My current, albeit short, response to this question is broken into two sections: 1. The purpose of life is simply to exist; survival of the fittest is the best reasoning behind this answer. Life was started through different factors of space and time, via the collection and mutation of elements - or through religious factors, depending on your beliefs - and has continued to survive through evolution and adaptation to change. [Note that evolution is simply the occurrence where the organisms that are 'selected for' are the survivors, allowing them to pass on their 'selected for' genes] Then, throughout time, organisms have evolved to where they are quite simply only here to survive, and pass on their genes - also known as survival of the fittest and selection pressure. This is my answer to the purpose of life. 2. Now the purpose of living is where most people disagree, or simply have zero clue on the answer. In the most basic of understandings, I conclude that the answer is simply fulfillment - but this is such a subjective answer, that it can be ruled as incompetent. This leads me to the answer of: the purpose of living, is simply to live; live, in terms of being content. So, this leads to my followup question: What is Your purpose of/in living? [Sorry for all the pseudo-intellect sounding phrasing, it is bound to happen anyway]