Why we live? | Scientific Meaning of Life

I don’t really know if somebody else, ever had this question in his/her mind. But, there was a phase of my life when I continuously used to think a lot about Meaning of Life or Why we Live at all?

At that time, I was honestly moving over the God Thing. It was really hard for me to get an answer where I won’t be needed to believe some fictitious stories.

Actually, if you research properly, then you can find many answers to Why we Live. Here, I just want to discuss the possible Scientific Reason because of which we may be living.

This answer will be more acceptable than theist theories for Logical People like me.

The article may somewhat seem like a defender of Patriarchy¹“a system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is reckoned through the male line.”. Forgive me for that. Just For the ease of Understanding,  I have written it this way.

 

Let’s Be Scientific

Scientifically, We live to Reproduce and propagate our species²Life history strategies. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/population-ecology/a/life-history-strategies. How? Let’s find it out and learn something spiritual from this.

Have you ever wondered why we get attracted to the opposite gender (or maybe to the same)³Sexual attraction (2019, March 04)?. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_attraction?

Leave alone humans, every animal – a Dog, a Cat and what now! loves to have sex⁴Animals Who Just Love Getting Down And Dirty. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ranker.com/list/animals-who-love-sex/lee-emjay?page=3.

Why? Don’t you think there’s a reason in this? Yeah! Some genius brains can even attach this to “The GREAT ALMIGHTY”.

But, let’s not fantasize things and try to logically find an answer to this STRONG NEED of having sex.

 

Meaning of Life

“Believe Me” – Meaning of Life lies somewhat around this.

Why almost every animal (including humans) gets interested in setting up a relationship at some point of time in their lives?

In the case of human beings, we have arranged our societies in a wonderful way. So, you basically can’t have it with anyone you want. Else, that will be called rape.

But, in most other animal species, its a little different (consent still matters) but partners usually shift each time.

So, What’s this all about? Why all these billions of creatures just keep mating? And keep giving birth to new members. Why? Why?

The answer is – Because we are coded in this way. Our genes have got programmed to do this⁵Reproduction, the genome and gene expression – Edexcel – Revision 6 – GCSE Biology (Single Science) – BBC Bitesize. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/z3mbqhv/revision/6.

Unknowingly, This is the meaning for which we (and millions of other species) live⁶Rifkin, L. (2013, March 24). Is the Meaning of Your Life to Make Babies? Retrieved from https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/is-the-meaning-of-your-life-to-make-babies/?redirect=1#.

 

Bacteria also want to reproduce

Yeah! it’s not a joke. Actually, bacteria can’t officially mate so it uses Asexual reproduction⁷Binary Fission and other Forms of Reproduction in Bacteria. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://micro.cornell.edu/research/epulopiscium/binary-fission-and-other-forms-reproduction-bacteria/ to get an orgasm (or say produce its young ones).

What the heck is this asexual reproduction? In simple words, this mode of reproduction won’t involve the sexual organs.

Bacteria just divides itself into two daughter bacteria. It helps in keeping the bacterial population growing.

Suppose, you have the ability to cut your body into two parts and then those parts will become your kids (This is exactly what bacteria does).

It may sound really confusing if you haven’t studied biology ever. But, this is just life.

 

Lions

Take the story from a simple (single-celled) bacteria to any complex animal, we all have the basic want to reproduce.

What about lions?

This is a specific animal which got into my mind just now. Actually, many animals change their partner each mating season⁸(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/mating-systems-in-sexual-animals-83033427.

But, the lions are quite different. They live in families (like us humans)⁹Lion. (2019, May 18). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion#Reproduction_and_life_cycle. Those families are decided by Male Lion’s braveness and strength.

[Fantasy Alert] If you were a lion and somehow became the chief of any Lion family. Then, that will be like a party for you. You can have sex with the adult female lions and then play with your kids in leisure time.

But, this party will come to an end if someday another lion comes and defeats you in a fight. Then all your female lions will automatically be transferred to the other winner lion.

That winner lion will kill your cubs and then have sex with your ex-wives to produce his own family¹⁰Kays, R. W. (2019, February 22). Lion. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/animal/lion.

Yeah! this may sound gross. But, this is it!

 

Back to Humans

Actually, as stated earlier, humans are great. We have structured our societies so well. And, there is a proper family system.

So, tomorrow, even if another human defeats you in a fight. Then, that person can’t take (or have sex with) your wife in most civilized places on this earth.

But, still, some humans are as hungry for the sex thing as a lion in the jungle. This is how rapists take birth.

A quick funny story

I am from Punjab, India. I don’t know about any other place. But here, before the independence of India, people used to have 10-15 kids.

Yeah! just think about it. That a woman is giving birth to kids almost each-year for consecutive 15 years.

This is the peak which even humans can attain if they are left in open without condoms.

No Jokes here. You can research on it. This may be also the reason, why India’s population grew so fast¹¹Causes of Population Explosion in India. (2017, March 01). Retrieved from https://www.allexamnotes.com/2017/03/population-explosion-causes/.

 

Little Summary

Till now, in this article, we have talked about the desire of every organism to reproduce.

Even if a single-celled bacteria can’t think. But, still, its genetic material knows that to sustain its species, it will need to divide.

From this bacteria, we moved on to Lions, who fight with other lions to get their wives. And kill the cubs to make those wives have sex with them.

Then came the humans who marry in a civilized manner to get a (sex) partner. But, even if these humans are left uneducated then they can lead to problems like overpopulation.

Summing up, I hope you have understood the connection that’s hidden in your actions when you have sex or do something similar to it (like masturbation, impressing a partner, etc.)

We (normal humans) always keep trying to find a suitable partner. Due to our social structure, you can’t say that I wanna marry you because I wanna reproduce with you.

Hehe. But, ‘choosing a partner‘ somewhat means this indirectly.

 

The Perfect Mate

Quick Thought – I sometimes wonder how dinosaurs will look having sex!

There’s a scientifically proved theory which says that our genes always keep changing¹²(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetic-mutation-1127. Some of these changes are good while the others aren’t that good.

So, when we reproduce, some of these changes are transferred to our kids¹³Heredity. (2019, May 15). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heredity. I mean that kids are modified forms of their parents in some way.

Now, depending upon the nature of change (beneficial or harmful), these changed are further passed on to the next generations.

Humans have evolved and almost captured the whole earth on this basis only¹⁴Human evolution. (2019, May 18). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolution.

Monkeys kept changing and slowly (in thousands of years), humans started taking shape.

In between, we surely got the perfect equilibrium between reproducing and delivering good changes to future generations.

Lions Again!

You know, what the fight between two lions indicates? Actually, the fight decides which lion is better.

As stated earlier, organisms on this earth wanna sustain their species for as much long as they can.

After a fight of two male lions, the female lion probably gets the better lion out of the two.

So, how this ensures that good changes reach future generations?

Lions predate on other animals and eat them to live. So, the best lion will be the one who is a strong and better strategist.

This, in lion’s case, can be decided by a fight. So, one who wins is sure to have more strength and strategic power. This type of skills is usually provided by the DNA or genetic makeup of organisms.

So, after winning the fight, the new lion kills the old cubs. And now reproduces to give birth to new cubs. These new cubs contain the winner lion’s DNA.

So, in one way or other, a comparatively BETTER DNA is passed on to the next generation. This is how life works.

 

Human Case

Humans are again smart here. While fighting, lions may even hurt each other. But, humans have found a better way to decide who should marry the female mate.

Actually, we judge people on their success. Its hidden relation is that a successful person most probably will have better genes.

So, if you mate with a successful person, then your kids also have a probability to have better genes.

That’s why we try to find good partners in our lives¹⁵Cotton, J. (2019, February 27). How We Choose a Partner. Retrieved from https://www.theschooloflife.com/thebookoflife/how-we-choose-a-partner/.

Underachievers- If an animal is not getting someone better, then he/she can mate with any member. It’s just the coding of DNA that forces them to do it. So that their species can keep propagating.

 

MEANING OF LIFE

We had basically started the article with this assertion only. That, in the end, I will link sex(and want of reproduction) to Meaning of Life.

Actually, The meaning is in Growing up our Families. People may love to travel the Whole World. But, still, they feel a need to settle down at some point in time.

So, for sure, moving around all time or running after material things can’t really be regarded as a good way to live a happy life. This directly challenges our DNA coding.

A better approach can be conforming with the way our DNA is coded. We should focus on nurturing strong families and propagating our species.

This is the approach which majority of Humans have adopted to date. And, you can look around to see that most of them are not hungry to find meaning in their lives.

On a higher level, they are already content.

My opinion or arguments presented in this article are not damn strong. I understand that. There may be even some small factual inaccuracies.

But, still, this can be taken as a guiding path for your meaningful, happy life.

 

Now What? (Life of Meaning)

Basically, by finding the meaning of life, you want to Live a Better Life.

So, do whatever, Just never lose those lovely family members.

When you will no longer be on this earth. They will be the one who represents your position here.

Also, Don’t Run after materialistic aspirations.

Life is like a marathon. So, don’t try to Sprint¹⁶run at full speed over a short distance here. – Supinder Singh

We are not talking about conforming to a thousand relationships. Just one or two will be more than enough.

Majority of the organisms that have ever existed or will exist on this earth are purely here to spread their species. Don’t force yourself against this. Because else, Suicidal Thoughts may fill your mind in the long term.

Life is like a river. You just need to have the will to continue in the direction of its flow.