Most of us have probably asked ourselves what's the point of life'? Indeed, sometimes our time on Earth can seem futile. However, Dee Marques argues that finding meaning in your existence is key and tells you the three vital questions you should ask yourself to help find it.


There comes a point in our lives where, no matter how successful we think we are, we’re bound to question why we’re here, what we're doing and where we’re going. Sometimes, posing these questions can help us evaluate our goals and lifestyle and improve them for better physical and mental health. In other cases – perhaps when we're feeling low or vulnerable – wondering what the point of life is can amplify feelings of depression, anxiety and emptiness.

 

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As humans, we’re unique in the animal kingdom, among many other reasons because of our quest for finding fulfilment and happiness in life. We aim to do more than eat, sleep, reproduce, and stay safe. This quest for meaning has characterised humans since the beginning of times and it’s a central question in every culture. And according to scientists, the search for meaning seems to be coded into our nature: our brains are larger and with this comes the ability to appreciate things beyond meeting our basic needs.


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And we can do more than appreciate the positive and joyful aspects of life. Trying to find meaning in negative experiences is also an ability that’s unique to humans, and that’s precisely what leads us to ask 'what's the point of life'. So how can we go about finding an answer? Let’s look at some practical ideas.
 

What's the point of life?

What if the purpose of life was finding a way to forget about the question 'what's the point of life?'! Maybe there’s no single thing that brings meaning per se, but the journey itself may be what helps us find purpose. And when we talk about the journey, we mean every aspect of it, from savouring the pleasant experiences to learning from mistakes.

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What's the point of life? Both meaning and purpose


But for the journey to be meaningful, it must be the result of your own choices. Some people try to find meaning in wealth and fame, but this doesn’t have to be your story. As a living being, you’re in a unique position to decide what your purpose should be. We didn’t choose to be born, but we can choose how to live our lives and how to enjoy it.

 

“What if the purpose of life was finding a way to forget about the question 'what's the point of life?'”


To do that, it helps focusing on being consciously grounded in the present. Practising mindfulness creates a greater awareness of what it means to be alive. It helps your mind get more in touch with your emotions, reactions, and with your five senses. This type of clarity can open your eyes to things or experiences that help you to live your life with purpose. And mindfulness is not the only thing that can bring us clarity: there are some questions you can ask yourself to inspire your search for purpose.
 

The 3 questions to help you find meaning

The quest for meaning in life is so vast that the very thought of getting started can make you feel overwhelmed. Discovering what the point of life is is a lifelong journey and the steps and stages won’t be the same for everyone. However, there are some questions that you can put you on the right track to begin the journey of discovery.

 

1. What would you like to be remembered for?

As humans, we tend to focus on the present and in the future. If you examine your ambitions, you may find that they’re limited to what you want to achieve this year, next year, on in the next decade. But have you thought about what you’d want to be remembered for? The answer to this question is usually related to career or spiritual goals rather than material ones, and thinking about it can help bring into focus the true essence of your being.
 

2. If you had super-powers, which problem would you solve first?

There’s no shortage of serious problems in the world, and while it’s not always in our hands to solve them, thinking about which problem you’d give priority can hint at where your main concerns are. Once you know that, you can start looking for ways of doing your part. For example, if you find that you’d want to end world hunger, you may want to spend some time volunteering at a soup kitchen, or creating a community food garden.
 

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3. What’s the one activity that makes you lose track of time?

We all know that time drags on when we’re doing something we dislike. But the opposite is also true: there are some activities that make time fly because they get our full attention and bring us a sense of fulfilment. Losing track of time when doing something is known as finding your flow, and it's a clear sign that the activity taps into the things that make us come alive. So, spending more time in those activities can help you enjoy a more meaningful life.


These questions are just the starting point: we’ve written an article about other ways to guide your search for meaning.
 

What's the point of life? Being enough

There’s no doubt that knowing what your purpose in life is can bring you closer to happiness. But if you’ve been trying to find out what your role in life is and have found no answer, don’t torture yourself. People’s experiences are different and not everyone will find the right answer at the same time.

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Gratitude: having enough can be enough shutterstock/WAYHOME studio


What’s more, rushing into finding an answer will only put you under pressure and cause stress. Instead, try to see it from a different perspective: if you haven’t found an answer yet, simply “being” should be enough for now. Here are four suggestions on how to make that work:
 

1. Find abundance in having enough

The powers of gratitude are proven by science. Make a list of things you already have in your life that make you feel blessed and grateful. Through mindfulness practice, you can find abundance in these things, and you may find that having enough is… enough!
 

2. Get comfortable with discomfort

Life can feel like an uphill battle sometimes, at it's at those times when we might wonder what's the point of life or of going through hard times. However, discomfort in life is unavoidable and trying to find meaning in those experiences often leads to frustration. So, try to accept life for what it is and know that the hard times won't last for ever.
 

“Discovering what the point of life is is a lifelong journey and the steps and stages won’t be the same for everyone.”

 

3. Let your intuition guide you

Finding the meaning of life requires some analytical thinking, but sometimes logical reasoning doesn’t have all the answers. The key is to balance rational thoughts with intuition, which sometimes will contradict all logical arguments. Listen and trust that inner voice because it usually knows what’s good and right for you!
 

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4. Forget what others think or are doing

Some people seem to have their life’s purpose figured out, but comparing yourself to them isn’t helpful. The point of life is to live it in your own terms and at your own pace, and that should be the main focus. For the same reason, don’t let other people’s opinions affect you when it comes to what you find meaningful or how you go about finding your ambition, role or purpose.

 

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Conclusions

So, what is the point of life? If there’s one thing that holds true for most of us, it's that the point of life is to live and experience things to the fullest, whatever that “fullest” means for you right now. Don’t rush your quest for meaning. Instead, make a point of finding joy in what you already have and try your best to feel grounded in the present. At some point, you’ll find the answer you’re looking for, and in the meantime, enjoy the journey! 
Main image: shutterstock/Song_about_summer

Written by Dee Marques

dee.jpgA social sciences graduate with a keen interest in languages, communication, and personal development strategies. Dee loves exercising, being out in nature, and discovering warm and sunny places where she can escape the winter.


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69****

Posted

What nonsense. Unless you have money, life is a meaningless drag. You spend 50+ years working for ungrateful people, ruining your health in the process. The money you get for this is then given to other people in exchange for your right to be alive. Eventually, when you offer no monetary value, what's left of your wealth will be vacuumed up by care home parasites. Eventually you'll shuffle off, alone & broken. 

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3e****

Posted

there is no point in life . Why should there be , who says there should be ? Once you realise that you can at least grab some pleasurable times during your short existence on this planet. The Earth doesn't care if you exist or not and if any people do you will eventually fade whether it is in 20 years ,100 years or 100,000 years ..eventually all the good deeds or bad will disappear from the collective memory banks. As Kurt Vonnegut said ' we are here on this Earth to fart around, don't let anyone tell you different' Just get living ..you may as well do...there are a great many creatures that didn't end up in such a favourable position as yourselves.

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6b****

Posted

The 3 questions to help find meaning are a great place to start thinking (esp relieved to know I don't care to be remembered).  The 4 suggestions on how to discover 'enough' are great guidance.  Your article provides no ready answers for seekers, but I take great comfort in my interpretation of your ideas that meaning can evolve and change in the passage of our lives.  Thank you for a great article Dee.  

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57****

Posted

These questions are terrible. Being majorly depressed, these questions feel like someone happy wrote them. Its insulting.

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Calvin77

Posted

21 hours ago, Guest Jacob said:

Joy, another useless clickbait article when you’re suicidal.  
 

bravo, author you sure managed to not answer any philosophical inquiry and used vague memes to maintain the status quo. 
 

If you are feeling suicidal, please reach out directly to a mental health charity or the emergency services for support ASAP. Best wishes. 

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10****

Posted

Joy, another useless clickbait article when you’re suicidal.  
 

bravo, author you sure managed to not answer any philosophical inquiry and used vague memes to maintain the status quo. 
 

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13****

Posted

There isn't any meaning to life beause if there was it would be obvious and you wouldn't need to ask. 

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70****

Posted

Those first two questions could not be more horrible. Remembered for? Super powers? Such western style egocentrism. Yeah, you really matter. The billions of people who have walked the face of the earth before the Internet didn't though. Your blog and your name on that bench in your town will. That will matter.
They go to the effort to buy the happiness domain and don't understand the first thing about life. No wonder the world is so horrible. Pretty much this website's fault

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su****

Posted

What's the point of human life?

 

If we think about the lowest level, nature is a collection of pysical und chemical reactions.

 

Life means growth, inheritance and death. The life most suitable for the current situation will reproduce and survive. So in long term, life adapts to a changing situation by death without reproduction of the nonsuitable life, which is a very slow process.

 

Animals are a little adaptable, because they can move and think. So when there is no food, they can change their location and survive, for example.

 

One of the most adaptable life is humanity. Why is that? And how are we so successful?

We share knowledge and we transfer knowledge from one generation to another.

This way, we can survive almost everywhere. In the hottest desert, in the coldest areas and even in space.

 

So in my opinion, the point of life is to get educated, to learn and to teach your knowledge, so the next generation can do better.

 

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c6****

Posted

I don't think this article helps answer the question about the point of life, it just suggests ways to find enjoyable things to do along the way to - what? The end of it?

If you see the point of your life as needing to be remembered, why? I think that's quite egotistical.

I think finding a world problem to solve is a wonderful idea.  However, no one has super powers, so imagining this goal is unrealistic and unobtainable.  What you could do as one person in a soup kitchen probably only works more towards being remembered.

And as for finding things to make time pass faster.... Doesn't that again mean the point is just to get to the end?

If that's the only point, then what's the point?

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30****

Posted

I have always believed I was put here for a reason and that reason would seek me out at some point , then I met my father after 52 years and he had the same thought, he then died without ever finding out what his purpose was . We live we die what we doi in between is up to you no one else . If you fail in  life it’s your fault, if you commit a crime it’s your fault if your a bad person it’s your fault . If your good it’s all down to you . You are to blame for your crap life no one else . But remember there is always a price to pay for rewards in life , a short life , drug abuse, injuries and pain nothing in life is free except the air you breath.everything else has a cost to it .

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d2****

Posted

Thank you for a great article, I’ve been pondering my next steps as my kids grow older, I want to do something useful with the life I have left…

This is exactly what I needed to read! it’s clarified my thoughts better. 
thank you 
 

Merry Christmas and all the best for 2022! 
 

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4c****

Posted

I r wrong!

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b3****

Posted

Nonsense. Does an animal live to be remembered?

No, it lives to reproduce, free of money / stupidity, only interference from human.

What is the point, we are going to die anyway.

What, the journey? What is the point of that?

Why do most want to eat, sleep, sh!t and slave for worthless pieces or cloth paper?

What is the point, especially with the stupid game they created and want to perpetuate.

Rhetorical.

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e7****

Posted

What's the point of life? Well, to live it, of course! But LIVE to the full extent of the word! Be fearless, take chances, get rid of trauma, conditioning, peel back the layers of stuff that doesn't belong to you. Ignore societal pressures. Don't conform. Be unapologetically YOU. The best version of yourself. The point of life is a lifelong pursuit to experience and do as much as you can and live a full, happy life and not have regrets when your time is up. Don't take it too serious nor too personal. Find your purpose... or don't! Make meaningful connections. 

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Tine

Posted

Somehow, even as a kid, I would answer that the point of life is "simply" living it.
However, I struggle with filling the simplicity of this knowledge with purpose.
Everything we do is so irrelevant and yet so important at the same time.
The little things we do have such a massive effect on life on earth like booking a flight or replacing something that is working well with something a bit more trendy or in a nicer pattern we seem to take on so lightheartedly.
Maybe being fully alive also means being fully aware of the consequences of our actions ranging from snappy remarks to encouragement and daily consumption.

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Li****

Posted

I honestly haven't pondered too much about what's the point of life. I agree with Dee and the importance of being present, finding joy in what you have in your life, and try and always do your best in everything you do. Living life to the fullest - whatever that means for someone or at a certain point in their life - and try and be a kind person to the people around you. ?

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0f****

Posted

Some great pointers on the point of life from Dee. ? I used to spend hours thinking about my purpose here on Earth but have come to realize that it's actually all very simple.

We'll never really be able to answer the riddles of why we're here on this planet, so, what's the point of life?  I think just to enjoy it! Connect with others and help them. Be nice. Be kind. Spread joy and happiness to people and make their journey here easier too. Learn and share your knowledge. If you can find a career you love all the better, but that's not the be all and end all of everything. Just experience and enjoy. I love that saying, 'live, love, laugh'. That sums up the point of life for me! xx

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