Joseph Campbell once said, “I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.”
More and more, I see the truth in that statement. What most of us really want out of life is simply the feeling of being alive, of doing interesting things, even if we use different words to describe it.
Looking for meaning is how we distract ourselves in the downtime between interesting experiences.
I’m not convinced that the abstract search for meaning is worth the time we spend on it. What do we stand to gain? We don’t need the meaning of life in order to savor each day, to change the world, to dream and grow and love. We do those things already.
I think a lot of people shackle themselves to meaning, as if life were a timed exam with a letter grade at the end of it. They’re always asking:“What does this mean? What’s the right answer?”
Forget the answer. Life isn’t a test. It’s a blank page waiting to be filled with the story of whatever makes us come alive. For me at least, there’s a tremendous freedom in replacing the search for meaning with a quest for interesting.
***
Sometimes I do ask myself: where does legacy fit into all this? Can I live for the experience and for legacy at the same time?
I say yes. One of the perks of living in such an interconnected world is the ability to take intensely personal goals and turn them into something more, something shared and remembered and passed along. Writing, teaching, sharing, and connecting make things permanent, which is legacy in my book.
And if, at the end of it all, my legacy is that I lived a life full of interesting things and that I showed other people how to do the same, I’m happy with that.
What about you?
27 Comments on “Forget the Search for Meaning”
says:
The way I see it, some people never stop and think, so their lives kind of loose meaning, other think too much so they don’t really live. Balancing these to is where it’s at from my perspective. Reflecting and living, but with more living than reflecting.
says:
Sometimes I am so busy looking for my “passion” , searching for what “makes me come alive” — sometimes I am so busy with the searching and the seeking and the asking I forget the here and the now. I forget to live, to be, to exist in this moment. This moment is all I have.
says:
My thoughts are similar. I don’t need to know all the ‘why’s’ of life. All I know for sure is that I’m here and it seems like a gift to me. So I try to open that gift and enjoy it to the max every day by indulging my senses, using my talents, and being open to the miracles all around me.
says:
Wow, sooo true. I think a lot of us on here are stuck obsessing on our ‘passion’ & ‘meaning’ that we’re perpetually thinking & preparing. Come to think of it, in our happiest moments we’re not even thinking about all that, everything we want we’re already having in the moment.
Man, I guess sometimes, someone (in this instance, you) has to work a different angle on it to wake us up. I really appreciated this post.
says:
I have great admiration for the post. Appreciated If we persist in the search of meaning, we will leave the beautiful sights of life behind.
Coexisting with our experience always extends our horizons and create our real and intrinsic happiness.
says:
Jeff what your post says is indeed true. I don’t just think of my own life but the lives of those who’s stories are not shared. Who have no voice to shared them with. Who aren’t supposed to have a worthwiled story to share. Yet these people also live and are part of the great amalgam that is the human collective consciousness.
says:
You nailed this perfectly, Jeffrey. Too much navel-gazing and the life we’re meant to live and the potential we’re meant to reach has passed us by. Sometimes the meaning of our lives only become clear through the living of our lives. Great post, Jeffrey!
says:
I understand your point and even agree with much of what you wrote, but I think it is a very individual thing. I love philosophy, and the search for meaning about EVERYTHING is something I fear fewer people are considering. Too busy. Finding our own way and ‘passion.’ Updating Faceboook. Watching ‘American Idol’. Shallow thinking. Yet, still, the night sky beckons and the great question is there – whether we pretend it doesn’t matter (or we don’t really care) — or not. I am not a religious person in any way. I am philosophical and ‘do philosophy.” I can’t imagine living WITHOUT searching for meaning. It’s not the destination of discovering some great new insight – it’s the journey considering the great questions of life and existence.
says:
I like the new look for your site! I almost thought I was in new blog. :-)
I think people want to know meaning for life for finding life purpose for them. Many like to make a lasting change, effect on lives of others for better, like you say leaving a legacy.
says:
Jeffrey: I thought that quote you shared by Joseph Campbell was powerful … there really is something to be said about really feeling the experience of being alive. For me, what that has meant is becoming comfortable with not knowing why, but still moving forward in what I am doing. It is like following a path that you know will move you forward, but also knowing that experiences will appear along the way you weren’t expecting and may not even understand. Sometimes you really do just have to let go of trying to figure out the meaning of things and just trust in that good old truism … everything happens for a reason. Thanks for the great post.
says:
My navel is very dull; gazing upon it makes me sleepy. Gazing upon others’ is somewhat more interesting ;)
The longer I live, the less meaning life has, but at the same time I am more easily entertained by it
Legacy? If you set out with one in mind you might not leave the legacy you intend. It also has the potential of limiting your choices, especially subconsciously. In turn, it may end up making your life less interesting, and–well, you get the idea.
You often mention quest. Sounds to me like you are ripe to let ‘er rip and do something completely different and out of your comfort zone. Just because. Go for it!
says:
It’s definitely true that searching endlessly for meaning without action is not a way to live, but I wonder if it’s also true that only in that searching that we become fully alive? I can do lots of things that are interesting, but it’s when meaning and interest come together that life really sings. Pursuing interest without guidance seems like chasing rainbows; I agree that we must move before there is meaning and let our interest and our intuition uncover it as we go, but I think we also need to stop and reflect on the meaning and direction of our lives if we want to build a great legacy.
says:
Jeffrey, you know of what you speak. “And if, at the end of it all, my legacy is that I lived a life full of interesting things and that I showed other people how to do the same, I’m happy with that.” I couldn’t have said it better. Here’s to the pursuit of experiences.
says:
Great post. I’ve been considering similar things myself lately. It seems you’ve reached a new state of clarity. Congrats! Thanks for another thought-provoking post.
says:
I believe that often times a “search for meaning of life” is away to escape experiencing it without upsetting the mind. If the mind was aware we were trying to avoid experiencing life – it wouldn’t work.
To experience life fully means we need to living with a sense of adventure, boldness and courage.
There is a personal legacy too – even if no one remembers us – in the end we know we lived the full width and depth of life and that is our personal legacy
I LOVE THE NEW LOOK OF YOU SITE!!!!!!
says:
I like your take on “personal legacy,” Aileen. For me, there’s a kind of tension between personal legacy and what we might call public legacy. I want to live a life that makes me happy, but I also want to have an impact on the world. I think it’s possible to do both at the same time, and walking the line between these two similar goals is what directs much of my life.
I’m glad you love the new design – I love it too!
says:
The only reason why some of us are searching for meaning is that there are many things we don’t understand about our existence. I believe that life is an opportunity of discovery, there’s no meaning, only the experience. :-)
says:
I guess it depends a lot on how you define meaning: if you look for one big Meaning for your life as a whole, I agree, that’s unnecessary, and a surefire way to make sure you never do anything.
Searching for meaningful things to do on a daily basis can be quite different from that and actually guide you towards the great experiences you mention in the post — and build your legacy too.
says:
That’s more or less what I believe as well; it may just be a matter of semantics. In my experience, people use the word “meaning” in the context of a grand meaning of all life, from which all other experiences derive their merits.
As you say, I believe in looking for the value in daily experiences.
says:
Dear Jeffrey,
Awesome! And great quote. Joseph Campbell also said “follow your bliss” and I think that’s what you’re touching upon in your article.
I know people who search and search for “the meaning of life” in a rather intellectual way who seem almost tortured by it. I’ve decided the purpose of life is to experience as much joy as possible.
For me that means connecting with others and life (as you mention) and continuing to expand rather than contract. To welcome big chunks of life with open arms.
There’s a photo of Joseph Campbell at Esalen on something like his 90th birthday. Bliss is the only way I can describe his countenance. His face radiated bliss.
Thank you for a fantastic post on a great topic, Jeffrey.
Warm regards,
Lauren
says:
I don’t think seeking the meaning of life is so important. For me it is important to have meaning in life, that is what gets me through hard times. I think Victor Frankl gives a good explanation why meaning is important in his book Man’s Search for Meaning.
says:
I admire your stance on this subject a lot. I have always been the type of person to worry about where my life is going, what it means, and why I’m going there. Recently I have made a pledge to myself to start thinking more in the moment, finding more ways to be interested in my life in general and taking in all the good things around me.
In the process I came across your blog and really enjoyed your opinions. Thanks a bunch for this post and many others!
John