Ask yourself, "For what would I bleed? For what would I sacrifice my life?"

That for which you are prepared to suffer
Is that which defines your life's meaning.

Lisa Jones wrote on Sep 29^th, 2010 at 8:56pm:


More and more in the west people are also recognizing EQ but in particular SQ (Spiritual intelligence).

Spiritual Intelligence
Definitions

  1. Spiritual Intelligence is the ultimate intelligence which we address and solve problems of meaning and value, the intelligence with which we can place our actions and our lives in a wider, richer, meaning-giving context, the intelligence with which we can assess that one course of action or one life path is more meaningful than another (Zohar & Marshall).
  2. Spiritual Intelligence is not necessarily religious or even dependent upon religion as its foundation. It can be defined against or observed through some telling criteria such as: truthfulness, compassion, respect for all levels of consciousness, constructive empathy, a sense of being a player in a large whole, generosity of spirit and action, a seeking of being 'in tune' with or 'in synch' with nature of the universe, and being comfortable with being alone without being lonely (Clive Simpkins).
  3. Those who have Spiritual Intelligence: have the capacity for transcendence; have heightened consciousness; have the capacity to endow everyday activity with a sense of the sacred; use spiritual resources on practical problems; engage in virtuous behaviour (forgiveness, gratitude, humility, compassion and wisdom (Robert A. Emmons).
  4. The characteristics of Spiritual Intelligence are: awareness of others; wonder, awe, a sense of the numinous (astronomy, microbiology, cosmology); wisdom (proverbs, sages); perspective, ability to listen: "Be still and know that I am God"; comfort with chaos, dichotomy, paradox; commitment, dedication, faith; holds the promise or hope fulfilment (Illini Christian Faculty).
  5. Spiritual Intelligence is the ultimate way of knowing. We use it to envision unrealized possibilities and to transcend the methodical plod of life. We use it also to understand pain, to answer the basic philosophical questions about life and to find meaning both temporally and existentially (Cynthia R. Davis).

The meaning of life will be whatever the individual wants it to be. No, this isn't a 'feelgood' description, rather, people will find purpose in the smallest or superfluous things just to stave off existential anxiety.

Wow .. some very insightful posts happening in here tonight.

You've all got me thinking hard again lol

post deleted

NorthOfNorth wrote on Sep 29^th, 2010 at 8:46pm:


That affords meaningful 'meaning' to the very few Helian... to the De Sades, the Voltaires, the Adam Smiths, the Galileos etc...

But for the rest of us, the answer to that question is merely to sacrifice for our genetic heritage. In other words, most of us would sacrifice our life to save the life of our children.

So the continuance of DNA is the meaning of life for the bulk of humanity... and every other bloody species on this planet. How enlightening.... not!

Otherwise... it sounds pretty in a shallow kind of way... no wonder the others are suckered by it.

Now Soren on the other hand... he has addressed something that could actually have merit. He would say that it is Human thinking and its expression that gives meaning to Human life. There is something intrinsically meaningful in the act of thinking for Soren, but what that is... and how it differs from other thinking in other species that makes human thought intrinsically meaningful and others not.... is yet to be addressed.

Sappho wrote on Sep 30^th, 2010 at 1:52pm:


Are you sure...looked like your post....
'reply #12, 7.21pm yesterday'???

Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Sep 29^th, 2010 at 10:35pm:


Nothing like a bit of existential futility in life to cause the hoards to run in the direction of self denial and build meaning stored in a house of cards.