The Meaning of Life

Yeah, sure, people ponder the meaning of life, but how far do they actually get? Here are some of the answers I've seen:

 1) The meaning of life is to worship God.

2) The meaning of life is to search for the meaning of life.

3) The meaning of life is different for everyone.

4) We create our own meaning of life.

5) There is no meaning of life.

 It is my belief that none of these answers are way too simple. Life is complexe: that is one thing on which most people agree. However, these are the same people that give answers like this. Simple answers to a complexe question? In any other field of study, this would be unacceptable.

I hope to ponder the meaning of life in 2007.

Please don't misinterpret my words. I am in no way saying that these answers are wrong. Heck, they could all be right if number 3 is right. My problem with these answers is that people come up with them in their minds and then dismiss them. They don't ask questions about their answers to the meaning of life. Again, in any other field of study, this would be unacceptable.

For example, let's analyse a religious meaning of life. Let's assume that the meaning in life is to serve a God. My question to this thinking would be, "What, then, is God's meaning of life? If there is no one higher than God to serve, then how can His life have meaning?"

It is in pondering this question that people would get further questions. However, no one ever takes the time to ponder their own meaning of life. They take it at face value and run.

So that you do not think I like to pick on religion, I will now question the Existentialist meaning of life. According to Existentialism, life is absurd and has NO meaning. Zilch. Nada. My question to this would be, "Is there a way to make life less absurd?" And now we have a whole new oxymoron: an Existentialist meaning of life: To make life less absurd, OR, much more simply, To think of a way to make life less absurd.

So you see, that by pondering our own interpretations of the meaning of life, we gain further insight into them, and eventually we see a narrower road that we can follow for the rest of our lives.

The one question I like to ask, in general, about different meanings of life, is, "Is there any way at all that I can make this meaning of life seem absurd or wrong?" Then I go from there and argue back and forth with myself until I feel deeply lost in pure, unadultered philosophy, at which point I go have a snack, and admit to myself that my results were inconclusive.

But this year, this 2007, I plan on finding a conclusion.