Poirot we and all that live around us are genetically linked, an earth worm having very similar DNA as we, as an example.

But we have a "consciousness" that no other creature on this earth possesses. Other living creatures have a consciousness that allows them to be aware of their surroundings and make judgments based on experience, all for their ongoing survival, so as to maximized their chance at reproduction, all fairly mechanical, a must have attribute.

We on the other hand have a consciousness that enables us to think in abstract terms, terms directly opposed to nature and survival, we can consider self harm for example, why? We can be so selfless as to give our life for another today and celebrate an enemy’s torture tomorrow, duplicity and the consciousness to make the choice of duplicity sets us apart from all other creatures.

Why is it so, why are we here, is there a meaning to life and there by a guiding force, a creator, and if so why not give us a manifestation of their power, preferably an ongoing event that defies physics because defying physics is at the crux of divinity .

For as ordinary and unspectacular as I find most of humanity (myself included) I cannot escape from the fact that we evolved along with the rest, but we have this consciousness that no other creature possesses, it is singular and a singularity is not natural.

sonofgloin,

Yes, the consciousness...I've heard human's described as the universe being conscious of itself (or something to that effect)

Thank you, Lexi. I shall have a peek at the Dalai Lama's wisdom later in the avo. Going to lunch with the family at my mum's which is a Saturday ritual at who's ever house is the one for the week - and that makes me happy : )

Yes: 42.

It's the question which is the tricky bit...

Is there a meaning to life?

I've been struggling with that question since it was posited, in the hopes of making a contribution that isn't a cliche. As The Acolyte Rizla says, it's the question that's tricky. Knowing Poirot (or at least inferring her), that's intentional, or at least she's inviting all the etymological agonising in, which provides for a nice generalised debate (one day we will have to define our terms and get down to the nitty gritty--or perhaps to save face we shouldn't). As it stands, I infer the question to be, "do you believe in the supernatural", since the natural looks deflationarily banal..
Aside from the fact that I generally have no truck with belief (can't decide whether it's naive, arrogant or merely stupid..), I would say yes, there is a meaning to life, and I don't mean that "we" invest life with meaning (such sweet self-affirmation), which is another way of saying "no"--there is no meaning to life.
I don't "believe", but I (no doubt naively) "suspect" there is meaning, the rider being that it's probably impossible to discern or appreciate from our addled perspective.
I have faith that there are other perspectives, but little faith in my own, except that it is almost certainly erroneous.
But I'll vote yes--with manifold qualifications.

I'll have to agree with Pericles on this one. Fortunately for
us, dna molecules happen to replicate themselves.

As a species I don't think we are that amazing. A neuroscientist
once pointed out to me that there is no part of the human brain
that bonobos and chimps don't have. He used to dissect them.

So we might think more, but then that is just our evolutionary
niche, along with a vocal tract which allows for vowels and
consonants, unlike our hairy cousins. They have other ways
of making a living in nature, perhaps far more sustainable then
ours. So that larger brain might yet be our downfall in the end.

OTOH I think life is full of purpose and that is whatever we want
it to be. Its also what can make us happy and content. For some
its raising their kids, for others its scientific discovery, for
some its music. Whatever floats your boat. Doing the things we
want to do, rather then the things we have to do, is what its
all about. The most valuable thing is time to do exactly that.

Squeers,

Your point about us "investing" meaning into our life as a self-affirmation to provide a subjective idea of "purpose" or "meaning" is a good one. Happiness or contentment are emotions we derive from life - the good ones - which are only discernible because we experience sadness and discontent, etc.

The question really jumped out at me when I read about lichens...ie, what is life, and are we any different simply because we possess the grey matter to ponder such things?


Yabby,

Ortega posited that we were very different from our simian cousins in that we have the ability to manipulate our environment to the extent that we may look inside ourselves - we have time to reflect. This a luxury not afforded to other species as they are required to remain ever vigilant.

And then there is this, also from Bill Bryson, that once again echoes the question - what is life?:

"...to begin with, for you to be here now trillions of drifting atoms had somehow to assemble in an intricate and curiously obliging manner to create you....Why atoms take this trouble is a bit of a puzzle. Being you is not a gratifying experience at the atomic level. For all their devoted attention, your atoms don't actually care about you - indeed, don't even know that you are there. They don't even know that "they" are there. They are mindless particles, after all, and not even themselves alive. (It is a slightly arresting notion that if you were to pick yourself apart with tweezers, one atom at a time, you would produce a mound of atomic dust, none of which had ever been alive but all of which had once been you.) Yet somehow for the period of your existence they will answer to a single rigid impulse: to keep you you."

And that leaves out the bit that particles are jettisoned and taken up, continually replaced as we go along...no wonder we resort to metaphysics in an effort to make some sense of it all.