What is the meaning of life? And, is there even one?
A tapestry of perspectives on life’s ‘ultimate’ question: the meaning of it all.
We’ve all thought about it from time to time. You know, that mind-boggling question surrounding our existence. Not just as individuals, but as collective beings.
I’ve pondered the meaning of life in all manner of states and with all manner of people. And, each time I’ve wondered down a head-twisting rabbit hole.
For some, the meaning of life is obvious and clear-cut — for others it’s, well, quite meaningless. There are also many perspectives that lie in between these existential goalposts.
But, before we delve any deeper into the ‘big’ question, let’s look at how the dictionary defines life.
Life:
a: the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body.
b: a principle or force that is considered to underlie the distinctive quality of animate beings.
Defining life in its simplest of terms is a good way of gaining perspective on the pursuit of being, but here’s the caveat: it doesn’t tell us a single thing about what it all means. Not a bean. Not a sausage.
So, what’s it all about, then? Here’s a (very) general overview of the meaning of life from religious as well as a scientific perspective.
In religion…
The meaning of (this) life is to do good, follow protocol (dictated by your faith or religious beliefs), and spread the right message as far as the eye can see (and beyond).
Avoid sinful or blasphemous behaviours and you’ll be rewarded with a never-ending utopian afterlife.
Based on this basic framework, this life is the test or stepping stone to a realm of righteousness; a place without suffering, pain or atrocity. An earned state of existence that is nothing short of idyllic.
That sounds nice (my idea of this utopian afterlife is me, sitting on a cloud alongside everyone I’ve ever missed, listening to the finest music, with a bottomless box of Titanic ales by my side — drinking them like water without consequence. Or something like that), but it does pose another question: what’s the meaning of the afterlife, exactly? This idea was particularly well articulated by philosopher, Bernard Williams:
“If it is the brevity or finiteness of human life that gives it shape and purpose, then an eternal afterlife can’t, in and of itself, have any purpose.”
So, down the rabbit hole we go. If observed respectfully, any form of religion can bestow someone with a meaningful existence. It also provides an enormous comfort blanket for dealing with the inevitable: the eternal taboo of death & dying. But, does it really answer the ‘big’ question?
In science…
In many ways, science is a collective admission of ignorance: we accept that we know very little about a particular concept (or have been barking up the wrong conceptual tree) — and use reason as well as mathematics to seek (near) definitive answers.
So, when looking at the meaning of life from a scientific perspective, surely only logic and reason will cut the mustard.
It’s likely that you know of The Big Bang Theory (not the show) as well as the Theory of Evolution. And while they’re sound explanations of how the world came to be and how we’ve progressed as a species, it doesn’t explain the reason we’re wandering around the planet. These concepts don’t tell us our ultimate purpose.
Life, as explained in basic scientific terms, is the process of transforming concentrated energy into diffuse waste heat. Again, that’s all well and good: but what’s the actual point of it?
Cosmology (a branch of astronomy) delves into slightly more, well, cosmic aspects of our existence within the natural order in the universe. And, it’s a mind-blowing field. That said, it still fails to uncover the rooting-tooting reason we do anything we do.
Almost every living creature on this planet has an unwavering survival instinct and the innate will to keep the species going. But, beyond that (from a scientific perspective, at least), where’s the deeper meaning? Ponder that over your post-pub Pot Noodle on a Saturday night.
Putting it to the people
Tunnelling deep into the existential rabbit hole, I decided to put it to the people. I went on a few forums and asked the question, ‘What is the meaning of life? And is there even one?’.
I got a lot of responses from people the world over. Many were of a religious nature (one person responded with ‘42’, which I believe outlines the kinetic struggle between good and evil in the bible, among many other ‘42’ references scattered throughout ‘the good book’. It could also just be the person’s age), with droves of people urging me to be led by the Lord or turn to various scriptures for solace. Other people were disgruntled by the fact that I asked such a juvenile question, telling me to stop wasting my time and to just get on with it.
A slightly less agitated sub-section of keyboard theologians informed me that the meaning of life is living life for life’s sake — it’s all just a game. The general advice here was to live presently and play the game. There’s no time to waste.
The third and final segment of answers I received were based on the you’re a cog in nature and it’s up to you to find personal meaning.
In this vein, here’s the musing that stood out the most:
“Meaning is an artificial human concept, and nature is a stream that flows: a river doesn’t care where it’s going; it just flows where the terrain allows it.
Nature has no use for the concept of meaning. And, nature is a perfect system. So, it falls to you to define your meaning.”
Oh, and just to solidify the fact that I’m wasting my time with all this meaning stuff, the final response that came through concluded with, ‘time spent trying to find the meaning of life is time not living’.
With that, I’ll wrap things up.
What was all that about?
The meaning of life is, of course, unique to the individual or the collective culture. There is no definitive purpose. Or, maybe there is. What?
My belief is that every living being during any timeframe on this planet is a literal miracle. To exist in this universe, and to enter this world as a conscious entity, countless elements have to come together in harmony.
Mulling through the responses I was grateful to get my hands on, I’m of the mindset that we’re a happy accident and that we should work to find contentment during our fleeting time on this planet. We should probably impart a little bit of wisdom onto future generations so others have a chance of enjoying their turn, too.
When it’s all said and done, I don’t believe we’ll ever know any of it happened — although I’m willing to be proven wrong.
Whatever your thoughts or feelings on the subject, accepting your mortality (on this plain of existence, at least) is one your best bests. That way, you’ll make the most of it.
So, while you’re here, try not to be a prick unless it’s just; attempt to do what makes you feel alive; tear the arse out of every day; share your time with the right people, and if you can, enjoy the occasional chuckle at the futility of it all.
What was the point of all this, then? I don’t know. Sorry for wasting your time.
