Tuesday, April 2, 2019

The Meaning of Life - Ensue or Pursue?

Life itself has no meaning.  If there was, then we will all be homogenous beings doing the same job, having the same relationships and saying the same words.  It is we, as individuals, who give meaning to our own lives.  The philosopher Friedrich Nietszche best expressed this: "He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how."  Another way to put it is we are here to define who we are in this world so that we can express ourselves in our own unique way.  Interestingly, such uniqueness actually allows us to be complementary to each other as we are all a part of the entire cosmic puzzle with no single piece to be missed.

There is, however, a paradox to this.  We are so used to pursuits and goal setting that often we are blindly searching for meaning in life, as if it is a commodity that can be sought.  Like happiness and success, the secret to finding meaning is to not search for it, but just let it happen as a by-product.  Since our consciousness is a stream with thoughts and ideas sprouting moment by moment, the meaning of life is also something that you can only capture here and now.  When you are engaging in activities you fully enjoy, embracing some fascinating experiences and connecting with people you love, the most satisfying forms of meaning will naturally arise.  Plus, of course, the side-effect of happiness.

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