What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?

1. 80

   Attikosposted 12 years ago

   What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?
   
   I'm seeing a lot of questions and Hubs lately purporting to reveal the secrets of the meaning of life. The questions, of course, are questions in form only, brief sermons in reality. The Hubs are a bit more candid about their own nature, but they still tend to sanctimony. In the interest of efficiency, to say nothing of relief of the tedium, I offer this question in the hope someone can answer it and have us all done with these endless and competing revelations of what it's all about. Please feel free to give it your best shot.

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2. 75

   tsadjatkoposted 12 years ago

   Well that would be easier to answer if it were an answerable  question. "Life, the universe, and everything", are not questions so how would they have an answer? That's like saying what is the answer to a wheel, a car and whatever. It doesn't make sense. :-)

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3. 59

   cjhunsingerposted 12 years ago

   About two years ago I sponsored a symposium at Ferris State University in MI to promote the discussion on such questions as you ask. The title was, 'Discovering the Essence and Purpose of Human Life.' As perception would tell we and the universe exists. Science reasonably tells us that the universe and all that exists, past, present and future eminated from the birth of the universe; The Big Bang. Theories persist on the cause or origin of the big bang, but nothing verifiable has come forward, yet
   We also know that we are born, live and die on an insignificant speck of rock moving at over a million miles per hour, coming from nowhere and going to know where.
   The most pertinent questions for me anyway are What is the Essence of Human life and what is its purpose?
   The Essence is our capacity to reason. The purpose is more imortantly to the individual and  not the collective.
   Without the capacity to reason we would still be swinging with our, 98.7% (DNA)
   human cousins, the chimps.
   The purpose for your life is what you want it to be.
   Chuck Hunsinger.

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   1. 71

      stanwshuraposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Now, THERE'S an answwr!   The differentiation of essence and purpose.  Meta-awareness.  And pointing out that if we apply political rules and/or norms to this question, we are at a statistical tie with our evolutionary cousins!

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4. 90

   Randy M.posted 12 years ago

   In a nutshell, you are put on this earth to know yourself.  Inner knowledge is achieved by inner work - meditation and reflection.  Knowing and loving yourself as a sojourner on this path entails greater consciousness which allows going beyond one's ego and social context.  Your light is within, you just have to get in touch with it.  Filling one's self with thought and belief is not the path of self-knowing and consciousness.

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5. 71

   stanwshuraposted 12 years ago

   The answer is that it, we and everything past present and future has two states: being and not being.  Both blow the hell out of my mind.  My only answer is that since we're existing BEINGS, we sentient ones should always be asking questions.

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6. 56

   shivanchirakkal10posted 12 years ago

   The answer to the universe is the life itself. The power of universe, that you can call  as the power of god or so, given life to human, animal, plants and so many such living things. The universe itself given different character to each such 'living'.
   When you closely watch, you can find that the main character of all this 'living' is to dedicate for others. Every thing taken birth in this earth, following this order, when their turn comes.
   Man who think 'superior' to others have much responsibility to follow the order of
   universe, because he is the one spoiling the nature for his betterment.
   The purpose of mans'life is to give peace and perfection to the law of universe. Be kind towards everything. Give the best thing to others, like a mango tree gives you its sweet fruit to you with out asking.
   Thank you Attikos.

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   1. 71

      stanwshuraposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I *love* this answer, shivanchirakkal.  And if I'm not mistaken, your closing reveals a bit (or more!) of a poet?

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7. 89

   Victoria Anneposted 12 years ago

   42...(Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is one of my favorite books )

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   1. 65

      leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You beat me to it.  Great answer.

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   2. 81

      Mitch Alanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Beat me to it...

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8. 82

   KatyWhoWaitedposted 12 years ago

   Dear Attikos, To me, life is like a Soduku puzzle (the hard kind .  You fill in one square in the hope that it will give you the answer to another. The more squares you fill in, the closer you are to solving the puzzle.  However, this puzzle is missing many squares and there are a myriad of combinations with few clues to complete it.  Our task, our moral directive, if you will, seems to me to keep filling in the squares even if only by trial and error. Our purpose is to contribute, as others before us, to keep filling in the squares.  For those of us walking on this planet in this moment of time, there are so many unanswered questions about the universe and our existence that we can only hope to fill in a few squares for those who come after us. They'll have to continue the quest. Science, whether it be the "hard sciences" or the "soft sciences" to me seems to be the most logical endeavor that can lead us to greater understanding of our existence.  For me, my own answer to life is to keep on keeping on, to do my part to ensure that others keep on keeping on, and to not succumb to the complacency that many religions offer nor to embrace a "comfortable" apocalyptic solution.  I believe our task is nobler than accepting a supposition that we have solved the puzzle.

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9. 99

   chef-de-jourposted 12 years ago

   The answer you seek can't be found in any formula and is more than likely to be forever elusive, for the simple reason that theories of existence evolve and in the end, each individual thinking being will have their own inner reasons for the question: What caused me to exist?!
   
   I'm afraid you're not going to get any peace! The 'competing revelations' will go on and on because that's the nature of the sentient being.
   
   Philosophical debate and pondering on this subject will go on ad infinitum, until the day the planet Earth implodes/explodes. To my mind there's no definitive objective answer to your very large question! So I'm afraid I'll have to suggest that the answer you seek is part of your extended question - 'endless'!
   
   One way to make use of your frustration would be to join a philosophy club, then you could talk about things like this with other like-minded people. You could talk about:
   
   Existence versus Essence
   Ontology versus Cosmology
   Cosmology versus Teleology
   Beer, Wine or Water versus Fresh Air
   Ignorance = Bliss?
   Ice Cream versus A Florida Beach
   
   To be or not to be, that is the answer!

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10. 74

    lone77starposted 12 years ago

    Creation and Love!
    
    We are each, individually, sleeping creators. Because we were created in the image and likeness of the Ultimate Source, we have the characteristics of that parent.
    
    Right now, the most immediate "answer" is the ongoing rescue mission. A large number of children had fallen into physical reality and now can't get out. The Ultimate Source sent brother after brother to rescue their siblings, but many were refused or attacked. The children had long forgotten who they really are.
    
    On this Holiday Season, it's nice to remember the rescue mission. One of our brothers came to sacrifice himself as a symbolic way to remind us of the escape route -- past ego and back toward the light of spiritual awareness

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11. 38

    Borsiaposted 12 years ago

    The answer is 42 as Victoria stated.
    The real problem is what is the question to the ultimate answer?
    While this might sound trite on the surface it isn't so simple.
    
    When someone asks you if you believe in god, your first question should be what is a god?
    I've yet to hear any real answer that fulfills the requirements, hence I can't believe in the existence of a god.
    
    Likewise, asking the meaning of life has no single answer as life is very different for each of us. Ask instead what does your life mean to you?
    
    When you say the universe perhaps a better question is whether there is only this universe or are there more lying beyond? There could be as many universes as there are stars and we simply don't know it, or at least can't prove it.
    Science and religion look inward to the center of the universe to try and figure out where it began. But are they looking in the wrong direction?
    
    Everything? I doubt that we will ever know everything let alone what it is.
    If we are truly living we should be learning something new every day.
    
    So the answer is 42; however I should point out that if you were to know both the question and the answer there would be no further point to life and you would cease to exist,,, a bummer for sure.
    
    I highly recommend the book (The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) but don't forget to read between the lines.

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12. 66

    ThompsonPenposted 12 years ago

    42 - but now the answer is no longer the answer needed. It is the question which is needed.

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13. 74

    PlanksandNailsposted 12 years ago

    The only being that can answer every question is someone who is eternal and omniscient.
    
    Life, the universe, and everything are not questions, but answers.They are concepts that humans attempt to define the effect of something.
    
    Humans ask questions, and concepts of the effect are what humans use to answer those questions.
    
    Your answer is in your "question?" Life, the universe, and everything are the answer.
    
    The irony is, if I told you the secret, it would not be a secret anymore.
    
    The answers are right in front of you, but the secret is in the "question".

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