Asklemmy

43851 readers

1543 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

Open-ended question
Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

Lemmyverse: community search
sub.rehab: maps old subreddits to fediverse options, marks official as such
!lemmy411@lemmy.ca: a community for finding communities

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

Is the purpose of life to be happy? (lemmy.ca)

submitted 1 year ago by investorsexchange@lemmy.ca to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

106 comments fedilink hide all child comments

When I’m unhappy, I feel like I’m doing life wrong. I’d rather be happy. But is happiness the point of life, or is there more to it? If I pursue happiness, mine first then for those around me, is that selfish? But if there’s a bigger purpose, then what about people with Alzheimer’s or dementia who can’t recall recent experiences or make plans?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] Adi2121@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This sounds a lot like absurdism, especially the "nothing matters so I can do whatever I want".

[–] Glide@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There's one massive quality that makes positive Nihilism different from Absurdism. Absurdism states that trying to create meaning in a chaotic universe puts you at odds with it. Therefore, doing so creates unhappiness. Optimistic Nihilism, as the common thought I was trying to convey but incorrectly labelled is called, believes that without inherent meaning in our chaotic universe, we are free to create whatever meaning we desire.

Both believe the universe is inherently chaotic and meaingless. Only one believes that you can successfully create meaning.

[–] Adi2121@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

Hmm, I've never heard the part where going against the universe creates unhappiness. Maybe I should read a bit more in depth. Thanks for the explanation.