What are we living for?
- Thread starter antoniog831
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Love doesn't exist, that's what I'm trying to tell you guys. And I'm not picking on love, 'cause friendship doesn't exist either.
If you can't even get past the basic separation of love from sex I think it is hopeless that you'll ever be able to separate love from life. Which is pretty much why this thread has dead ended.
Unless, of course, someone in here can or is willing to formulate a convincing argument that love is not a manufactured social construct.
If you can't even get past the basic separation of love from sex I think it is hopeless that you'll ever be able to separate love from life. Which is pretty much why this thread has dead ended.
Unless, of course, someone in here can or is willing to formulate a convincing argument that love is not a manufactured social construct.
This thread dead ended because almost everyone posting in it is living in a delusional state in which we all have some "greater" purpose to live for and they can't believe we are simply vessels to transport our genetic code. They provide no evidence for any of their assumptions and blindly overlook how everything they are talking about is a product of evolution.
"Love" exists to you and me because it provided an evolutionary advantage for our ancestors who felt "love" vs those that did not. Our ancestors who were willing and able to form relationships based on "love" with one another were better able to reproduce and therefore spread their genes to a greater percentage of the population, leaving us where we sit today.
"Love" exists to you and me because it provided an evolutionary advantage for our ancestors who felt "love" vs those that did not. Our ancestors who were willing and able to form relationships based on "love" with one another were better able to reproduce and therefore spread their genes to a greater percentage of the population, leaving us where we sit today.
Certain qualities of love may be social constructs but I dont think you can just discard the whole avenue and line of thought as merely manufactured. The term is too general and lacks a clear definition, therefore we have threads like this, but I would argue that oxytocin embodies "love" and from its presence we tried to explain its many effects. Ive mentioned it in another thread. Love is a name we attribute to the oxytocin, of course the naming of all things is socially contrived, but the cause isnt.
But back to the topic at hand, I still haven't been convinced by anyone that there is a an actual purpose.
Actions of oxytocin within the brain
Oxytocin secreted from the pituitary gland cannot re-enter the brain because of the blood-brain barrier. Instead, the behavioral effects of oxytocin are thought to reflect release from centrally projecting oxytocin neurons, different from those that project to the pituitary gland. Oxytocin receptors are expressed by neurons in many parts of the brain and spinal cord, including the amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus, septum and brainstem.
* Sexual arousal. Oxytocin injected into the cerebrospinal fluid causes spontaneous erections in rats,[12] reflecting actions in the hypothalamus and spinal cord.
* Bonding. In the Prairie Vole, oxytocin released into the brain of the female during sexual activity is important for forming a monogamous pair bond with her sexual partner. Vasopressin appears to have a similar effect in males.[13] In people, plasma concentrations of oxytocin have been reported to be higher amongst people who claim to be falling in love.[citation needed] Oxytocin has a role in social behaviors in many species, and so it seems likely that it has similar roles in humans.
* Autism. A 1998 study found significantly lower levels of oxytocin in blood plasma of autistic children.[14] A 2003 study found a decrease in autism spectrum repetitive behaviors when oxytocin was administered intravenously.[15] A 2007 study reported that oxytocin helped autistic adults retain the ability to evaluate the emotional significance of speech intonation.[16]
* Maternal behavior. Sheep and rat females given oxytocin antagonists after giving birth do not exhibit typical maternal behavior. By contrast, virgin female sheep show maternal behavior towards foreign lambs upon cerebrospinal fluid infusion of oxytocin, which they would not do otherwise. [17]
* Increasing trust and reducing fear. In a risky investment game, experimental subjects given nasally administered oxytocin displayed "the highest level of trust" twice as often as the control group. Subjects who were told that they were interacting with a computer showed no such reaction, leading to the conclusion that oxytocin was not merely affecting risk-aversion.[18] Nasally administered oxytocin has also been reported to reduce fear, possibly by inhibiting the amygdala (which is thought to be responsible for fear responses).[19] There is no conclusive evidence for access of oxytocin to the brain through intranasal administration, however.
* Affecting generosity by increasing empathy during perspective taking. In a neuroeconomics experiment, intranasal oxytocin increased generosity in the Ultimatum Game by 80% but has no effect in the Dictator Game that measures altruism. Perspective-taking is not required in the Dictator Game, but the researchers in this experimental explicitly induced perspective-taking in the Ultimatum Game by not identifying to participants which role they would be in.[20]
* According to some studies in animals, oxytocin inhibits the development of tolerance to various addictive drugs (opiates, cocaine, alcohol) and reduces withdrawal symptoms.[21]
* Preparing fetal neurons for delivery. Crossing the placenta, maternal oxytocin reaches the fetal brain and induces a switch in the action of neurotransmitter GABA from excitatory to inhibitory on fetal cortical neurons. This silences the fetal brain for the period of delivery and reduces its vulnerability to hypoxic damage.[22]
* Certain learning and memory functions are impaired by centrally administered oxytocin.[12]. Also, systemic oxytocin administration can impair memory retrieval in certain aversive memory tasks. [23]
* The illicit drug MDMA (ecstasy) may increase feelings of love, empathy and connection to others by stimulating oxytocin activity via activation of serotonin 5-HT1A receptors, if initial studies in animals apply to humans.[24]
*from the beloved wikipedia
But back to the topic at hand, I still haven't been convinced by anyone that there is a an actual purpose.
Actions of oxytocin within the brain
Oxytocin secreted from the pituitary gland cannot re-enter the brain because of the blood-brain barrier. Instead, the behavioral effects of oxytocin are thought to reflect release from centrally projecting oxytocin neurons, different from those that project to the pituitary gland. Oxytocin receptors are expressed by neurons in many parts of the brain and spinal cord, including the amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus, septum and brainstem.
* Sexual arousal. Oxytocin injected into the cerebrospinal fluid causes spontaneous erections in rats,[12] reflecting actions in the hypothalamus and spinal cord.
* Bonding. In the Prairie Vole, oxytocin released into the brain of the female during sexual activity is important for forming a monogamous pair bond with her sexual partner. Vasopressin appears to have a similar effect in males.[13] In people, plasma concentrations of oxytocin have been reported to be higher amongst people who claim to be falling in love.[citation needed] Oxytocin has a role in social behaviors in many species, and so it seems likely that it has similar roles in humans.
* Autism. A 1998 study found significantly lower levels of oxytocin in blood plasma of autistic children.[14] A 2003 study found a decrease in autism spectrum repetitive behaviors when oxytocin was administered intravenously.[15] A 2007 study reported that oxytocin helped autistic adults retain the ability to evaluate the emotional significance of speech intonation.[16]
* Maternal behavior. Sheep and rat females given oxytocin antagonists after giving birth do not exhibit typical maternal behavior. By contrast, virgin female sheep show maternal behavior towards foreign lambs upon cerebrospinal fluid infusion of oxytocin, which they would not do otherwise. [17]
* Increasing trust and reducing fear. In a risky investment game, experimental subjects given nasally administered oxytocin displayed "the highest level of trust" twice as often as the control group. Subjects who were told that they were interacting with a computer showed no such reaction, leading to the conclusion that oxytocin was not merely affecting risk-aversion.[18] Nasally administered oxytocin has also been reported to reduce fear, possibly by inhibiting the amygdala (which is thought to be responsible for fear responses).[19] There is no conclusive evidence for access of oxytocin to the brain through intranasal administration, however.
* Affecting generosity by increasing empathy during perspective taking. In a neuroeconomics experiment, intranasal oxytocin increased generosity in the Ultimatum Game by 80% but has no effect in the Dictator Game that measures altruism. Perspective-taking is not required in the Dictator Game, but the researchers in this experimental explicitly induced perspective-taking in the Ultimatum Game by not identifying to participants which role they would be in.[20]
* According to some studies in animals, oxytocin inhibits the development of tolerance to various addictive drugs (opiates, cocaine, alcohol) and reduces withdrawal symptoms.[21]
* Preparing fetal neurons for delivery. Crossing the placenta, maternal oxytocin reaches the fetal brain and induces a switch in the action of neurotransmitter GABA from excitatory to inhibitory on fetal cortical neurons. This silences the fetal brain for the period of delivery and reduces its vulnerability to hypoxic damage.[22]
* Certain learning and memory functions are impaired by centrally administered oxytocin.[12]. Also, systemic oxytocin administration can impair memory retrieval in certain aversive memory tasks. [23]
* The illicit drug MDMA (ecstasy) may increase feelings of love, empathy and connection to others by stimulating oxytocin activity via activation of serotonin 5-HT1A receptors, if initial studies in animals apply to humans.[24]
*from the beloved wikipedia
yeah man thats the heart of all philosophical discussions, why, why do we exist at all, why are the chemicals released. if there is a god, why is it there. why ask why. I will go one step further.
Whats caused almost everyone in this thread to automatically assume there is a purpose, or that we havent already served our purpose. Right off the bat by submitting an answer you are rejecting the idea that we have no purpose, you are then saying not only do we have a purpose but that you are sure our purpose hasnt been served or fulfilled yet. I find blind obedience to the idea of us waiting to take part in fulfilling some cosmic checklist, ie. divine purpose, that for some reason has not been completed yet, very....wait, we already have 1000 threads on religion and i just realized this is one of them.
Whats caused almost everyone in this thread to automatically assume there is a purpose, or that we havent already served our purpose. Right off the bat by submitting an answer you are rejecting the idea that we have no purpose, you are then saying not only do we have a purpose but that you are sure our purpose hasnt been served or fulfilled yet. I find blind obedience to the idea of us waiting to take part in fulfilling some cosmic checklist, ie. divine purpose, that for some reason has not been completed yet, very....wait, we already have 1000 threads on religion and i just realized this is one of them.
what caused them is the same thing that caused them to even ask that question.
i believe its all based on this subjective reality that we all live by, based on beliefs, having to do with lifestyles/society,standards, priorities, and all that.
im a philosphical person and as crazy as it sounds i believe what i believe based on logic.
yes blind obedience is utter shit but there are others like me who believes in these things because of the truth that i see in my life and reality. It makes me as relevant as the scientist who is only relevant now because of the evolution that reality has taken, and this absolutely doesnt mean that reality will stop evolving either.
lol.
damn right i'm a hippie.
i dunno, if anyone is a parent, or someone who raised children from babies to adulthood, then they will understand how love is so important in raising a human life.
love became the reason to live.
that is my own personal reason, money was only a way to survive, but i can survive without it as well.
money, has and does become nothing to me, when another life is at hand, especially a child's.
damn right i'm a hippie.
i dunno, if anyone is a parent, or someone who raised children from babies to adulthood, then they will understand how love is so important in raising a human life.
love became the reason to live.
that is my own personal reason, money was only a way to survive, but i can survive without it as well.
money, has and does become nothing to me, when another life is at hand, especially a child's.