Comment by zkmon
10 hours ago
Meaning/goal of life is to reproduce. Food (and everything else) is only a means to it. Reproduction is the only root goal given by nature to any life form. All resources and qualities are provided are only to help mating.
Reproduction is the goal of genes.
Food (not dying) is the goal of organisms.
I'd argue genes nor life has a "goal". They are what they are because they've been successful at continuing their existence. Would you say a rock's goal is not to get broken?
Only because genes/organisms can make choices (changes to its programming, or decisions) to optimize their path towards their goal.
A rock is maybe not a good counterexample, but a crystal is because it can grow over time. So in some sense, it tries not to break. However a crystal cannot make any choices; it's behavior is locked into the chemistry it starts with.
Then why are reproductive rates so low in western countries?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_total_fer...
not just western countries
The western lifestyle is an evolutionary dead end?
It seems that some in the West want it to be and are working hard to make it so.
No, evolution has encoded lust. It has not yet allowed for condoms. But it's a process.