h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Why
You should know R. Daneel Olivaw as founder of the Defenders of Skepticism.
It must have some meaning to someone over 40.

You're saying that the purpose of life is for me to suspect its meaningless?

You suspect that life is meaningless, yet you are looking for a purpose in your life. Now it's my turn

isn't it to leave it a better place than you found it? i bet you douglas adams finally knows if it is 42 or not!

Is life a lesson that enables you to better understand the meaning of the question ?

It obviously is. By asking that question you've found the answer. It's all about questions, not life. You just live to ask yourself questions!

Surely it is not that simple. As knowledge expands and reveals a deeper understanding of the question, could it not be that finding the answer would have some bearing on the meaning of life and the way in which it should be lived ?

To experience survival.

but the thing i think the most is, we would not know any better if nothing ever existed so why is it here?

But, ancient Brit,

WHAT IS THE QUESTION????

Life is expanding, as well as knowledge, maybe at the same rate, so to keep a balance you have to ponder about the meaning of life in order to keep up with growing older.....

The question being asked is 'WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE'
Which question are you answering

42 is not the meaning of life, sorry folks but its 43

That figures.
When life ends your numbers up.

You can believe life has no meaning although you are alive. If you are wandering the streets, you can accidentally go somewhere without meaning to go there. Doing something doesn't mean you believe in it.
Clearly though, if you don't believe life has a meaning, you are probably missing out on a lot of nice things. Feeling good about yourself for instance.
BTW... Is a goal in life the same or similar to a meaning of life? Granted, it might not be THE meaning of life, but can't it be A meaing of it?

Well, I guess it could really be any number, . I think the meaning of life really is quite simple, to ensure that life continues, so that life does not become extinct, after all without life there would be no meaning right??

Jane

Without life would there be much of anything ?
But that is not the question.

The meaning of life is happening on these pages too.
The meaning of life is to find out exactly who YOU really are.

How can you really know exactly who you are?? life is a continuing process of change, your ideals, your desires, your likes and dislikes all change with time, nothing ever stays the same.

Jane

Dear Jane

Life around us changes, yes, and we respond to those changes as we grow older and experience more and more.

We find out who we really are by the way we react to changes and experiences.
We can become firm in the knowledge that we are what we think we are not what we are told we are supposed to be.
We can re invent ourselves everyday until we find the person we know the best and recognise it as 'I'.

Here's another thought about the meaning of life which feels as if it works on many levels;

Civilisation depends on continually making the effort, of never giving in.
The meaning of life is to never give in to hopelessness and to use all known means to ensure the survival of hope.
This can mean a really big breakfast, or a religious tradition.
what gives us hope in the future, ensures our survival and we are all hard wired to ensure survival of our genes.
Even in the darkest times a new baby can give us a feeling of hope for the future.

42 is not the meaning of life. 4+2=6 4 and 6 are 46 divided by 2 is 23. Well, duh, can't you see the meaing of life is a ploy by the Illuminati?