The article below was posted to the Guardian web site a couple of months back. It contains excerpts from a book formed by replies from some well-known names to a letter asking them their thoughts on the meaning of life. As you can imagine, the answers ranged from rushed or smart alecky to more composed and thoughtful. Looking at the latter type of replies, some themes emerge: the fleeting nature of happiness, that it is helpful to live in the moment, and the importance of love. My favourite replies come from a palliative care consultant and a survivor of Bergen-Belsen. When it comes to appreciating life, some domain expertise is useful.
One the respondents states that “every life is a journey from innocence to wisdom”. Given the ages of the folks in this site, we should have accumulated some wisdom along the way. So, I’m taking the opportunity to put the question of the letter to you: “What do you think is the meaning of life? And how you find meaning, purpose and fulfilment in your own life?”
“Have a good time, ALL of the time.”
A savage remark indeed.
The Meaning of Life?
Listen to Chumbawamba!
Agreed, and live for today as tomorrow may not come,
Contentment … be content with what you’ve got, anything else is a bonus.
Seeking betterment is worth it, just don’t expect it
And shit happens,
I got to your first statement when I was 55.
I am now 59.
Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac:
Gangsta whitewalls; TV antennas in the back;
You may not have a car at all.
But remember brothers and sisters, you can still stand tall –
Just be thankful for what you’ve got
Er – that’s it…
I came here to post that.
Place more importance on love than anything else – you will be rewarded.
Try to be kind but if someone really pisses you off let them know. They may have accidentally upset you and can make amends. If they intentionally upset you then you can cut all contact with them.
Ignore all wankers.
This, from Dan Harmon, remains the closest I’ve read to my own take on the matter:
“The knowledge that nothing matters, while accurate, gets you nowhere. The planet is dying. The sun is exploding. The universe is cooling. Nothing’s going to matter. The further back you pull, the more that truth will endure. But, when you zoom in on earth, when you zoom in to a family, when you zoom into a human brain and a childhood and experience, you see all these things that matter. We have this fleeting chance to participate in an illusion called: I love my girlfriend, I love my dog. How is that not better? Knowing the truth that nothing matters can actually save you in those moments. Once you get through that terrifying treshold of accepting that, then every place is the center of the universe. And every moment is the most important moment. And everything is the meaning of life.”
Love. Friendship. Meaningful work. A life free from the threat of violence. A safe home. A warm bed and a full stomach. Don’t expect joy to be more than fleeting, it comes and goes. Contentment is more lasting. Try not to be a cnut and when you fall from grace because everybody does from time to time apologise and mean it.
That’s pretty much about the size of it.
42
Two very distinct questions there.
1. What do you think the meaning of life is?
2. How you find meaning, purpose and fulfilment in your own life?
1. I’m not at all sure there is one. In fact, I strongly suspect there isn’t.
2. I don’t. I enjoy most days, but I wouldn’t describe them as meaningful, purposeful or fulfilling. I like swimming in the sea.
This (minus the swimming).
Stay curious. Keep learning. Always try to understand. Accept. Forgive. Help.
Don’t let bastards grind you down.
It is what it is.
You make it happen through the choices you make.
Yearn to possess nothing.
The less you spend, the more you get.
“You only truly possess that which you cannot lose in a shipwreck.”
We don’t always see eye-to-eye, but you nailed it here.
nonsense, I love record collecting!
You are a child of the universe, you have a right to be here.
You are a fluke of the universe. You have no right to be here.
Deteriorata. Deteriorata.
Life? Don’t talk to me about life.
We’re not born into the universe; we’re born out of it. We are inextricably connected to the infinite causes and conditions of the universe, all of which culminate in the present moment. This process remakes itself every millisecond. The extraordinary interplay of all the elements of the universe to bring us into this minute is the miracle hiding in plain sight.
Even us wondering ‘what’s the meaning of life?’ is part of the fabric of the meaning of life. We’re not separate from it; we *are* it.
What’s it all about?
What’s it all for?
When someone’s born
There’s someone
Where there was no-one
Before
I’m with former Australian Pm Malcolm Fraser who was pilloried at the time.
He said “ life wasn’t meant to be easy”.And it isn’t. .
Be kind
Fuck off
Go in peace, blessed by my forgiveness.
To err is human, to forgive is divine. I’m Human. You’re Divine.
I’m not…
When I was younger I used to think that when I got to the end of my life, I wanted to look back and had achieved something. But what is achievement ? Our two boys appear to be doing well – that’ll do for me.
These days, it’s all about being happy, contented and continually curious (not necessarily always learning). Just as long as I’m not bored (or boring)
From carbon we come, to carbon we go.
I C
Fun to funky.
“we’re here to make babies and look after place” Billy Connolly – on this
Not sure there actually is a ‘meaning’ as such but I’ve never encountered
better advice than the line from the song ‘Nature Boy’ recorded by Nat King Cole & numerous others
‘ The greatest thing you’ll ever learn
Is just to love
and be loved in return’.
Words to live by.
What is the meaning of life? The opposite of death
What is the purpose of life? To avoid the opposite
What is the point of life? Exactly.
(Sorry, don’t hide the knives, just an opportunity to lift the last and cynical sentence question from a pice I read elsewhere.)
Chatgpt says:
Ah, the classic question! Philosophers, scientists, and thinkers have been pondering that for centuries. There are a lot of different interpretations depending on who you ask.
From a philosophical standpoint, some say that the meaning of life is to seek happiness, knowledge, or fulfillment. Others argue that it’s about creating your own purpose—like the existentialists, who believe we each make meaning in an otherwise meaningless world.
In a scientific sense, life can be seen as a complex series of biological processes with no inherent meaning, but rather driven by survival, reproduction, and evolution.
On a more spiritual level, many believe that life has a divine purpose or a deeper connection to something greater than ourselves.
But honestly, what do you think? Sometimes I think it’s all about finding the things that make you feel alive, whatever those might be!
I’m not sure there is a meaning of life exactly – we, and everything else, are the result of an extraordinary series of chemical and biological events. It’s miraculous that we’re here but in itself I don’t think there is a ‘meaning’ behind it. But we can all find meaning in our lives – to live well, to enjoy life and at the very least to do no harm to anyone else; more positively to actively help, support, and love others.
Just remember that you’re standing on a planet that’s evolving
And revolving at nine hundred miles an hour
…
And pray that there’s intelligent life somewhere out in space
Cos there’s bugger all down here on earth
To paraphrase those mighty philosophers, Flowered Up:
“Whatever you do, just make sure what ya doin’ makes you happy.”
Even if everyone else thinks it’s dull.
It’s all too much and yet it’s not enough.
Searching for meaning. It’s very human, innit?
Do dolphins wonder about the meaning of life?
I’m inclined to think that wondering about The Meaning Of Life is a slippery slope you can never truly leave once you step on and may sometimes wish you hadn’t.
I bet Donald Trump, Elon Musk and JD Vance have never thought about it.
Just one more wafer thin mint.