What Does The Meaning Of Life - 984 Words

What is the meaning of life? Almost every human at some point in their life would question themselves about their purpose in the world and why they were placed in the setting they are in and what they feel the need to accomplish in their lifetime. Some create their own personal meaning, others are given their meaning with no insight and lastly, others choose to avoid the real world and create a fantasy life. Although the definition is different from person to person, what is significant in the meaning of life is not only to exist in the world but to achieve our desired goals, have faith on our decisions, and learn about something new. Imagine rocking yourself back and forth at the age of ninety and reflecting back on your life. Karl Pillemer, a professor of human development at Cornell University, asked hundreds of elderly for the university legacy project, â€Å"What do you regret when you look back on your life?† Surprisingly, the biggest regret was they spent their lifespan worrying and not fulfill their goals. It is unfortunate to come to a conclusion at an old age there was unnecessary stress that involved family, retirement, health, and fears the consequences of others; someone has not truly lived the way they desired. Unless we come to a realization that the life we were given is our personal existence and ignore society or other influences expectation. Sister Clare, a ninety-nine old nun from the university legacy project, stated â€Å"So many things come to your mind†¦forShow MoreRelatedWhat Does It Mean You Live A Life Of Meaning And Purpose? Essay1366 Words   |  6 PagesWhat does it mea n to live a life of meaning and purpose? We have examined this question through at least five different authors, in different time periods, and through different ideas. However, the common idea has remained the same, have faith in God. For a human to live a life of meaning and purpose he must understand the truths of the natural world and the differences between what is good and evil. Jesus set an example for humans in his stories written by Matthew by displaying the ultimate faithRead MoreMeaning Of Life : Susan Wolf s Article, Happiness And Meaning : Two Aspects Of The Good Life Essay987 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is the meaning of life? What gives life meaning? Philosophers have asked these questions for decades, and there still is not a solid answer to the question. This paper will analyze one modern philosopher’s take on the question: What gives life meaning? Susan Wolf is a modern moral philosopher and philosopher of action and mind. She attended two Ivy League institut ions for her undergraduate and graduate careers. Wolf received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Philosophy and Math from Yale University, andRead MoreWhat Is The Meaning of Life? Essay688 Words   |  3 Pageslives. How does God, as an important human construct make a difference when determining the meaning of life? The western religions believe their scriptures are the direct word of God. Hence they use them as the authoritative source for many facets of life. Eastern religions tend to treat their scriptures as interpretations by humans, yet still many of life’s mysteries are accepted at truth in their scriptures. So should these scriptures be a foundation for the meaning of life? Also, what if we assumeRead MoreExistentialism : Wild ( 2014 ) And Into The Wild1739 Words   |  7 Pagestherefore leading to meaning, purpose and identity. When Chris and Cheryl leave their family, friends and everything else they know from the society, they are attempting to find a meaning and purpose to their lives. Watching these two movies, I discovered that, both main characters need the Nature as a catalyst to regain their freedom, to find their true identity and to understand the meaning of their lives. To figure out the reason behind their existences, both decide to go a on a life changing adventureRead MoreBeloved, Civilization And Its Discontents, And Man s Search For Meaning1613 Words   |  7 Pages What does one live for? Why does one believe they exist? Many do not know the answer to these question. Meaning of life is what one lives for, what one lives by, why they exist.The meaning of life may be obvious to some, but a great number of people do not know why they live. Some believe they are here for a reason and some believe it is a mistake. Throughout life, some many suffer with life, which allows them to open their mind up to the meaning of life. Suffering is when one goes through painRead MoreEssay on Existential Philosphy1710 Words   |  7 PagesNihilism originated somewhere around the mid-1800s, it was a shift from the social philosophy around that time which viewed life with purpose and meaning which was found usually though God, or some religious doctrine, however Nihilism is the philosophy that dictates the meaninglessness in life; it leaves an empty and void existence. Nihilism is usually associated with German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is often although not a Nihilist himself Nietzsche wrote a considerable amount concerning NihilismRead MoreBusi 5601416 Words   |  6 PagesBusiness 560 Worldview Questions . To what extent should personal religious beliefs impact our decisions about business ethics? My personal view on how much impact should my believes influence my business, or whatever decision I make is that it should be fully Involved. My decisions that I make should constantly reflect in what I claim to believe in.   To what extent do your personal religious (or non-religious) beliefs about life impact your sense of business ethics and personalRead MoreIn The Book What’S It All About? Julian Baggini Discusses1678 Words   |  7 Pages In the book What’s It All About? Julian Baggini discusses philosophy and the meaning of life. This reading was able to bring different perspectives on ideas of the meaning of life that I thought about before. I was also able to learn about these concerns about life s meaning or meaninglessness in a philosophical standpoint. Some of the chapters that I found interesting included the chapters titled looking for the blueprint, here to help, and becoming a contender. In the chapter looking forRead MoreMeaning of Life1425 Words   |  6 PagesThe Meaning of Life The meaning of life, defined by Victor E. Frankl, is the will to find your meaning in life. It is not the meaning of life in general, but rather the specific meaning of a persons life at a given moment. He believes that if you are approached with the question of what is the meaning of my life or in this case, life is meaningless, then you should reverse the question to that person asking the question. For example: What are you bringing to me? What are you as an individualRead MoreMeaning of Life1589 Words   |  7 PagesThe Meaning of Life Christopher Nieves Touro College Life is a gift. It is an honor, a spark, an excitement. We all have a world of our own.    Albert Camus, once said, â€Å"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life† (Camus, 1946).    Life is about living to your fullest abilities. Why waste our time looking for the meaning of each breath we take? Each

Life on the color line Free Essays

The story of this man’s life is simply amazing. That came through in his honest and heart-felt reflection of the hardships he had to overcome growing up. This intriguing memoir allows the reader to see what life was like for the author whose early life was defined by issues of race and color. We will write a custom essay sample on Life on the color line or any similar topic only for you Order Now Williams, dean of the Ohio State University College of Law, tells the touching and captivating account of his most unusual youth. The author had spent his early years in Virginia, where his white mother and his dark-skinned â€Å"Italian† father operated a roadside tavern. Growing up in the South, where issues of race and color were so important, the author had always thought that he was white, as he had been raised as such. When his parents’ business came to a halt, his mother left, forcing his father to return home to his roots in Muncie, Indiana. It was then that the author and his younger brother, Mike, discover two sides of the then great color divide: black and white. The lesson would be a difficult one. Much to their surprise and horror, their father, a light-skinned Negro â€Å"passing† as Italian, had survived most of his adulthood playing as both black and white as a way of life. He did so successfully until divorced and alcohol overtook him and struck him back down into â€Å"his place† in the slums of Muncie, Indiana. In those times, however, you were considered to be either White or Black. In Indiana, he was Black, even though, ironically, in the South he had passed for White. Greg and Mike, learn that, notwithstanding their appearance, they are considered to be Black, and forced to live in a segregated world on the wrong side of the race and color divide. They quickly learn how it feels to be the second class citizens. This was the nineteen fifties, during the zenith of the Klu Klux Klan, and well before the Civil Rights Movement had taken hold, so views ran very high on issues of race and color. The boys found themselves in the midpoint, rejected by both races. They had to learn how to maneuver in this crazy patchwork quilt of absurd and confusing racial notions that would marginalize their existence and make them the target for every scoundrel on either side of the race and color divide. This had a great impact on the brothers, as they find their own personal coping mechanism for the deprivation, poverty, hostility and prejudice that restricted their life. Unfortunately, Greg and mike took ultimately different paths. After more than a decade of poverty, degradation and loneliness later, straddling the racial and ultimately rescued by the humanity of a single, poor, Church going Black woman, named Miss Dora, Greg was able to overcome the handicap of his ‘Niggerhood’ and in the end attained both his and his father’s dream of becoming a lawyer. Mike on the other hand had no such luck. He seeks solace in the lure of easy money, easy women, and life in the fast lane, a choice that would end in personal tragedy for him. After a life on the edge, he was blinded in a barroom brawl that was the signature of such environments. Today he remains without means or hope in the care of a state supported nursing home. The book clearly outlines the fact that, in the nineteen fifties, the whites are the privileged and the blacks are the repressed and inopportune.   The author focuses on his early life, the part that evidently caused him so much pain. Those early experiences shape the man he is today. One argument, however, is that the author curses the town for its treatment of them. I always kept in mind the time frame and the reaction could have happened in any other town in the country – such was the prevailing attitude, in general, in the late 50’s and early 60’s. Racism exists – everywhere and on all sides. Blacks of today, regardless of where they may live can draw inspiration from his story. We all still face a huge amount of inequality and injustice in our society today. With such divergence along political, gender and religious lines in our national conscience, it is critical to remember that race still matters. In the world of the 50s and 60s where the only meaningful value seems to have been that of â€Å"being white,† Mike and Gregory Williams, possessing all the outward characteristics of whiteness, nevertheless experienced the vital fall from grace: they found themselves on the wrong side of the racial divide and thus forced (as their father put it) â€Å"to learn how to become Niggers.† There are many deeply touching morality tales in this book, but an inescapable one is not its most flattering one: It is that in a racist society nothing is more meaningful or valuable than â€Å"being white.† Whatever you do in life, do not become a Nigger; and if by an accident of fate you should become one, then you should do whatever you can to overcome it in any way possible as long as it is within the rules of racism. That is to say, do not try to eliminate the cause of this moral discontinuity, racism, or change its immoral and corrupt rules and imperatives; just try as best you can to overcome it. After all, overcoming ‘Niggerhood’ is a goal worthy of quest while ending racism is not even one that is attainable. Another morality tale of this book is that no matter how inhumane and corrupt white values are, they nevertheless remain okay because they are after all the standard and norm of society and there is just nothing one can do about them. They remain unbreakable. If you are white, being a racist is okay because racism is society’s norm. White humanity is always better than black humanity because it is self-defined in that way. However, if history teaches us anything, it teaches us that immorality and corruption no matter how normal, feeds on itself. This book is highly recommended to help possibly alleviate issues on color and race. This will inspire many people to strive and be a better person regardless of color. References Williams, Gregory Howard. (1995). Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black. New York: Penguin Books. 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Compare And Contrast Of Mr. Perry And Mr. Keating Essay Example For Students

Compare And Contrast Of Mr. Perry And Mr. Keating Essay From Dead Poets SocietyThe movie Dead Poets Society launches the viewer into the world of several boys who learn from a non-traditional teacher in a traditional school. Throughout the movie several conflicts appear between several of the major characters. One of the main conflicts begins with two characters that only meet each other twice during the film. Mr. Perry has raised his son Neil to be a respectable and very intelligent student. He is a stern person who believes that what he says is exactly what will happen. The fact that he doesnt listen to what his son wants to do makes him a person that can be easily not liked by the viewer. Mr. Keating is a former graduate of the school, which means that he knows what the teenagers are going through. With him he brings a non-traditional teaching style to a setting that is dominated by tradition and set of rules. He is easy to like which means that his students bond easily with him. The problems between Mr. Perry and Mr. Keating escalate when Neil becomes a part of a local production without his fathers approval. His father finds out about the show a day before the opening night and orders Neil to drop out. Looking for someone to talk to, Neil consults Mr. Keating about his choices. Mr. Keating gives Neil the advice to explain the situation to his father in a calm atmosphere and seek his approval. Knowing that his father will not approve Neil precedes with the show. Mr. Perry carries Neil home after the play and tells him of his plans to send him to a military school. In the conclusion Neil commits suicide and with his fatal shot he takes the only defense for Mr. Keating against Mr. Perry. Mr. Perry is a person who because of his selfish actions causes a great deal of pain towards all the students and to Mr. Keating. Mr. Keating acted under the impression that Mr. Perry knew about what Neil was doing and offered the best advice he could. Cinema and Television