A search for meaning
As with every self-discovery journey mine started with the ancient question of "What is the meaning of life?" a question I avoided for so long by staying busy, chasing shadows, doing what everyone else did. "Don't worry too much, it all will come clear someday" I told myself over and over, but that was a lie, answers must be sought.
And so my Journey began and I stumbled upon a series of possible answers that I collected from people around me and self-help texts across the internet.
To enjoy
The Hedonistic way, for those who turn life itself into a 24/7 party. Even though Happiness comes in many ways and there is nothing wrong with enjoyment and pleasure this is the worst path someone could take as the meaning of life.
Devoting one's life to maximizing pleasure and enjoyment will lead to a life of excess and procrastination, If pleasure is all life has to offer drugs and alcohol must be the ultimate expression of life itself.
To experience
experiencing all or most that life has to offer seems attractive, but I think that is something that can be achieved as we live, a result of the act of living not the goal, and if we make this the entire goal of our lives we run into the same problem as with hedonism.
To dedicate life to a cause/ideal
Finding meaning in helping others is a very noble way and I deeply respect whoever chooses it. I am not selfless enough to make this the sole purpose of my life but I do agree we should try to make the life of those around us better, and I will do my best.
Devoting life to your career or your kids is also another way to see it, the problem with that is that when things go bad that is your entire life, and we know that on this world things can always go bad.
In the middle of my midnight meditations about life and its mysteries, I wondered "What if life doesn't have an absolute meaning to be uncovered?" If there is such thing someone would have found it a long time ago and all would agree to it in the same way as we agree with Math or Physics (mostly).
To create meaning
Through my Journey I realized that Meaning is something that can be created, humans have the power to give meaning to things.
Humans have the power to bring something to this universe that wasn't here when it was created.
Rocks don't have a meaning until a sculptor transforms them into something that has it, pigments have no meaning until a painter arranges them in a way that has it.
Is constructed meaning real?
As real as what makes tears roll through your cheeks, feelings and emotions are real and matter, therefore the meaning we construct must be just as real.
I told myself, that must be it!, the entire purpose of life must be to create, to build things that have meaning. The creation of meaning is a cure against the entropy of the universe.
That was until one day I realized that just because we can do something we have no obligation to do so, that the meaning of life is not a reason to live. I have the power to create something unique, to enrich this universe with my meaning, and inspire others to do the same but why?
I believe I found my answer but I will share my findings in my next post.