What was life? One did not know. It was aware of it, undoubtedly,
as soon as it was alive, but it did not know what it was.
~Thomas Mann
But why atoms combine once to dead rock, to liquids or to gas mixtures and then again,
and then again, in another form, to a living being whose movements can be followed under a microscope?
Dead matter such as stones cannot escape external forces; they are blasted by ice or ground up by water. However, the fragments always remain rock, air and water can evade an external force. Air and water escaping, one could say.
Dead matter is without will and therefore passive. But the life has a will, it wants to survive! A simple cell can adapt itself to external influences, provided that these influences are not so serious that they lead to its destruction.
Life can arrange itself with its environment, it can even change its environment in the long term, so that for the life more favorable circumstances develop. Life is an active process that is not satisfied with what is. This dissatisfaction
and restlessness, which are inherent in living matter, lead to a process that is unique in nature: namely, the reproduction of life. Organisms reproduce, they produce duplicates of themselves. Life is a generation contract, which
is never cancelled.
There is no single, universally accepted definition of life. However, most definitions of life include the following characteristics:
- Organization: Living things are made up of cells, which are the basic units of life.
- Metabolism: Living things use energy to maintain their internal environment and to perform essential functions.
- Growth and reproduction: Living things grow and reproduce, passing on their genetic information to their offspring.
- Adaptation: Living things adapt to their environment over time, changing in order to survive and reproduce.
- Response to stimuli: Living things respond to their environment, either by moving or by changing their internal state.
- Homeostasis: Living things maintain a relatively constant internal environment, despite changes in the external environment.
These characteristics are not all exclusive to living things. For example, some non-living things, such as viruses, can reproduce. However, viruses do not have all of the other characteristics of life, such as metabolism and homeostasis.
Ultimately, the definition of life is a matter of opinion. There is no scientific consensus on what constitutes life, and different people may have different ideas about what it means to be alive.
In addition to the scientific definitions of life, there are also many philosophical and religious perspectives on the meaning of life. These perspectives often focus on the purpose of life, the nature of consciousness, and the relationship between humans and the universe.
The meaning of life is a question that has been pondered by philosophers and theologians for centuries. There is no easy answer, and each person must find their own meaning in life. However, some possible answers to the question of the meaning of life include:
- To find happiness and fulfillment.
- To make a difference in the world.
- To learn and grow as a person.
- To connect with others and build relationships.
- To experience the beauty of the world.
- To leave a legacy behind.
The meaning of life is a personal journey, and there is no right or wrong answer. What matters most is that you find something that gives your life meaning and purpose.