This blog examines the need for people to give their lives meaning, as some people must define their reason for existence in order to live a full life of value.
Some people might avoid certain emotions at all costs, such as grief, anger, or sorrow. However, emptiness can be the true enemy of happiness. It can carve its way through a body and leave someone feeling desiccated and hollow. Many people find themselves wandering through their lives unsure of what to do or why they should even get up in the morning. They bide their time tampering down intrusive thoughts and questioning why they exist and perhaps if their lives are worth continuing.
For many people, defining a purpose for living can be what motivates them to continue breathing every day. Though some people might be skeptical of seeking purpose in their lives, there is a good chance it can motivate people who are feeling lost and vacant. Purpose is not to be defined by religion- it is simply something that gives people a reason to get up and a desire to be alive.
Do People Need A Reason To Live- Or A Reason To Die?
For some people, living is passive. Life is what we have by default. To die is an action. Therefore, one need not necessarily seek a meaning for life when they would instead need to find a reason to die. For others, defining a reason to live is essential. Living is an active choice, a defiant battle. Dying, in contrast, would seem like a surrender. This would be the more passive choice, a cessation of the fight to survive.
Both viewpoints on life might approach the view to defining the reason for living differently, as some people must give their life meaning and others find it is enough to merely wake up every day. For people who can function every day and don’t question the value of their lives, there is no need for them to seek a deeper meaning. To live is simply enough. However, others struggle with finding the motivation to face the world. This is where meaning can be essential.
Hope In The Face Of Existentialism
While nobody knows what happens when we die, it’s safe to say that our impact on earth will quickly be forgotten. Soon enough, everyone we knew will be gone as well, and there will be no one around to tell stories of us or keep our memories alive. Many people have children to try and avoid the inevitable truth, which is that our lives are fleeting. All that will live on is our art, the things we produced in a lifetime, and even true works of art eventually crumble. However, I don’t think this negates seeking meaning in life. In fact, meaning can be sought in life even with the belief, acceptance, or suspicion that life is meaningless.
How is it possible to give meaning to our lives if we will inevitably die and are forgotten? By living for the present, we can find ways to impact the people and world around us. Whether or not the effects of our actions ripple beyond the limited durations of our lifetimes is irrelevant. If we can find meaning in this life and impact the lives of people around up, that is enough. What we need to focus on is staying alive now and giving value to these fleeting lives.
What Gives Life Meaning?
When it comes to defining meaning in life, many people turn to things they can’t see. For example, religion sinks its hooks into people and gives them faith that there is a greater purpose. However, there are also more tangible things that can ground a person and give their life meaning even if there isn’t a scheme laid out that was designed by some greater power.
Meaning is something that is discovered on an individual basis. Meaning can be found in helping other people. It can be sought in pursuing a passion or hobby. It can be achieved through personal relationships. Some people live because of their love for another person and continue living in their memory if they lose this loved one. Others wake up every day to produce something to share with the world. Some people want to take away as much pain for others as possible.
Is Life Worth Living Without Meaning?
Just because your life doesn’t have meaning or purpose now doesn’t mean that circumstances won’t change. However, there is absolutely no one telling you that your life has to have a greater meaning. Chances are that you will be a happier person if you can connect to a community, form relations with people outside of yourself, and give back to others in some way. Likewise, pursuing a passion is likely to bring greater fulfillment to your world. But it’s your life.
People are free to live their lives however they see fit. However, those who are feeling aimless, lost, and unfulfilled might want to consider if there is a greater purpose to their lives that they have been neglecting. Passions, vocations, and relationships are all essential for shaping who we are as people. Having a reason to get up in the morning can ease the bleakness and monotony that threaten to suffocate many people. If you are feeling lost, take some time to consider why you are really here and what you have to offer the world while you are. I promise, there is something of value that your life brings.
Continued Reading: The Void Is Calling (Derealisation Strikes)