What is the most important aspect of a human life?

1. 51

   boyatdelhiposted 13 years ago

   What is the most important aspect of a human life?

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2. 68

   mihaelaotpposted 13 years ago

   It's love..any type:love for yourself, for your lover, for money, for fame, for your children, for drugs, for travelling around the world...Love for anything at all will make you happy, and don't we all seek happiness in this life?

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3. 88

   Doc Snowposted 13 years ago

   I actually think that the formulation "most important aspect" deserves to be questioned or qualified.  Too often, a useful idea becomes "reified," turned into an absolute standard by which everything else should be measured.
   
   But human life is not reducible to one "master idea."  Humans are (among other things) complexes of competing/cooperating systems, desires and perceptions.  We don't just want one thing, and we don't just have one of seeing things, or doing things.  So in my opinion, it's better to speak of "most important aspects"--plural.
   
   So, some of the most important aspects human life, in my opinion:
   
   --Connection.  We need one another.  The myth of the castaway--Robinson Crusoe, or the Tom Hanks character in "Castaway"--is powerful because one of the most challenging possible experiences for most humans is such complete and utter isolation--even when we can satisfy our material needs by our selves.
   
   --Meaningful work.  We are much happier if our lives contribute something to the Universe, or to our community or family.  The frustration of a job that may satisfy our material needs, but appears to the worker to be ultimately meaningless and pointless is also a persistent theme, and one most of us can understand.
   
   The work need not be paid; parenting is very often the most meaningful job of all.  Even relatively casual volunteerism can also be quite satisfying.  But there is in many of us a real desire to 'make a difference.'
   
   --Transcendence.  We also seem to want to experience reality in ways that feel deeper or more powerful than our mundane experience.  There is no society and no culture without some form of myth, some form of religion, or some forms of art and music.  Experiences and ideas around this need seem to vary a lot among individuals and societies, but without experiences of transcendence, people become restless, dissatisfied and  prone to erratic behavior.
   
   Why we need this is not clear to me.  Is it because we are "spiritual creatures," whatever that phrase means?  Is it because we can't ever come to complete answers--precisely because we are complexes of competing/cooperating systems, for which no one answer can ever be completely relevant?  Our drive toward mystery is itself mysterious, and seems likely to remain so.

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4. 70

   Vinodkpillaiposted 13 years ago

   This is a tough question because people are all very different and will therefore have different priorities which makes sense to them at different points in time. It's inconceivable that a single view that is acceptable to all exists. So the next best thing would be for me to say what is my own view.
   
   As for me I like the framework provided by Indian philosophy which says that the objectives / purposes of human life are four-fold - dharma (righteousness / moral order), artha (wealth and prosperity), kama (worldly desires) and moksha (salvation). One or more of these aspects predominate at different times in our life and determine the nature of our activities.

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5. 68

   Chrisagbeposted 13 years ago

   Being successful in every positive thing that you set yourself to do as a person. Attaining your God-given talents and being an example to follow by those who will want to do so. If this gives fulfillment to anyone, then it may be the most important aspect of that person's life. I think a more personal issue here rather than a generalization.

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6. 49

   Paul Berodposted 13 years ago

   To me, the most important thing in life is to be honest.

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7. 85

   thougtforceposted 13 years ago

   To be patient with both yourself and others! To let your self be "good enough", knowing you have done the best you can and that is enough! But also overlook with the fact that other people are not perfect either! We are humans:)

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8. 57

   bettybootsposted 13 years ago

   I believe the most important aspect  of human life is to know God..if you do not believe in God..then you do not believe in life after death..how important is Our Soul..that will travel into eternity..its too late when our time comes..I believe we should build our soul now in this world of experiences and growth..then we will have something to take with us..Faith is All It Takes..Eternity does Exist...

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