether it’s to get into heaven or to be remembered after you have died for the things you have accomplished. The final goal is usually entwined with your long term goal, for example if your final goal is to get into heaven, your long term goal might be to strictly follow the rules of the bible.
Like everyone, I also have a set of short term, long term, and final goals that make up my meaning of life. Because I am currently a student, most of my short term goals include graduating from high school with good grades and getting into a good college. While these goals do not represent what I believe to be the meaning of life, they are goals that will help me accomplish what I believe to be a meaningful life. My long term goal is what I would say if someone was to ask me what I believe the meaning of life to be. My long term goal is to make an impact on large groups of people in the world and to change/save their lives. This isn’t done for recognition but instead for the self satisfaction that I would gain from knowing that I have made a difference in the world. I would not consider a small family or a small group (fewer than 1000 people) to give a life meaning. I would consider my long term goal is to affect much larger groups of people (5000 plus).
The meaning of life also includes a final goal. This goal isn’t to be remembered personally by the world, but for the changes I made to be remembered by the world. An example of a change would be to help cure patients of a serious disease, or to have a revolution technology that affects the world. While those are two of the more flashy changes that would be included in a meaningful life, there are also much less glamorous actions that would also help large numbers of people. An example of someone who led an unglamorous but still meaningful life is Alan Turing. He was a mathematician and cryptographer who during WWII creating a number of techniques for breaking German codes. Because of these techniques many lives were saved due to knowledge of German plans and attacks. But in 1952 Turing was convicted of homosexual acts and to undergo hormone therapy, and two years later he committed suicide. Even though he wasn’t remembered among the masses and didn’t lead a glamorous life, he still led a meaningful one due to all of the lives he saved. That’s the kind of actions that make a life meaningful.
Like everyone, I also have a set of short term, long term, and final goals that make up my meaning of life. Because I am currently a student, most of my short term goals include graduating from high school with good grades and getting into a good college. While these goals do not represent what I believe to be the meaning of life, they are goals that will help me accomplish what I believe to be a meaningful life. My long term goal is what I would say if someone was to ask me what I believe the meaning of life to be. My long term goal is to make an impact on large groups of people in the world and to change/save their lives. This isn’t done for recognition but instead for the self satisfaction that I would gain from knowing that I have made a difference in the world. I would not consider a small family or a small group (fewer than 1000 people) to give a life meaning. I would consider my long term goal is to affect much larger groups of people (5000 plus).
The meaning of life also includes a final goal. This goal isn’t to be remembered personally by the world, but for the changes I made to be remembered by the world. An example of a change would be to help cure patients of a serious disease, or to have a revolution technology that affects the world. While those are two of the more flashy changes that would be included in a meaningful life, there are also much less glamorous actions that would also help large numbers of people. An example of someone who led an unglamorous but still meaningful life is Alan Turing. He was a mathematician and cryptographer who during WWII creating a number of techniques for breaking German codes. Because of these techniques many lives were saved due to knowledge of German plans and attacks. But in 1952 Turing was convicted of homosexual acts and to undergo hormone therapy, and two years later he committed suicide. Even though he wasn’t remembered among the masses and didn’t lead a glamorous life, he still led a meaningful one due to all of the lives he saved. That’s the kind of actions that make a life meaningful.
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