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Well, I’m doubtful whether the majority of people would find their lives meaningful. As Arthur Schopenhauer commented “Most people go through life unthinkingly, leading lives that are monotonous and common as if they were factory made.”
I think philosophy is the means to a creative life, particularly existentialism beacuse of the emphasis on a life lived in “bad faith,” a term first coined by existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre to describe the phenomenon wherein one denies one’s total freedom, instead choosing to behave as an inert object.
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Hehe… it seems you’ve come across the existential problem 
. I’ve also been struck by one significant problem…
I’m afraid I can’t offer an answer… Camus tried beautifully to argue that the lack of meaning in the universe … the lack of OBJECTIVE value (i.e. inherent or intrinsic value… think in terms of the anthropic principle) meant we ought to give meaning that our Sisphyean task, to create our own special meaning… and engage in this self deceiving act until our end. Much like religion, except judiciously argued and without the blatant ridiculousness…
I personally accept that there is no meaning in the universe. It gives me a very different perspective from your average person in the street. I guess it makes me pragmatic and cold… haha at least it insulates me from the trifling banalities that the media forces upon us every day. But the problem is that this acceptance … this existence without dogmatism results in futility…and i can’t seem to find an argument that acknowledges the meaninglessness of the universe while making exceptions for finding meaning in everyday life 
Edit: I also recently thought… maybe this search for meaning is a sign of the times (and i dont mean armageddon). If you think about it, our ancestors wouldnt have had the time to consider this when they were being chased by tigers and stuff lol. Maybe such deep pondering is a result of the fact that our society can provide us a relatively comfortable living that is devoid of struggle? perhaps in struggling…in forcing ourselves to focus on a problem in front of us… we create a brief illusion of meaning?
Although having said that… I despise people who’s only thoughts never stray beyond the banal and parochial… if that’s existence then I’d rather have never existed at all… and on that point… why did i have no say in my own existence:P
All questions to ponder over
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Arthur Schopenhauer covers this topic in his book “The World as Will and Representation." He says that with most people intellect is devoted to the purpose of their Will. In other words everything they do is related in some way with theirs and their family’s self preservation. This is evident with people when their only conversation is about their career or making money or their family. However, there are other people whose intellect is strong and less attached to the will and they are able to inquire about the bigger questions of life.
The average person’s life is primarily work and then some pleasure. There is little time for anything more except maybe religion which is really a simple form of metaphysics. With religion they have no reason to think about the issues because the answers all come ready made in the form of religious dogma.
One of the main things is to be able to comprehend the universal in the particular. However, most people have little time for reflection in an objective way as they are caught up in the whirl and tumult of daily events.
An animal for instance is unable to reflect upon its life, it always lives in the subjective. It apprehends things in the world but not the world. It can never ask the question “What is all this?â€
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If the earth with its vast wealth of eco-systems and life forms had no value until humans came onto the scene we can say value is only a shadow cast by people desiring or choosing.
There is nothing sacred or divine about meaning.
" were is meaning " ?
within us because the Universe doesn’t care . the Universe merely allows existence
now to get to a truly meaningful meaning should be based on Humanity, without god(s) and the ecosystem of the planet . the understanding of our planet . plus the understanding of our solar system and the Universe beyond.
and the meaning for doing all this comes down to Humanities desire to survive and THAT is the ultimate meaning .
I think you should qualify that statement by saying: “in the majority of cases it is.†Most people have limited ability, a low intellect and a weak libido consequently they struggle through their lives just able to make ends meet. But a stronger man, with high intellectual powers far outgrows the need to simply survive. He can lift his head and ponder the world for what it is.
It is called ‘genius’ and consists in an abnormal excess of intellect which can find its use only by being employed on the universal of existence. In this way it then applies itself to the service of the whole human race, just as does the normal intellect to that of the individual.
But then what would you do if there was an objective meaning?
What do you mean by objective meaning? The dominant theory in western philosophy is that there is no overall meaning. Do you mean teleology, that life, the universe has design and purpose?
Our lives have meaning and purpose only if we choose to give them meaning. The universe operates on the basis of cause and effect and it seems you can never get back to any first cause.
Meaning does not exist before the individual. Each person creates meaning through their choices. Sure, most people accept meanings giving to them by religions and other institutions, but the meaning is still theirs because they choose to except it.
This does not mean their is not a natural progression to things, that humans do not seek survival, as all species do. These psychological-evolutionary processes are part of the human package, which we have the choice to value or to say fuck em’.
Yes. This is what I was thinking: if there is an objective meaning and if it were known to us, what would it give us? I presume that, of all things, it would give us a peace of mind. What would a person who has found out the objective meaning do? I would guess that he would just go on with his life, knowing a reason for all of the suffering. So, when someone asks “Where is the Meaning?!”, in a way, this person is asking, “Where is my peace of mind?”
I think that subjective meaning camouflaged as objective meaning (in religion and spirituality) provides for the same need. It is pretense, yes, but it provides for the same need. And what drives this need? The need to know? And what would this knowledge give us? Isn’t it a peace of mind?
I believe that the need to believe in God is founded in the cultural structure of human being. Today, however, people can’t give into this need without fooling themselves. What we have here is a contradiction between need and feasibility.
Let me clarify this with an example. People – at least in general – wish to go on living. Yet this wish stands in contradiction to reality: all individual life ceases to exist after a time. However, the wish to go on living is so deeply rooted that people in all cultures have attempted in one way or another, with or without religion, to construct a life after death. Even today many continue to do so. It’s not a contradiction, they say. Perhaps, we answer, but if there’s no independent evidence to support this assumption, and if all it rests on is our wish, don’t you see that it amounts to wishful thinking?
If it is based on nothing more than a wish, the opinion that something is such and such usually leads to a denial of reality. And that means, if you give in to it, an hallucination. The belief in God or in life after death only escapes the fate of hallucination because the object of belief lies in the transcendental realm, immune to evidence and counter-evidence. For that reason, you can believe what you like about the transcendental realm with impunity. All it contradicts is your intellectual honesty.
“I would rather be a sad philosopher than a happy pig” (Socrates I think).
Where do you want it to be?
Look - there it is!
I think finding meaning is about choice.
So meaning can change. (And without being facetious) You find it where you find it.
Simple thought but currently, it’s working for me!
I just want to raise a point regarding ‘meaning’ in a broader sense. If there is no objective meaning and I don’t believe there is, then it could be argued that personal accountability or responsibility swings in the air, because if we say as Nietzsche said that, “God is metaphorically dead,†then who are we ultimately accountable to and where do we derive our standards of integrity and morality?
‘Meaning’ is an interesting topic.
I think that our personal ‘meanings’ are always informed by our fundamental beliefs (and I believe we are/should be, active agents in choosing these - regardless of how much effort we put into the selection), particularly those regarding a sense of responsibility in any particular direction.
Interesting. I like your phrasing (very poetical) but I’m not entirely sure of what you mean by ‘swings in the air’. Do you mean that it is subjective?
I think we always exercise choice about whom/ if we feel accountable, whether this is ourselves or another - regardless of what our beliefs are about God or our other ethical standpoints. Ditto on our standards of integrity and morality. Obviously, we are usually influenced by a huge number of factors when we make these choices (social-cultural-personal experiences-situations-frameworks-dominant ideologies etc)
““Three passed their lives doing good works. The first chose to do good works because of belonging to a religion that promised everlasting damnation to those who failed to do good. The second chose to good works because of belonging to a religion that promised eternal pleasures of paradise after death to those who did good.The third chose to do good works because of a considered decision that it was the right thing to do. Which of the three was indeed good?” anon”
By posting this quote, I’m not suggesting that an individual could not have more than one of these (or other) motivations for their choices. I just thought you might like it
So you agree that our fundamental beliefs are subjective, which is what I meant by saying ‘swinging in the air.’ I mean that they’re not grounded in an agreed moral standard, as in religion. This is fine if everyone was guided by their reason and intellect, that is assuming they have an intellect, (seems to me more effort goes into developing a good body shape than an intellect) but they’re not. Freud’s psychoanalytic term, ‘The pleasure principle’ states that people seek pleasure to avoid pain. And I would also add that many seek pleasure as an aim in life as part of their egocentric drive. NZ is a materialistic society!
Yes, I agree we are, that is depending on one’s knowledge and education, but I would say that in the main choices are made on the basis of money and sex and that personal integrity is compromised because of this.