My opinion on this subject is that our purpose is determined by the cicumstances we find ourselves in, and this can be further reduced to being determined by our environment. Actually, if one thinks about it, there is a two fold purpose which we all have within us, offspring and survival. These two are basically dependent upon eachother, for if one does not survive for a certain amount of time, then he/she will produce no offspring, and if there is no offspring, then the individuals genetic existance will cease to exist once it has died, also there is the experiance side of passing on to offspring the traits and knowlage that cannot be directly passed on through genetic traces engraned by the repeated travels of neuron impulses over the millenia and have formed permenant connections (instincts) and the physical makeup of our bodies and brains such as balance (ear canal fluids...) allowing us to remain upright permenantly (bipedal) and the specializations of our human (animal) brain such as our language centers and abstract assosiations areas which allow creativity such as problem solving (and ultimately survival). If there is a purpose, for me this is it, to survive long enough to have children, and then long enough to teach them what (I) know will allow them to survive and have offspring themselves, for if this does not happen, the overall result is failure. For if there is no more of you to go on, then what good is all this talk of purpose anyway? I do understand that given the life we lead in this society that there are many things which allow us to foget about that primitive thing called survival, we think in terms of luxury... But take away all this false paradise and find the system broken (no grocery stores...) and the survival instinct will come out of you automatically and if necissary, severely. I do admit that it is nice to see survival in todays world as bills, electricity, a car, mac card, and all the other perks that our great big industrialized (and post) countries have to offer, but that does not mean that I have to accept it as the reality in which we live, only the current (temporary) abundence which we are now enjoying. Indeed, many have lived thier lives entire within this facade of never having to use thier survival instincts, and this makes it much easier to pretend of other grander but imaginary purposes, it may even begin to dim them from our genetic makeup if it lasts for an extended period, but there is no way to totally extiguish it, for it is the basis of lifes continuance. Thats my idea of it all anyway. Billy :)