Neil deGrasse Tyson Answers: What’s the Meaning of Life?

[rug]

May 22, 2015
by Tracey Moody

Esquire has created a fun series of videos titled Mysteries of the Universe with Neil deGrasse Tyson.

In this episode, Tyson is asked, “What’s the meaning of life?”

“The most fulfilled people I know are not those who searched for it and found it. They’re those who created it.”

His full response is warm and fuzzy and sure to resonate with the Humanist crowd.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/05/22/neil-degrasse-tyson-answers-whats-the-meaning-of-life/

1:16 video at link.

[HassleCat]

1. I like it

His answer resonates with me, because I'm a humanist. If life has meaning, you will find it by treating your fellow humans with respect and consideration, by trying to make the word a better place, not by reading some religious text and passing judgment on others. So, yeah. Bring on that warm and fuzzy. I'll snuggle up to that.

[cbayer]

2. "You are in control of your own meaning"

It' soooooo NDT!

It's almost spoofish.

So, one of his other ones is about cats vs. dogs:

http://bcove.me/h74igbk4

[Yorktown]

3. Maslow gave a good approach to what 'meaning' of life might mean

It's a matter of doing what one can to maximize this pyramid:

[qazplm]

4. immortality:

finding a way to it.

Impossible in reality true, but the goal of all life is at a base level to keep on living, as long as possible.

Thus, the meaning of life is finding ways to advance this goal. That will mean:

1. Improving the quality of life for all humans (health, employment, food, living conditions, safety from harm (crime, wars, etc))
2. Improving the education level for all humans
3. Improving the environment (because you can better maintain humans if you maintain the flora and fauna that we rely on to survive)

Every step we take towards 1-3 will result in tiny steps towards extending our existence as a species generally, and our lifespans as individuals. One day we will live 200-300 years. One day we will live on other planets. One day we will live in other solar systems. One day we may even live in other galaxies. IF we continually focus on 1-3.

So, liberals are seeking immortality through this life...many conservatives spend most of their time seeking it through an afterlife.

[cbayer]

6. Immortality as a species,yes. Individuals, definitely no.

I think you have distilled the essence of evolution as it pertains to humans. It's no longer going to be about random mutations, but about a concerted effort to make the human species sustainable.

I'm not really that interested in prolonging quantity of years when it comes to humans. We already use up way to many resources as we age. Living to 200-300 years old is not a good goal in my opinion. It will only add to the over-population problem. Maybe once we find other environments to inhabit, but not at this time.

But improving quality and preserving this environment for those that come after us is paramount.

I don't think wanting the things you outline really has anything to do with believing in an afterlife. There are many liberals and progressives that believe in that and many conservatives that don't.

[Warren Stupidity]

7. "Living to 200-300 years old is not a good goal in my opinion"

"It will only add to the over-population problem."

Well then certainly shortening our lifespan would be better, right? Or perhaps not. Perhaps what you really meant was that we should use the tools we have to control our population at sustainable levels while of course doing everything we can to increase the time we have here on this planet. We can do both. Ridding ourselves of idiotic religious superstitions about sexuality would be a good start at getting to sustainable levels.

"I don't think wanting the things you outline really has anything to do with believing in an afterlife."

Of course it does. Religion has been used throughout history to convince people to put up with monstrously inequitable and generally awful living conditions, to not do anything about their shitty lives, because "heaven". It is one of the core tools of control used by the elites to keep the peasants from lopping off their heads and taking control of their castles.

[edhopper]

5. It has the added advantage

of being true.

[AtheistCrusader]

8. I make my own meaning.

"What is the meaning of life" has always tripped something like an invalid page fault in my mind. It's a nonsense question, like "what does blue taste like?" Or "what does 4+4 sound like?".

Non-sequitur city.