What do you class a fulfilled life?

I would class a life lived with a purpose. By that I don’t mean success, I mean the effort it takes you to make you who you are.

What do you think?

Reply 1

tinygirl96

This is a hard question. All people are different.

Reply 2

username5252878

Original post by tinygirl96

This is a hard question. All people are different.

Yes. Everyone’s unique but we all have a positive attitude about ourselves which should be shone.

Irrespective of what others think, it’s what makes us who we are no?

Reply 3

gjd800

I don't really have an answer other than 'being (mostly) happy', because I don't think there is a telos to life and I also don't think one needs to find or manufacture a 'purpose' in order to be happy. I was saying to other philosopher sorts only last week that this question is not as interesting to me as it is to seemingly all of them

Reply 4

Rufus The Red

One you, on balance, don't regret.

Reply 5

username5252878

Original post by gjd800

But that something is there to make you happy no? That element of happiness. So that’s your purpose?

I don’t think I’m wording the question accurately so do forgive me.

Reply 6

username5252878

Original post by Rufus the red

One you, on balance, don't regret.

We’re humans. We do actions that make us regret.

It’s human nature.

Reply 7

Rufus The Red

Original post by Thecrazydoughnut

We’re humans. We do actions that make us regret.

It’s human nature.

On balance is the operative phrase. We'll always regret things and wish we could change them but if you look back at your life and think 'yes, I'm satisfied with how that has turned out' and don't regret the entirety of it, then it's a life which is fulfilled.

Reply 8

username5252878

Original post by Rufus the red

Human nature is such that it won’t be satisfied. Irrespective of the balance. We just want more and never truly ‘happy’ as to how our lives have turned out.

Reply 9

AKK423

Original post by Thecrazydoughnut

I would class a life lived with a purpose. By that I don’t mean success, I mean the effort it takes you to make you who you are.

What do you think?

A life that the person thinks was fulfilling.

Me personally? For me, regarding my own life? It would be to be a good Muslim, to make my loved ones happy and to raise my children well.

Reply 10

username5252878

Original post by AKK423

A life that the person thinks was fulfilling.

Me personally? For me, regarding my own life? It would be to be a good Muslim, to make my loved ones happy and to raise my children well.

Doesn’t matter what others think about your life. You’re living in it and it’s yours to fulfill with whatever you desire.

That’s quite good to be honest. 😊 . Alhamdulillah.

Reply 11

gjd800

Original post by Thecrazydoughnut

But that something is there to make you happy no? That element of happiness. So that’s your purpose?

I don’t think I’m wording the question accurately so do forgive me.

Nah I don't think so. It's arguably true re purpose for people that pursue passions, but I don't think that is the prevalent way to be happy, much less the only way to be happy.

People generally attain 'happiness' cumulatively, and so talk of purpose in abstracto doesn't really do much for me, it is potentially quite restrictive

Reply 12

username5252878

Original post by gjd800

Happiness can only last for a limited time. Everything has an expiry date so how does one continue to lead a purposeful life with the happiness being limited? I mean passion lead happiness, gives you the motivation and enthusiasm for a short time but then you’re back to square one once again.

It’s just I was thinking today, how much purpose a life has and it can be taken away in an eye blink. Unbelievable.

Reply 13

gjd800

Original post by Thecrazydoughnut

Who cares about leading a purposeful life? I just said I don't think it is of critical significance. There are loads of ways to be broadly happy, and you need not stick to one, you can dip in and out of loads of ways. Some people need purpose to give them a bit of vitality but I am yet to be convinced that we must all have it

Reply 14

username5448338

A fulfilled life to me would be the please Allah swt in obeying His commandments & striving to make Him happy with me. A life without religion in my life would be a life without meaning.

This materialistic life with superficial goals and trying to please other people doesn’t appeal to me one bit. What a sad ending it would be if we are busy chasing the Dunya, and think that this is the ultimate happiness, when in reality we are only deceiving ourselves.

Reply 15

Rufus The Red

Original post by Thecrazydoughnut

Human nature is such that it won’t be satisfied. Irrespective of the balance. We just want more and never truly ‘happy’ as to how our lives have turned out.

I beg to differ. It's all to do with mindset. Humans are, as you say, ambitions and generally want to do or be more but that doesn't mean that you can't be satisfied with what you have done.
Regret is much easier with hindsight but when you realise that making mistakes is how you learn and that you didn't know what you knew then you won't regret what you did. When you've acted rationally and done what you could you should realise that there is no way you could have done more with certainty that the outcome would be optimal.
This is, what I think, can make a life fulfilled - not regretting what you've done and being satisfied with what you have.