Thread: What is...

Originally Posted by Mark75

What is the purpose of meaning?

to distinguish philosophers from rambling nut-cases

i know it, but i can't tell you as telling the purpose of meaning would be ironic.

Because, without meaning, nothing really matters, does it?

The sound of one hand clapping.

Becaue our brains were designed that way.

successful communication.

Originally Posted by Mark75

What is the purpose of meaning?

Why do you care to know?

Actually, it's a pretty good philosophical question, if you ask me. Don't know or mark intended it that way, or that he was just being funny. Anyhow, one-liner-topics result in one-liner-responses. But blablabla.

Basically, it is a good question WHY some things would motivate you. Like, if you like surfing, because it is fun, why should you do it? I mean, why Really? Basically because we are evolutionary programmed to do that, what we like.

Actually, that isn't really the same thing as what this topic was about. Anyhow.

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If we could get back on topic...

Originally Posted by Mark75

What is the purpose of meaning?

The importance of relevance, which is the pertinence of significance.

True happiness.

To give shape to the limitless void?

Originally Posted by Emerald Wolf

To give shape to the limitless void?

I think that ...ing was one of the first words ever written - depicted by a runic symbol meaning 'man/woman or human kind'. and that the word 'meaning' means just that
me an ing (man)

this would then describe how you (me/we) relate to man (your universe) and therefore give you meaning or interpretation of you world, like a reflection or feedback driectly to you .........

Originally Posted by Mark75

What is the purpose of meaning?

It would depend... What is you're meaning of purpose?

Webster defines purpose as "something set up as an object or end to be attained". I assume 'signify' is a good synonym for 'mean' in this case.

So the question can be rephrased as: What is the end to be attained by the act of signifying? The answer is obviously to convey information.

Or, if by 'mean,' we mean 'is important to the degree of--", then the question is rephrased as: What is the end to be attained by the act of being important to some degree? or perhaps, more clearly, What is the end to be attained by finding importance in something to some degree? Then, we could take different viewpoints of why it is that we should want things.

Finally, 'meaning' can be synonymous with 'intent.' So the question is: What is the end to be attained by intention? This is most clearly a conundrum, since it implies the intention to intend. An intention to intend is quite alien to human thought, and one might ask what the objective of intending to intend is, and intending to intend to intend, and so on forever and ever.

I vote for the second interpretation.

I'm very disappointed in all your responses.

what, even mine?

Yes, even yours.

Originally Posted by Mark75

I'm very disappointed in all your responses.

It must be because you don't know what their meaning is. Maybe you'll understand:

Originally Posted by Mark75

What is the purpose of meaning?

Originally Posted by really

Why do you care to know?

Don't you see? The purpose of meaning is the purpose of caring. If you didn't ask the question you wouldn't need to give meaning to "the purpose of meaning".

Picture this: You walk toward someone who is walking toward you, but he passes you. You might ask, "Why is he walking that way?", but it is the same meaning as to why you are walking your way. So your opening question can actually be asked about itself. Hence Pyrofan1's point.

So you're saying the purpose of meaning is that it's because I'm going to Wal Mart because I broke my Guitar Hero controller.

Originally Posted by Mark75

So you're saying the purpose of meaning is that it's because I'm going to Wal Mart because I broke my Guitar Hero controller.

No, but you can fill in that part for yourself if it makes sense to you.

The problem is that it doesn't make sense.

Originally Posted by Mark75

The problem is that it doesn't make sense.

It doesn't make sense to me either, because I said nothing of Walmart or Controllers.

I don't want to hear about your philosophy until you've five-starred at least one song on expert.