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Meaninglessness
betaboy
Veteran
In one of the other threads, someone mentioned meaninglessness of life, how it is scary and painful.
But isn't the opposite the case? If there is no inherent meaning, then it means you have the freedom to invent any meaning you please, and it does not even have to be permanent. Every day you can invent a new meaning. Or you can do away with 'meaning' altogether and live aimlessly.
Point is, without meaning life is free of commitment and responsibility. No burdens to bear, nowhere to reach, nothing to attain, no purpose to fulfill. In short, meaninglessness is absolute freedom. So I wonder why people become depressed when they realize there is no inherent meaning to life.
But isn't the opposite the case? If there is no inherent meaning, then it means you have the freedom to invent any meaning you please, and it does not even have to be permanent. Every day you can invent a new meaning. Or you can do away with 'meaning' altogether and live aimlessly.
Point is, without meaning life is free of commitment and responsibility. No burdens to bear, nowhere to reach, nothing to attain, no purpose to fulfill. In short, meaninglessness is absolute freedom. So I wonder why people become depressed when they realize there is no inherent meaning to life.
6
Comments
No burden? No responsibility? We can't think our way out of the maze, nor deny its existence. Neither work, which is why the Buddha taught.
With warmth,
Matt
The universe gives not one wit about my life or it's travails or triumphs.
But I do.
Don't be mean?
Don't be average?
Meaning less - au contraire . . .
Simple things have much meaning . . . infinitely so . . . :orange:
"Meaninglessness" simply represents yet another kind of "meaning," even of the most bitter, nihilistic sort.
For some, I suspect they claim "sour grapes." For others it indicates symptoms of a deep sickness and suffering-- at least from my own past experience with "meaninglessness."
Once I overcame (or exhausted) my suicidal thoughts ten years ago, "meaning" and "meaninglessness" (in the context of a comic "purpose") no longer concerned me as it once did-- I think it frames human experience too much in terms of misleading metaphysical questions.
I understand and sympathize with the tendency, but the meaningful/meaningless debate places our sloppy lives into nice and neat little dualistic conceptual boxes. Doing so may even set us up for greater suffering because then we buy into the assumption that life (1) has got to have meaning, or (2) has got to be meaningless. I ended up in a position where I desperately wanted to cling to one or the other, provided it give me some relief. Neither really did.
So personally, I find the categories of "meaning" and "meaningless" (in the broad metaphysical context) harder to relate to now. It doesn't do justice to human experience or to the life in general.
Why do we need to superimpose meaningfulness or meaninglessness on life? Meaninglessness represents anthropocentrism in reverse. Does a tree or a frog or a rock consider its own "meaning" (or lack thereof)?
meaning,
no meaning,
meaning and no meaning,
then "whatever dude"
To be happy, and to make others happy.
In that order.
Many people mistake the state of happiness with always having to have a smile on your face.
It's not.
It's contentment, whatever "the weather".
It's accepting what is, and realising that in the long run, whatever 'is', isn't.
And that that's ok.
Contented acceptance takes longer to type than happiness, though...;)
Meaning is none other than expression. As Nietzsche said, meaning is not Given, but Taken. Through our hopes and dreams and friendships and lovers we make our own lives. Meaning is not inherent, as the OP seems to suggest it might sometimes be; nay, it is more like a coherence or cohesiveness of things. It is the faculty (not merely the sense) of belonging to something either holy or beauteous or enticing or just a family of loved ones... or belonging to something larger than oneself.
In other words, I'd say that meaning is Relevance and that meaninglessness would be a state of (complete?) irrelevance.
Meaninglessness, I think, is a state in which interest in other things would be diminished greatly. I mean, to be interested (inter-esse, literally: interbeing) in something is "to be into it." A meaningful life is one in which the protagonist is interested in many people, places, and things, and is compassionate and responsible. The protagonist's freedom is the thing that most gives his life meaning. Freedom is no daydreaming, flittering thing (that I think the OP implies), but is concrete and is the stuff of the very air we breathe.
Chasing meaning v meaninglessness as @riverflow mentions has no useful purpose.
What is useful and has meaning to most of us, is the 4NT ( four noble truths )
Not quite sure how often we need reminding of that . . .
But in that sadness the need to feel better is in our heart's concern. We have such a rich sadness and emptiness and longing.
Prefer the rocking chair to the meaning . . . :wave:
I did send her a letter at the time, but she chose not to respond. Words can pale to depression, so I understand. But, before anyone worries, this was several years ago and I am happy to say that she is still around.
Hope this helps.
Prefer the rocking chair to the meaning . . . :wave:
Always the faculties of awareness. Meaninglessness cries out for meaning.