Am I Depressed? I can't find meaning in life!?

Question

Lately, I have had a few things happen that made me get more philosophical that I ever have before, and now I am having problems finding meaning amd motivation for anything.

Friendships, Work, Sports, Relationships, etc, are all losing me.

I study International Relations in school, and when we talk about politics, I just can't see how anyone can possibly agree on some things because of different religious beliefs that give people different morals and values, that can't necesarrily be justified logically.

What I am seeing in everything is just a big transfer of energy, and the shifting of cells and material objects like rocks rolling down a hill, a car driving from point a to point b, etc., and nothing else.

Basically, I can't stop thinking about the question: What percieves the "meaning" in something?

For instance, if one body punches another, all it is is a transfer of energy, and a few electrical impuleses in the brain of the person being puched and the person doing the punching. Everything else (hate, anger, revenge) is just made up in the human mind, which has a definite number of cells, and is nothing but organic matter.

How is dropping a bomb on someone for no reason "bad?" By no means am I an advocator of war without reason, but really, what is wrong with it? All it is is a large energy release, which transforms the shape and state of organic and inorganic matter from one form to another. All emotions are fabricated in the mind, which is no more than organic material, such as a tree. Sure, the human body may be more complex than a tree, but a bicycle with 1 gear is less complex than a bicycle with 20, but that complexity does not necesarilly make the bicycle "better." Why is dropping a bomb on a tree more right than dropping one on a person? You could say that it is morally wrong, but then I could say what are the set guidlines of morals?

Perhaps the reason I'm not seeing relavant meaning in life is because "life" is not like matter that you can touch, feel, or see.

I would assume religeion solves this problem for those who believe in it, but how can you can prove that it doesn't exist without having any evidence, other than the fact that you can't prove there is no God?

Maybe I just need some beer and a slap to the face....Any replies are HIGHLY appreciated.

Answer 1

NO WAY you are not depressed. In philosophy this is called existentialism....which is pretty much the meaning of life. Trying to find the meaning of life will make you a better and smarter person....you just have to read more and discuss more things about life.

Answer 2

Meaning Of Life Depression

Answer 3

My friend,

When I was in college, I had to go through the almost similar phase and I was unable to find the meaning of life.

It happens when you have understood life better than others and a philosopher has taken birth in you. It is transient and the feeling changes. You will have to take care because this is the right time for a flower to flourish or a bomb to explode.

I took it positively and one after another enabled myself to achieve three Master's Degrees in Physics, Metallurgy, and English.

I know that even today there is an unanswered question following me but I try to give life new meanings everyday, otherwise Life is an uncertain and unpredictable preparation for death.

I started writing and I have some books to my credit. I am trying to live the life without trying understand what it means.

You can see some of my books at the links given below:

God bless you

Rajasir

Answer 4

Existential depression. If all things are to decay how can anything mean anything. For whatever I achieve on this world in this lifetime will eventually give way to the impermanence of everything.



I felt the same, and there is no easy answer, in fact, I see no answer.



What I mean is, everything you achieve, even if your thoughts or actions were so great they were cherished well after you died, will eventually mean nothing because this world will eventually be space dust, and even if the human race continues on after that point, unless you believe in an end of time scenario then time would be infinite. If time is infinite then for humans and human accomplishments would have to live on forever in order to actually mean anything right?



But that's then, and like I'm sure you've heard again and again, all there is is now. In reality tomorrow never comes, because tomorrow always becomes today. Tomorrow is just an idea, because today is the only reality we can know. Even yesterday is just a collection of memories, and whose to say we'll even remember what happened, and if we can't remember experiencing it then does it actually exist.



Philosophy of the mind is a complicated thing, and over thinking can become dangerous.



In order to find peace focus on now. Think about who you are now, what you like now, and what you want now. Find meaning through attaining what you want now, and achieving who you want to be now.

Nobody else determines what means anything to you, only you do. The only meaning to life is that you're the only one who gives life meaning. That is to say, maybe the meaning to life is the simple fact that you are a conscious being able to wonder about the meaning of life.



At the end of the day, find meaning in whether or not you're happy with who you are and what you have accomplished. If you aren't, then you'll find yourself probably thinking that you're living a meaningless life, because you're not achieving things you give meaning to. So the key is to be who you want to be, live how you want to live, and do what you want to do. And in todays society of zombie consumerism and blind assimilation into what popular culture says everyone should be, that's a hard thing to do.

Answer 5

wow you sound like myself. I think this is a staget that most ppl go through the question why things happen and why things are the way they are and why things have meaning ect ect. We just start to question everything that is givin to us and in reality nobody can answer them all. You just have to live life for what YOU find meaningful.



Whatever you do, Do not, I repeat do not get sucked into the religious non sense that ppl push on you. Seems like you have a good head on your shoulders and will soon start to figure things out. Hope you the best of luck friend.

Answer 6

Pick up a copy of the HitchHiker Guide to the Galaxy and read it.

It is a silly book about finding the meaning of life among other things. I can be amusing and help you understand there is no real meaning to the world or life. Simply try to enjoy it as you wander though your life.

Answer 7

Endorphin levels are key for levels of feeling and happiness.



Increased, long-term, low-grade stress tends to potentiate cortisol and block serotonin, which lowers endorphin activity.



Your examples of energy exchange (pugilism, bombing, etc.) are indicative of a super-charged, stressed outlook.



So, would consider counseling re your reduced affect. One point: medication too often carries possible side effects, so be careful if your college counselor recommends "happy pills." Of course, if you've been abusing drugs or even alcohol, these also affect cognitive chemistry more than many appreciate.



Energy is the whole of the Matter. Being grateful for awareness, i.e. a collection of atoms which is self-aware, able to appreciate a sunrise, etc., is helpful, as few atoms in the universe ever win that cosmic experience. You're on the top of the unniverse, on a great and beautiful planet, born into a fortunate time and place.



So read..."A Philosophy of Universality," O. M. Aivanhov,

"Autobiography of a Yogi," Yogananda,

"The Masters and Their Retreats," Mark Prophet, and realize there's more to balancing brain chemistry than pills....



If you're too depressed to acquire copies of the books mentioned above,

http://www.dreamviews.com

http://www.divinecosmos.com

http://www.carolbowman.com

http://www.dreamhealer.com

http://www.tiller.org

http://www.noetic.org

http://www.heartmath.org

http://www.integralscience.org

http://noosphere.princeton.edu

http://www.sheldrake.org

Answer 8

hey buddy meaning is a layer which humans apply to life,it is achieved by the perception process.in that when our experience is kept and used as a type of filter ot the experience of the 'moment' it gives the illusion of meaning. essentialy we are lost in our own technology,words ,being sound and agreed association,become names and turn into thoughts and we mistake these built realities for the actuality of all that is.,.Happiness must be 'happeness' a joy about simply being that which is.Good luck.cheer up you are everything all at once.

Answer 9

You are asking too many questions and expressing too many doubts. Stop an consider how fortunate you are to be alive and be able to have these kinds of thoughts and to share them. The purpose of life is not very clear but there are two aspects of it worth mentioning.



Life is to be enjoyed and to be spent helping others. Consentrate on these two matters.

Answer 10

Never ever accept that its your fault when people treat you like trash. How disgusting. If I were you honestly? unless you rely on them for finances. I would write a letter detailing all they have done to you and the damage they have caused just as you leave for college. They cant do anything about it and they have to sit with the guilt of what they have done, as they deserve. Closure is important. You need closure if nothing else, for justice. Never give up on that.

Answer 11

Meaning refers to a message or idea that is being communicated. Every instance of using the word implies an intelligence and a plan. If we reject God, we reject meaning just as Bertrand Russell here has concluded that if we reject God, we reject purpose:



“Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.” –Bertrand Russell



Our lives also have no worth if we reject God and our human nature demands that our lives be worth living.



If we reject God, we try to manufacture feelings of meaning, purpose and worth through our imagination. We imagine some praiseworthy deed giving our lives meaning and we feel good about it. But it isn't real and we know it.



My reasoning is that God, if He exists, must have put our intense need for meaning into our human nature to point us to seek Him. I derive that in the absence of any religious consideration but I do note that same idea is in the Bible, i.e. "seek and ye shall find".

Answer 12

I used to go through a phase in life like yours, but after a while I just enjoy life as it is. Do everything you want to do, coz it's now or never.

Answer 13

find a native and ask about a vision quest.

Answer 14

when you lose everything, then you will find meaning..



when you're about to die, maybe you'll understand life.

Answer 15

Good morning brother

great question



1 can you give me the name of a single person in human histroy which had not gone through sorrows and pain in there life?



2 till there is human life there will always be happiness with misery,what we had to do is to maximize the pleasure and had to minimize the pain.



3 a if there will be no fool humans in this world what will be the value of intelligent humans,there will be no difference,so foolish humans are also necessary.

b if there will be no ugly things in this world what value will be left of the beauty,there will be no difference.

c in the same way if there will be no pain,no misery than what value of happiness will be left,than you will not feel happiness,so misery is necessary for happiness.



4 Dont became victim of circumstances became master of circumstances,became master of the pain and problems and solve them as a student solve maths problem.



" Misery and pain became beautiful if once face them bravely and defeat them"

Aristotle

dont you think brother if there will be happiness all the times,than life will became boaring,misery and pain make us powerful,bring us ability to fight in this world.



How you can get happiness my brother



1 Dont love a person so much

attachment is the biggest cause of pain,so never get attach with a person or a thing so much emotionally,that will give you pain,if you love a boy and tomorrow he will left you how much pain you will feel,so neither hate anyone not get so much attachment with any person in your life,both are harmful,i love a girl very much and she betrayed me and i was in deepression for 1 year

do time pass

my sister is mbbs student and she always do time pass with boys,she had a boyfreind and he is time pass,she is not serious at all,that can be harmful,so sister enjoy life,dont get attachment so much with a person.



2 Love yourself

" love yourself as much as anybody you can love in the entire Universe"

Buddha

and in reality also a perosn love himself or herself only,if a mother love his son and there are some desires attach with her son,that he will became a doctor etc and will take me to a beautiful home and when tomorrow the boy get her out of home than mother will hate her,so she not love the son,she love the desires that are attach with the son,so a human love only the desires that are attach with other humans,

.

one day ashoka and his wife were doing meditation

ashoka ask" whom you love the most in this world"

his wife says" i had done meditation and i had found that i love myself"

ashoka also said i love myself only.



so brother love yourself first and never do such actions which could be harmful for you.



3 Dont be too Honest

" a person should be honest but not too much because straight trees cut first and honest people screwed first"

kautilya

dolly you know that this world is full of cheaters and clever humans so we should also be clever ,so we not get cheated by other humans,

we should never do wrong to anyperson and should never get cheated also.we should be clever and wise not so much honest(sidha)



"Honesty is the best policy" this is a wrong quotation in this practical world.

" notice that when wind came the stiffest trees crack down while the bamboo survive"

Bruce lee

so make yourself bold ,strong and powerful to survive in this cruel world.



4 Please do SUN MEDITATION it is my request brother

earlier i also live in depression and misery all the times,but than i started doing sun meditation

we had to concentrate on the rising sun daily on the first day for 10 seconds its benefits are

1 my mental strength had increases

2 my all mental and physical diseases are gone.

3 i feel as powerful as lion

4 i feel less hungry

it can also make a person non eater and can also lead to englightment

so it is my request please search sun gazing on google.



" human being is author of his own misery and diseases"

buddha



so brother you had to remove all your misery by yourself no other person of this world not even god will help you,you can only help yourself



5 By applying great teachings of sri krishna,buddha,jesus christ,muhammad.mahavira,confucious

1 we should apply knowledge in our practical life,knowledge is useless if we not apply it in our practical life,it is just like dust not more than that.

2 buddha,krishna are great human beings we can all became like them through our hard work,we should not considered ourself inferior to them.

3 we all should check fraud pandits,and preists,who make fool of innocent public and waste there time and money,and many times innocent humans are also killed because of these religious fundamentalist.



when all of us will follow teachings of buddha,krishna,jesus than this world will became like heaven.



" how much holy words you listen,how much holy word you read,what is the benefit if you not apply them in your life"

Buddha



God bless you brother and will give you,power beauty and knowledge

all the best for the future