What is life? TL;DR

Dostoevsky: It's hell.

To Dostoevsky, life was a battle with the darkest parts of the human soul—a crucible of suffering where we confront our deepest fears and desires.

Socrates: It's a test.

Life is the ultimate examination of virtue, wisdom, and truth. For Socrates, an unexamined life is not worth living.

Aristotle: It's the mind.

Life is the pursuit of knowledge and reason—a journey to understand the world through logic, ethics, and metaphysics.

Nietzsche: It's power.

Life is the will to power—a striving for self-overcoming and mastery of circumstances, rejecting complacency and embracing growth.

Freud: It's death.

Freud saw life as a tension between the life instinct (Eros) and the death instinct (Thanatos)—a constant drive toward creation and destruction.

Marx: It's the idea.

For Marx, life is shaped by material conditions and the ideologies that arise from them—a struggle to create a world of equality and justice.

Picasso: It's art.

Life is creation—a canvas for painting our passions, emotions, and dreams, shaped by imagination and expression.

Gandhi: It's love.

Gandhi believed life is rooted in nonviolence, compassion, and universal love—a journey toward peace and selfless service.

Schopenhauer: It's suffering.

For Schopenhauer, life is ceaseless striving that inevitably leads to pain and dissatisfaction, tempered only by moments of beauty and art.

Bertrand Russell: It's competition.

Life is shaped by human desires and ambitions—a balancing act between self-interest and collective progress.

Steve Jobs: It's faith.

Life is trusting the process—taking risks and following intuition, even when the road ahead is unclear.

Einstein: It's knowledge.

Einstein saw life as a quest to understand the universe's mysteries, driven by curiosity and awe.

Stephen Hawking: It's hope.

Life is perseverance in the face of adversity—a belief in the future and the power of human ingenuity.

Kafka: It's just the beginning.

Life is surreal and enigmatic, often absurd, yet always opening doors to transformation and possibility.

Camus: It's rebellion.

Life is finding meaning in a meaningless universe, defying absurdity with courage and passion.

Thoreau: It's simplicity.

Life is stripping away the unnecessary—embracing nature and living deliberately.

Rumi: It's a dance.

Life is a spiritual journey—a rhythm of love and divine connection woven into every moment.

Kierkegaard: It's a leap of faith.

Life requires embracing uncertainty and taking bold steps grounded in belief and authenticity.

Epicurus: It's pleasure.

Life is about maximizing simple, lasting pleasures while minimizing unnecessary pain.

Laozi: It's harmony.

Life flows like water—effortless and aligned with the natural order of the universe.

Confucius: It's virtue.

Life is fulfilling roles with integrity, respect, and commitment to community and family.

Carl Jung: It's individuation.

Life is integrating the conscious and unconscious—becoming whole and authentic.

Alan Watts: It's a game.

Life is to be experienced and played with wonder—not taken too seriously.

Victor Frankl: It's meaning.

Life is finding purpose, even in the most difficult circumstances, through love and service.

Simone de Beauvoir: It's freedom.

Life is the power to define yourself and reject roles imposed by society.

Heraclitus: It's change.

Life is constant flux—a river we step into once before it flows anew.

Hegel: It's progress.

Life is a dialectical process, advancing through contradiction and resolution toward greater understanding.

Hobbes: It's survival.

Life in its natural state is "nasty, brutish, and short," requiring systems to maintain order.

Rousseau: It's freedom in nature.

Life is most authentic when we return to our natural state, free from societal corruption.

Marcus Aurelius: It's acceptance.

Life is embracing the present moment with stoic resolve, guided by reason and virtue.

Seneca: It's preparation for death.

Life is not about its length but its quality—teaching us to live well and let go gracefully.