What is the noblest way to live one's life?

I’m agnostic. With that said, I do my best to never cause harm (physical or emotional) to anyone. I often fail at this.

Honestly, it sounds like you have things worked out on your own.

Hard question to address.

While I’m a hippy too, and agree with the flower-child love-everybody life goal, I have found that love, unfortunately, is not always enough.

Perhaps the easiest part of your question to respond to is the “fewest regrets”. Simply speaking, the answer would seem to be not to do anything regrettable. How do you determine what might prove regrettable? For me, that is basically showing consideration for others in all that I do and letting others live their own lives with as little interference from me as I can manage. Live and let live, so to speak.

Rich and meaningful, Hmmmm. Meaningful is a subjective term. What is important is what is meaningful to YOU. Do you want to achieve world peace? End tyranny in a third-world country? “Save the Citizen?” (see the movie, Sky High). Help foster children grow up to be responsible members of their community rather than hoodlums or criminals? Meaningful is a personal thing. It is based, in part, on your own spiritual/religious beliefs or lack thereof. It is based on the accumulation of your own life experiences. Of course, if you are 18yo and just starting your adult years and don’t want to spend a couple decades trying to figure out what to do with you life, well…

What do you enjoy doing? What do you enjoy reading? Or viewing? Do you love animals? Maybe rescuing or supporting rescue efforts is what you want. Do you imagine yourself as a doctor, a fireman, a lawyer? Maybe become a candy-stripper in a hospital, a hospice assistant, a trainer of Dalmatians for fire stations, a lobbyist, a paralegal. Are you a sports enthusiast, into sky diving, cross country skiing, professional ice skating? All sports events need volunteers to support the participants, prepare the turfs and clean up afterwards, provide first aid and sometimes just support staggering athletes.

I think the life activities that are most likely to make your life, in your own view, rich and meaningful, is to take something you know about and/or enjoy and support it, not only monetarily, but through non-paying, non-rewarded personal involvement. Help publicize it by sharing it with others, through publicity, and through your own participation. Contribute to it, yes, if you can, but get personally involved without expectation of recompense or reward, or even a thank you.

For me, meaningful is believing the example of my own behaviors somehow improved or enriched someone else’s life. This is what makes me feel my life is rich, or in my own opinion, worthwhile. And the only reward I look forward to is the approval and appreciation of My Creator, when S/He welcomes me back to His/Her loving arms one day.

I try to live in a way, that if I die at any given moment, whatever I’m doing won’t change anyones opinion of me.

“Do all you can in the time you have with what you have in the place you are.”

One of my favorite quotes.

I think that the most life-affecting choice anyone can make is to either

1) Live for themselves—looking out for your own good takes top priority

or

2) Live for the good of others—doing what is truly good and best for the people around you is more important that achieving good or pleasure for yourself

What your life looks like—any decision you make—I believe, stems from this choice.

Appreciation for life is one key. Not to take things for granted.

Selflessly.

i think this poem by Rumi sums up as to what i consider is the “noblest” way to live my own life:

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond._

PS. are you by any chance doing this as a project for the NY Philosophy Emposium ?

A question that I have pondered as well. I decided to imagine myself at the end of my life, and looking back, think what I might regret that I hadn’t done. I use this technique frequently but the most important choice was when I decided to have four children—even though it was not the socially appropriate thing to do at the time. It was what I felt was important for me to do. And I knew if I had not, I would have regretted that decision. And I took care of them—at a time when women were beginning to plop their children in childcare and develop their careers. So, my answer would be to be true to what you know is right and important for yourself, and not be swayed by the fashion or ideas or opinions of others—whatever they may be.

You should never walk on egg shells and worry about what others think or believe of you. You should live life to your fullest expectations, and have no regrets. Let past be past and present present. Be happy with who you are, and live life. Do not hold yourself back because of what someone else says. Do what you believe is right, and enjoy doing it. “Brick walls are there for those who do not want it enough.” – Randy Pausch

I live to make myself happy.
I find that I appreciate friendship, and in order to appreciate it I do nothing but expect a friendship, there is no motivation other than to be there for that person.
I like to party hard, live life by the second, and take the chances that are presented to me as if they will be ripped away any moment.
A life of no regret, love, and peace.
quite often I find that a life of no regret isn’t very difficult, even though i am very impulsive. I do not cause harm or pain to anything so long as i can help it.

“Know thyself.”—Plato

sndfreQ:

Your answer reminded me of Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy.

The term “Nobility” refers to people who were “known” or “notable” and the word was applied to the highest social classes in medieval times. One had to be born into families of the upper classes to be considered a noble. Because those of nobility were also wealthy, they could afford the best of everything the world had to offer including education. Those who were noble were expected to act noble. But as is the case with all societies throughout history, those of noble birth seldom acted nobly.
http://www.isnare.com/?aid=209396&ca=Self+Help

In a world that thrives on scandal, selfishness, and concocted realities, I have found that living a life of nobility is rarer than ever and brings one little appreciation among peers and “in the city gates”. This space was designed to document truth and give credit to daily acts of nobility. Here’s to the other rarae aves in this world who share my resolve to make this world a better place to live and love.
http://nobilitybringsrewards.blogspot.com/2006/05/today-i-learned-of-angry-e-mail.html

Quotes about Nobility
http://quotes.gaia.com/topics/nobility

Not by harming life Does one become noble. One is termed noble For being gentle To all living things. -Dhammapada, 19, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
http://k3r0p1.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/2007/04/nobility.html

I try and treat every new person as a possible friend. And I always think that if i could choose how i die, it wouldn’t be during something that afterwards could seem incriminating xD

Ice skating

quickly.

1) a good dose of self-acknowledgement thus being HEALTHILY selfish (genuinely NOT being greedy etc..)

2) Being selfless in circumstances and contexts that require authentic humane deeds.

3) Honesty. But knowing what a white lie is, ( for the benefit of someone. despite the fact that it may be illusive. )

4) Inclined to believe everything that is possible, though applying to EVERYTHING the correct amount of scepticism ( ‘Skepsis’ the ancestor word in Ancient Greek means ‘Journey’ ... you do the math )

5) Not necessarily believing in hope and absolutely not relying on it.
Keeping expectation levels low… very, very low.

6) Being Impassible But NEVER ignoring nor oppressing one’s own emotions. If Rage or passion have to break through for a moment, So be it.

But always keep an eye on Consequences.
The Cause-Effect Game is in constant balance.. don’t let the scale tip too much so to allow the weights to slip off.

7) Always being alert…But at peace (seems difficult, ey? .....NOT AT ALL: Observe animals… their ways, their ‘mannerisms’ ... pay attention to how dogs behave, for instance.

8) Remember We ARE ANIMALS and NATURE is our HOME, ORIGIN and END.
Treat everything likewise.
(Yes, palm trees and mosquitoes are our siblings… ;-) .. )

9) Never mistreat Anything UNLESS there is a seriously constructive reason (such as hitting a child or an animal to ‘teach’ or correct it, if you can find no other way)

10) constantly seek improvement in all your phases and aspects.

11) Realise you should never consider yourself at the summit of anything.
Just because you are human does NOT mean you are superior to Anything absolutely.
(on the contrary, actually)

12)...my personal list goes on….

Oh…. here’s number 12)
(but it’s not the last point)
12) Festina Lente ( Latin Quote, means: Make Haste, Slowy..figure it out. )