In this post we understand how the two different ways in which perceived reality is interpreted can lead to two different goals of human life.
Like we have discussed in a previous post, if reality is to be characterized by what a thought-free mind perceives when all the input to it from the senses is unchanging and minimal, then the goal of human life becomes Nirvana, i.e., to control the mind to the extent that it can detach itself from sensory input. This is so because when human life is represented with an abstraction, colloquially as the soul, the individual cannot differentiate between their own offspring and those of others. The goal of life becomes to sustain life, as an abstraction, not necessarily via procreation.
If the mind and senses are not separated and are considered as a whole, i.e., the individual is represented as the physical body, perceived reality cannot be characterized as a cognitive bias. This leads to a different goal of human existence. The goal of human existence then becomes to procreate, because individuals can differentiate between their own offspring and those of others. This is the common scientific understanding.
Note that although the two interpretations, to procreate and to sustain life, sound similar, they can be different. For example, even when the goal of humans may be to procreate, individuals may form groups and become violent towards each other, and human life may not sustain itself. Also, if all individuals achieve Nirvana, human life may not sustain itself in material form. We believe that Nature is designed such that there's a balance between individuals believing in the two ideas, such that the extinction of human beings does not happen.