Comments on: Does Life Have (A) Meaning? – Persephone http://www.persephonearbour.com/does-life-have-a-meaning-persephone/ Conscious Ageing – the grand adventure? Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:49:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: James E. Bonser http://www.persephonearbour.com/does-life-have-a-meaning-persephone/comment-page-1/#comment-4080 James E. Bonser Sat, 26 Dec 2009 11:18:44 +0000 http://www.persephonearbour.com/?p=1073#comment-4080 Dear Persephone, like always, you have posed two questions for me to think over. The first being 'is there a meaning to life?' If we consider life to contain a begining and an end, then I'm sure that one would require life to have a definite meaning. If on the other hand you believe that life and death are a continuos process, then there is no possibility for a meaning to exsist. The continual cycle will create no time for the meaning to be fulfilled. There is of course, the third school of thought, that life is just what it is. It is not to be controlled by your own idea of meaning. We swim in a great ocean of energy, life force, unconditional love or what ever other name you like to give it. A meaning would be like trying to control this infinite energy. Our egos are big, but not that powerful in the larger scheme of things. I have been on this planet for a good few years now, and the only thing I can say is that if there is a meanig to life, then someone forgot to mention it to me. I have used so much energy both consciously and unconsciously trying to control my life, my partner, my inviroment and my health. In fact anything that I thought could be controlled, only to find out that the final outcome was nothing more than my deep desire to avoid life, and not just live it. Spending time trying to find the meaning could result in waking up to find life has passed you by. There was an old lady that sat on a park bench, and said to god, "I do not have much time left, surely you can tell me the meaning of life." God asked, "do you really want to know ?" "Yes, replied the old lady. Then god said, "It comes in three parts, 1... do not compare....2 do not compete... and 3.... do not understand " My second thought was about the elderly in care. Here in Denmark is the only experience of elderly care I can comment on. But I must admit I tend to agree with you. I cannot understand why it is the lowest paid occupation that is available. The people that do this kind of work should receive the dserved appropriate remuneration. Having said that, there are some people that are working with the aged, that just should not! Some, because of their age diffrence, have no common ground to approach the old farmer now in his eighties or the ex-teacher that was used to discipline. They are worlds apart. And, their work becomes no more than just a task to be fulfilled. There are very few employees capable of giving the sort of care that you call for. In my estimation far, far to few. Dear Persephone, like always, you have posed two questions for me to think over. The first being ‘is there a meaning to life?’

If we consider life to contain a begining and an end, then I’m sure that one would require life to have a definite meaning. If on the other hand you believe that life and death are a continuos process, then there is no possibility for a meaning to exsist. The continual cycle will create no time for the meaning to be fulfilled. There is of course, the third school of thought, that life is just what it is. It is not to be controlled by your own idea of meaning.

We swim in a great ocean of energy, life force, unconditional love or what ever other name you like to give it. A meaning would be like trying to control this infinite energy. Our egos are big, but not that powerful in the larger scheme of things. I have been on this planet for a good few years now, and the only thing I can say is that if there is a meanig to life, then someone forgot to mention it to me. I have used so much energy both consciously and unconsciously trying to control my life, my partner, my inviroment and my health. In fact anything that I thought could be controlled, only to find out that the final outcome was nothing more than my deep desire to avoid life, and not just live it. Spending time trying to find the meaning could result in waking up to find life has passed you by.

There was an old lady that sat on a park bench, and said to god, “I do not have much time left, surely you can tell me the meaning of life.” God asked, “do you really want to know ?” “Yes, replied the old lady. Then god said, “It comes in three parts, 1… do not compare….2 do not compete… and 3…. do not understand ”

My second thought was about the elderly in care. Here in Denmark is the only experience of elderly care I can comment on. But I must admit I tend to agree with you. I cannot understand why it is the lowest paid occupation that is available. The people that do this kind of work should receive the dserved appropriate remuneration. Having said that, there are some people that are working with the aged, that just should not! Some, because of their age diffrence, have no common ground to approach the old farmer now in his eighties or the ex-teacher that was used to discipline. They are worlds apart. And, their work becomes no more than just a task to be fulfilled. There are very few employees capable of giving the sort of care that you call for. In my estimation far, far to few.

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