Meaning in a World of Comfort or The Difficulty of Dogs

As humans, we’ve reached a point in time where comfort is easily found. Our smartphones provide us with food (postmates), sex (tinder), dopamine (instagram), and endless distraction from the dullness of existence. As a species, our comfort level is at an all-time high, and we value it accordingly. (Millennials place comfort and relaxation both as top-10 values in Gartner’s 2019 Consumer Value and Lifestyle Survey)

But we know from research and experience, that comfort does not bring happiness. Emily Esfahani Smith says “happiness can’t be pursued, it must ensue, it’s the byproduct of leading a meaningful life. There is research that shows that when we chase happiness and value it in this obsessive way as our culture encourages us to do, that we actually end up feeling unhappier, it makes us feel lonelier. Whereas if we do things that we think are meaningful, we’re left with this deeper sense of well being and contentment.”

Unfortunately, we’re not valuing or pursuing meaning as we should.

According to Gartner’s survey, millennials place purpose/meaning as their 30th value.

And that makes sense. Comfort is easily understood and easily attained. Meaning sounds hard. Responsibility, purpose? We have to leave our apartment for that. We have to get off our phones for that.

The smartphone is our digital security blanket, providing emotional comfort and security in a way that has never been so accessible before.
It provides a distraction from the pain and dullness of modern life. It’s an excuse to avoid awkward in-person social interactions. It’s a reliable source of dopamine hits. The warm glow of the screen mimics the campfire our ancestors might have gathered around.

But how do we pursuit meaning over comfort? In a world of hyperbolic, vague content labels as “advice,” I’ll give you a concrete answer. Get a dog.

Dogs are the ultimate meaning-maker.

Researches have found that meaning requires significance, purpose, and coherence. Three things dogs provide in spades.

“Significance is about a sense of life’s inherent value and having a life worth living.” — That’s not much more worthwhile than caring entirely for another living being.

“Purpose means a sense of core goals, aims, and direction in life.” — The task of training a dog gives you a clear cut, rewarding objective.

“Coherence means a sense of comprehensibility and one’s life making sense.” — Humans have bred and kept dogs as companions for thousands of years, it’s their entire purpose on the planet. Makes a lot of sense.

Make no mistake, there’s nothing “easy” about dogs. But that’s the essence of their magic.

Dog’s require patience, responsibility, and dedication. They depend on you for everything. They force us into awkward social interactions with our neighbors, they make us consider a perspective other than our own, they give us an unquestionably important, yet manageable purpose.

And that purpose brings longer-lasting and more significant happiness than comfort ever could.

So put down your phone, and pick up a dog.