Why do we try to make a living for ourselves?

Most of us have very strong “not dying” instincts and that takes some work. Maybe nothing has a “point” in the grand scheme of things but we still don’t want to suffer.

I try to make a living for myself because I want to live in a house or apartment, eat food that I choose to eat, go where I choose to go and enjoy life while I live on this planet, to the greatest extent possible. I’m also raising a child so I want her to have decent surroundings, a good school, go places and enjoy her life with me and give her a good start and good memories for us both.

@SergeantQueen ” it isn’t going to matter in 300 years so what’s the point?”

I am very grateful that the Colonists did not think that way, or Madam Curie, or the Wright Brothers, or Thomas Edison. History is chock full of mere mortals who have achieved even small things that have greatly impacted human civilization as we now know it.

Welcome to nihlism.

Ultimately nothing matters. The only meaning life has is the meaning you give it. You have to develop your own perspective.

Some people grant to their life the ambition to collect as much money as possible before they die. Their entire life is consumed with the value of their investment portfolio.

Some people get meaning from their families.

Others just want to live and have fun and enjoy themselves.

Life is what you make it.

^ What she said.

You may not be remembered as a hard working soul, who provided for himself/herself, and helped the poor, and fought for the good causes, like Earth health, civil rights, etc.
You will be remembered if you are the world’s biggest mooch.

and not kindly.

We strive to make a living in order to survive. And we do what it takes to survive in order to exist.
Why do we, or any living thing for that matter want to live? I don’t know that we do, or that it is a conscious decision. We live because we are programmed by our genetic makeup to do so. . We are, after all, the product of millions of years of evolution and each of them had that spark that said “keep on going”. Those that did not have the drive or inclination to carry on died out as fast as they were reproduced. How long would any species last if none of the members had no desire to live?

This is the basic definition of a selection bias.

So we can live? All animal cultures “work” to live in some way. If you’re not working, yet staying alive, someone is working for you.

The point has nothing to do with tomorrow, it has everything to do with today! Be present today! Your life is now, not in the future!

“Baby, life’s what you make it, celebrate it”

Because we don’t want to eat dirt and live in a cave while we are on this shit pile.

Just because you’re gonna die and no one is going to remember you in three centuries does not mean you should spend your life poor, homeless, and starving.

Oh, man, it really disturbs me when I hear this from young people. But I understand. Obviously you’re feeling overwhelmed right now and maybe even searching for a way out of the grind. LOL. I remember thinking about how the only thing that keeps us in that grind was the need to eat and sleep. Now, if I could only figure out how to get past those two things…

If the big picture isn’t looking too bright right now, get your mind on the little picture. While we’re all going to hell in a handbasket, you still have to eat and sleep and, hopefully, have a good time. I came to the conclusion in 1971, at the height of the Vietnam War, when my generation and the WWII generation were at odds on everything, when cities were burning in the US, when some of our most popular politicians were being shot dead, when the nuclear clock was at one minute to twelve, when interest rates for first home buyers were at 20%, —I came to the conclusion that if I was going to have to go to hell with everybody else, I was going to go in first class. Not just that, but I’d find a way to stay busy that would not only help to make this fucked up world better in some small way—just in case it didn’t implode—but get paid while I do it.

And guess what? I’m still here, man. And I ended up having a great time along the way.

Now it’s your turn.

^^^Fluther Hall of Fame answer^^^

It’s not always for ourselves, we keep going for others too and they keep going for us.

The point is that YOU will be hungry this afternoon. That also will not matter 300 years from now. The same can be said for you sleeping in the rain or the other consequences with being broke.

“Can’t you see.

All life’s luxuries.

Are here for you and me…”

- Depeche Mode.