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What you are saying is we have acquired wisdom with time and perhaps that is of value to those who have not spent as much time.
Actually, what I'm saying is I think threads like this often get started by people who think it's just hee-larious to start a fight. The wisdom they get is it's specially fun to get the seniors to fight over philosophy or religion. Not necessarily the case with this thread, but it happens.
Not one that comes from outside of myself. My experience has been that my purpose(s) in life changed radically over the years.....the older I got, up until about mid-forties, the more complicated, confused, etc. it seemed. However, from that point on it has over the next two and half decades become clearer and simpler.
2. And if so, do you believe you have fulfilled your purpose at this point in your life?
As the purpose of my life has changed many times, as I said above, the answer almost has to be no. Although, given that my thoughts are that nothing is permanent but change, the question is not one that concerns me in the sense that there is a career or material goal that I must achieve before I die.
3. I believe that people have purposes and I believe I have not fulfilled my purpose yet.
Not a belief that I share. However, at this point my belief is that the response to most of life's questions/situations is "Don't know." I think I would say that having arrived at this point, it feels rather like a goal achieved - though I certainly did not set out to get to it, and it is just the way things are and not something I created.
4. Have you fulfilled YOUR purpose?
At present it seems that my purpose is limited to refraining from doing harmful things, and after that to be trying to be a pleasant and helpful person within my limits.
5. If so, what did you do that made a truly positive difference in life itself or in the lives of other people?
I suppose the most sustained and focused activity (about seven or eight years, perhaps) was being a volunteer "companion" to terminally ill persons, and in some cases assuming the role of their care partner, being responsible for their cleanliness and medications, as well, and being with them when they died.
This is why I dislike seeing these sorts of threads on the retirement forum. This is not the Philosophy Forum. It's not the Religion Forum. Go to those forums if you want to discuss the meaning life; we're supposed to talk about retirement here. Questions like this just end up making people bicker.
For many people as they age, or when we become undeniably aged, the question of purpose may loom very large. In our culture many of these people, most probably, will be Retired.
I think a Retirement forum is the obvious place for such a discussion among senior people. Of course, some people will disagree to the point where they may be bickering. But there is always the option of not participating in a thread if it seems to have reached that point. When it seems to have reached that point it may not mean that the thread needs to be moved, but rather that its time I take my ball and bat and go home - which is what I do sometimes.
If you want to be with people of any age who are free from bickering about one topic or another it would have to be at a cemetery.
Perhaps that is why it is called being saved. However is there really a difference in many of the belief systems? There may be multiple paths but some are on no path.
Being religious is not necessarily on a path. All the wars and bloodshed and torture and betrayals, all in the name of Christianity, etc. Many espouse the religion of Buddha and Christ, but few following their teachings.
Now, as to the OP, the question is neither religious, theosophical, moral, or ethic. It is philosophical. One can be religious, moral, and ethical and still not feel a great purpose to life. In personal philosophy is the personal answer.
For many people as they age, or when we become undeniably aged, the question of purpose may loom very large. In our culture many of these people, most probably, will be Retired.
I think a Retirement forum is the obvious place for such a discussion among senior people. Of course, some people will disagree to the point where they may be bickering. But there is always the option of not participating in a thread if it seems to have reached that point. When it seems to have reached that point it may not mean that the thread needs to be moved, but rather that its time I take my ball and bat and go home - which is what I do sometimes.
If you want to be with people of any age who are free from bickering about one topic or another it would have to be at a cemetery.
Just because people express their opposing opinions does not mean it's "bickering." Posters here, with differing opinions, do not sound gnatty ("arguing about petty and trivial matters").
I dont believe anyone has a purpose and in fact, feel it egotistical to even think that. In the end we are all forgotten and nothing matters. There are zillions of us and zillions more to come and go. So what?
I agree. Sometimes it seems that there's a purpose, but it's our hearts and brains talking.
I'm an atheist and have never concerned myself with some sort of overall purpose. However, I do have my ideas as to how I want to live and effect the world I'm in and the people/animals I encounter.
As for doing big good deeds, you never know how much you've affected someone. Maybe a smile one day really helped someone. I just heard from an old boyfriend, who I always felt guilty about our time together, because in my young and insensitive ways, was unaware of his kids' needs and his whole situation. I always felt sort of bad about how I was. Now, some 32 years later, I learn that our relationship was the only thing that kept him sane during a tough time! You just never know.
Just because people express their opposing opinions does not mean it's "bickering." Posters here, with differing opinions, do not sound gnatty ("arguing about petty and trivial matters").
I thought it was obvious that I was commenting on Caladium's remarks, which were general remarks, it seems, about threads of this nature.
My comments were not about posters here, or this thread.
But there is always the option of not participating in a thread if it seems to have reached that point.
Fair enough. I'll try to do that in the future. I still think it's a really bad idea to have threads about political and religious/spiritual topics on this forum, but I am not the decider of such things. Guess I'll just mind my own business and look the other way.
I think some issues relevant to retiring inevitably are related to spiritual beliefs (like "purpose") or certainly politics, finances, health insurance, Social Security... I do trust the posters here to give thoughtful comment, whatever their slant, and not turn into a talk-radio-like dumb posts. There are other places on CD for that, and they ain't pretty (or interesting).
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