No meal is better than one after a fast.įollowing Socrates lead, the fundamental flaw in the question is that it’s asked in the singular. Unwavering hedonism loses its meaning over time, as we need contrasting experiences to fully realize what we have. The trap is the examined life offers superior pleasures. However I think there’s possible merit in living without much examination, at least for periods of time, as my dog’s daily life, or a weekend in Hawaii, are proof of the joys of hedonism. Socrates said “the life that is unexamined is not worth living” which appeals to me. Camus wrote “Don’t wait for the last judgement, it takes places every day”. In other words, the meaning of life is who you talked to, who you loved, who you helped, who you hurt, what you built, what you destroyed, and on it goes. Meaning is not an ideal or platitude but something that I manifest in actions I take, or don’t take. How I prioritize my time defines what my life means.

Even if no one reads this, or I decide later I hate it, it still has meaning to me because it’s where I chose to put part of my life. Eventually I will die and and all my time will be gone forever. The time I spent writing this essay was time I will never get back. Our choices matter because they are finite. Kafka (possibly) wrote “the meaning of life is that it ends” which I love. Most living things in the history of the planet never bothered to need to ask this question in part because they were too busy trying to stay alive to have a need to occupy their minds with metaphysical questions. You don’t hear this question much from people in need of work, scavenging for food, or running for their lives in fear on a regular basis. It’s notable that the people who ask the titular question most often are those who have a life successful enough to be beyond struggling to survive. But we have choose them, they usually do not choose us. There’s plenty of obviously good meaningful things to do. Modern life has millions of people who need kindness and there are thousands of skills that can be learned and put to good use. The answer to the meaning of life question might just be there is no meaning other than living life for it’s simple pleasures and responsibilities. No matter how much you understand or don’t about your life, you still have to do the living. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water” and I consider this saying often. There’s a zen proverb that says “ Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. If yours is the former, and you don’t fear boredom, you can float with contentment along the surface of existence never exploring what’s beneath. There is mild merit to the phrase ignorance is bliss, as ignorance comes in both pleasant and painful forms. Kids don’t ask it, at least not with the same angst adults do.

You could conclude that we’re better off not even asking about meaning. I’ve yet to hear my dog ask about the meaning of life and he seems pretty satisfied with existence.

What is the point of existence