Existence

[blackmage_nuke]

You are given the opportunity know why the universe was created (the meaning and purpose of life and existence) or how the universe was created (how everything was started, where everything came from)

But you may only chose one

Which do you choose?

Personally I feel 'How' will be much more informative in the grand scheme of things but doesnt really affect my life. Knowing 'Why' will drastically alter the way I live. It's a tough choice but I would personally go with How.

Can a mod make the poll results public for me?

[Loony BoB]

Fixed your poll to public.

I chose 'Why' because 'How' makes little difference to the general scheme of things - at least, for me, that is. I suppose it depends on just how deep the 'How' goes. I mean, you can say "It was a big bang, and evolution happened, basically everything you read about in science books is true" and yet God can still exist and have done things that way - I'm not one to believe whether or not God created the world one way or another, I'm more interested in the why he did it this way or that way, or if he did it at all (ie, if he exists at all). Do I want to find out my beliefs are not true? Hrm, no, obviously not. But at the same time, I can accept such things if they turn out that way, I suppose. And if they do turn out to be true, fantastic.

I am more interested in 'Why?' because that is what affects my life rather than science. And according to science, my life is all I have when it comes to existence and that means what I do with it (the why) is more important than how it came about.

I wonder what would happen if all the religions/beliefs in the world to suddenly be told that ____ is right and all you other lot were wrong.

There. I think I've explained myself terribly enough.

[I Don't Need A Name]

How. Easily. Being a science student obviously lends itself to me wanting this. I'm much more interested on how something came to be than why. And either way, being a firm atheist, then I'd hope the 'Why' would be included in the how explaination anyway.

[Jiro]

I don't really care why, so how would be far more interesting. Then watch me as I try to recreate it. A whole universe in my basement!

[Peegee]

surprise surprise the nihilist picks neithee. though you did intrigue me by saying 'why?'

but I'm too aware of tricky djinn to fall for that again %]

[Jiro]

I was hoping someone would say neither. Why'd you pick it you dick Peeg? "Because in the end it doesn't matter" is not a legit answer.

[qwertysaur]

<3 the uncertainty principle.

[Vermachtnis]

I picked how, so I can make my own and fill it with stuff I like.

[Timekeeper]

I went with why.
If I can understand why it's all here, I may be able to infer how it happened, and what made it happen.
If I go with how, I'll never fully be able to understand why.

[qwertysaur]

I went with why.
If I can understand why it's all here, I may be able to infer how it happened, and what made it happen.
If I go with how, I'll never fully be able to understand why.

No. You can't infer how with why, nor can you infer why with how. It's like the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

[rubah]

I get the feeling that knowing either would utterly confound me, possibly to the point of dementia

[Yar]

I don't care either way. I have bigger things to worry myself about.

I also think that assuming there really is a "why" is a bit...out there. Does the universe need a reason to be here? Why can't it just be?

[Raistlin]

How, definitely. Why is pointless, as the universe does not have consciousness and there's no reason to believe it was created for any purpose at all. The how, on the other hand, is very interesting.

[Shlup]

I'd go with the "how" for the same reasons others did. I already know the "why": the purpose of existence is to exist.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

I chose how as well. I think we're all mostly curious by nature. Even if it turns out all this was created by something for a specific reason, I have free will (as far as I can tell), so I really don't care what that reason is. I'm happy doing my thing.

I WOULD like to know how it all happened.