A friend sent me a card with this clipping, emphasis hers.
***
Several days after I published my post on the meaning of life, it occurred to me that I hadn’t carried my thoughts all the way through to their logical conclusion. I’d come close — I’d scratched the surface — but then I’d skated right on by.
Dangit, I huffed (in my brain). Too bad I’d already published the post. If only I could rewrite the ending.
But then in a comment chain on Facebook, I mentioned about my post post discovery of life’s meaning and some people were like, Um, you have a blog. Write, please.
So for them, here’s my newest answer to the “what is the meaning of life” question: There is none.
Lemme ‘splain. The way I see it, us motley bunch o’ humans are made up of clusters of cells, chemical reactions, and electrical impulses, much like a peach or a slug or an elephant. That we are all inconsequential in the big scheme of things is so utterly smack-you-in-the-face obvious and terrifying tragic that our brains can’t deal, so in order to cope with the fact that we will all die and be forgotten in a mere blink of an eye, we rabidly — frantically, compulsively, earnestly — try our darndest to create meaning from our existence via work, relationships, belief systems, art, etc, etc, etc.
This might sound dark and depressing to some folks, maybe even hopeless, and some people will no doubt get their panties in a twist. But to me, recognizing the absence of cosmic meaning and life’s futility doesn’t feel negative. Rather, the acknowledgement is just a tipping of the philosophical hat — a polite nod to reality — and then onward-ho I go, back to relying on whatever mechanisms I’ve established to help me cope, which in my case, as I explained in my previous post, is by focusing on gratitude.
***
Earlier this year, I linked to a graduation speech by Tim Minchin in which he touched on this topic.
“Arts degrees are awesome,” he said, in his speech to a bunch of graduates with arts degrees, I presume. “They help you find meaning where there is none. And let me assure you, there is none. Don’t go looking for it. Searching for meaning is like searching for a rhyme scheme in a cookbook. You won’t find it, and it’ll bugger up your soufflé.”
Now that I think about it, that speech gets about as close to addressing the meaning of life question as anything. Give it a listen.
This same time, years previous: the second first day, the dairy and cheese report, the quotidian (8.23.21), walk the walk 2020, chocolate cake, a little house tour, it’s what’s for supper, the quotidian (8.23.16), sundried tomato and basil pesto torte, stewed greens with tomato and chili.
8 Comments
suburbancorrespondent
Hmmm, so you’re saying that meaning is a human construct to stave off the essential randomness of life. And you’re also saying that that comforts you, I’m guessing because then you’re not driving yourself crazy trying to figure out what the ultimate meaning is. You can just enjoy living. I’m thinking I am more in the middle – I’m not going to drive myself crazy trying to figure out the meaning, because we humans can’t do that and we’re not really meant to, but I do think there is one meaning (or many) that we unwittingly contribute to with our lives, and that knowledge is enough for me.
Merran
I’m with you- “Life’s a bowl of cherries, don’t take it seriously” BUT I do think that if we do what we do to the best of our ability, there is the possibility that we can forward human existance, so we do have that responsibility.
Becky R.
Hmmm, I don’t think the meaning of life and the enjoyment of life are the same thing. I think each of us have to decide what the meaning of life is to us based on beliefs and experience. However, the ancient key to happiness is to want what you already have and inhabit the life you have.
Jennifer Jo
Yes, they are different questions, maybe — that was my gut reaction with the Julia Child quote — but the more I’ve thought about it, the more I feel like enjoyment, or in-JOY (as I like to think about it) seems awfully much like a kissing cousin to gratitude….
Robin Welch
I was under the impression you affiliated yourself with the Mennonite Church. Was I incorrect you are not a Mennonite?
Jennifer Jo
Yes! Raised Mennonite and am a member at a local Mennonite church!
A.
Doesn’t your faith give you the answer then, for the meaning of life?
Jennifer Jo
It depends how one defines faith, I suppose.