What is the Basic Task of Life?

So I was reading this complete train wreck of a post on reddit:

And it got me thinking about what the basic criteria are for success in life.

My first-pass answer in a very basic, biological frame is to leave the species better off than it was before.

For basic animals that means propagating your genes, but we are a bit more advanced than that. We need not only adult humans to carry on, but we also need those adults to be well-functioning. On top of that, we need better ideas, better cultures, better inventions to help us into the future.

So while Nikola Tesla didn't have any children, he did leave behind a body of scientific work that has helped humanity progress.

But having adult and nearly-adult children who can't put on their own socks makes you a literal failure as a human being.

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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://nealmcspadden.com/thoughts/what-is-the-basic-task-of-life/

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