Distinguishing between the meaning of purpose & the purpose of meaning
Is meaning the same thing as purpose?
Is there an answer to the question; "what is the meaning of life?
If so, what would that answer imply for the question, "what is the purpose of my life?"
The questions, "does life have meaning?" or "What is the purpose of my life?" are very different, but, very often considered together. Why is that?
-Let's get a little more detailed about these questions.
The question of meaning often concerns itself with these universal conundrums;
Why is there something rather than nothing? Where is the origin of truth and where does love come from? How did everything get here? Is it designed? Is there a designer? Is there a God?
Who can I trust to answer the question of purpose or the meaning of life?
Think of the question; why do I wake up and do what I do day in and day out? It very often translates into, what do I believe I can accomplish with several years of life I am given on Earth? Is there a goal, a tangible purpose that I am working towards or am I just making it up as I go along?
Is there some universal/admirable truths we should all base our quest of meaning upon?
More related questions concerning purpose in life:
How important is it that I possess a coherent world view?
From what belief system will I gather guidance, psychological/emotional strength, when life’s challenges, such as sickness, sudden loss of a loved one, financial crisis, or the unexpected demise of an intimate relationship suddenly conspire to threaten the control of my destiny and internal state of my psyche, my peace & happiness?
Can I trust religion, philosophers, self-help gurus, my friends - peers - family or even my own perceptions of what is the best model for the pursuit of meaning?
Where do I begin my search for the answers to these many problematic questions related to my life purpose?
Should I follow the path of many who have chosen to opt out in trying to pursue a meaningful life. Are there any guarantees that the pursuit itself, (like the pursuit of wisdom) promises to be deeply satisfying & rewarding.
Does creation have a design? Is there a designer? Is there reason, even a scientific one, to believe in such a thing as God? If not what are the implications for our choices in life?
Is there an answer to the question; "what is the meaning of life?
If so, what would that answer imply for the question, "what is the purpose of my life?"
The questions, "does life have meaning?" or "What is the purpose of my life?" are very different, but, very often considered together. Why is that?
-Let's get a little more detailed about these questions.
The question of meaning often concerns itself with these universal conundrums;
Why is there something rather than nothing? Where is the origin of truth and where does love come from? How did everything get here? Is it designed? Is there a designer? Is there a God?
Who can I trust to answer the question of purpose or the meaning of life?
Think of the question; why do I wake up and do what I do day in and day out? It very often translates into, what do I believe I can accomplish with several years of life I am given on Earth? Is there a goal, a tangible purpose that I am working towards or am I just making it up as I go along?
Is there some universal/admirable truths we should all base our quest of meaning upon?
More related questions concerning purpose in life:
- Does pursuing happiness, avoiding pain and getting as much out of life, as I can, imply I am living my life with purpose and that life has meaning?
- How important are relationships? How much energy do I invest in building strong friendships and intimate relationships? How important is family, being a spouse, parent, sibling, son & daughter?
- How much of my energy do I invest in my dreams and ambitions, in the pursuit of financial security, wealth and a satisfying career? Is money an unavoidable issue in the pursuit of purpose? How do I balance all these pursuits through the wise use of time and energy?
- How can I make my world a better place for my children and their children to live in? How much and what do I invest in my community and what will be my legacy of my time on Earth?
How important is it that I possess a coherent world view?
From what belief system will I gather guidance, psychological/emotional strength, when life’s challenges, such as sickness, sudden loss of a loved one, financial crisis, or the unexpected demise of an intimate relationship suddenly conspire to threaten the control of my destiny and internal state of my psyche, my peace & happiness?
Can I trust religion, philosophers, self-help gurus, my friends - peers - family or even my own perceptions of what is the best model for the pursuit of meaning?
Where do I begin my search for the answers to these many problematic questions related to my life purpose?
Should I follow the path of many who have chosen to opt out in trying to pursue a meaningful life. Are there any guarantees that the pursuit itself, (like the pursuit of wisdom) promises to be deeply satisfying & rewarding.
Does creation have a design? Is there a designer? Is there reason, even a scientific one, to believe in such a thing as God? If not what are the implications for our choices in life?
The most important question
"everyone has a world view. A worldview basically offers answers to four necessary questions-questions that relate to origin, meaning, morality, and hope that assures a destiny. These answers must be correspondingly true and , as a whole, coherent."
Ravi Zacharias The end of reason p-30-31
Perhaps the most important question we can ask ourselves, in the honesty of our inner dialog and of others as well, is;
"what is my purpose?" "What is the meaning of my life?"
Perhaps a different way to approach the question, would be to ask what is the meaning of meaning itself?
"Is it even important to concern myself with such questions, or does it just add unnecessary philosophical baggage to the journey of life?"
Ravi Zacharias The end of reason p-30-31
Perhaps the most important question we can ask ourselves, in the honesty of our inner dialog and of others as well, is;
"what is my purpose?" "What is the meaning of my life?"
Perhaps a different way to approach the question, would be to ask what is the meaning of meaning itself?
"Is it even important to concern myself with such questions, or does it just add unnecessary philosophical baggage to the journey of life?"
Obviously, our life is the most precious gift we have, ask any survivor of who "cheated" death or an in individual who had an near death experience (N.D.E).
"Life ain't no dress rehearsal !"
This notion of the importance of life, is at the heart of purposeful living and the pursuit of meaning. As far as we can tell there are no second chances.
Unfortunately, the question of meaning itself is a very difficult to approach. Just as a single diamond or a tree can appear different from various angles so the question of meaning has different implications viewed from different personal perspectives. And this is before we even attempt to begin to come up with an answer.
"Life ain't no dress rehearsal !"
This notion of the importance of life, is at the heart of purposeful living and the pursuit of meaning. As far as we can tell there are no second chances.
Unfortunately, the question of meaning itself is a very difficult to approach. Just as a single diamond or a tree can appear different from various angles so the question of meaning has different implications viewed from different personal perspectives. And this is before we even attempt to begin to come up with an answer.
Since the beginning of written history religion has been the fundamental mode of addressing the issue or question of meaning. Many, particularly in the west believe religion has failed in providing a substantive definition of meaning that provides a model for purposeful living or the pursuit of meaning. Today, many are more inclined to a secular perspective which depends immensely on the success of science coupled with a worldview rooted in post-modern philosophy.
In this paradigm of modern thinking the purpose of life or its meaning has become intertwined with the pursuit of wealth, success and a general state of health & happiness. These are all worthy pursuits, however, upon careful consideration we will probably come to realize they are not everything. All of these important features in life do not necessarily add up to the assurance that life had a purpose or we can affirm we have grasped its meaning.
It has been argued that both religion and the modern secular world-view have serious shortcomings. It seems that answering or providing a model for the pursuit of meaning is deeply complex and unavoidably leads to the inclusion of a particular belief system scientific of religious. It is the goal of meaning tree to explore and consider the many branches of truth both from and the success of the modern scientific perspectives and the traditions of ancient spiritual wisdom as they relate to purposeful living, and the pursuit of meaning. However, it also aims at not pursuing a model that is strictly intellectual. A successful dialog would result in a more comprehensive perspective integrating the many aspects of truth into a coherent model for the personal pursuit of meaning.
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Moreover it is our aim to do this without the need for institutionalized religious dogma or becoming wed to a religious belief system or a cold scientific world-view that sees the qualities of meaning as irrelevant. Rather using the merits of the scientific investigation coupled with the long standing, even ancient, spiritual truths of the Bible and other sources we may attain to a coherent dialog on how to pursue meaning and lead fuller lives.
In this paradigm of modern thinking the purpose of life or its meaning has become intertwined with the pursuit of wealth, success and a general state of health & happiness. These are all worthy pursuits, however, upon careful consideration we will probably come to realize they are not everything. All of these important features in life do not necessarily add up to the assurance that life had a purpose or we can affirm we have grasped its meaning.
It has been argued that both religion and the modern secular world-view have serious shortcomings. It seems that answering or providing a model for the pursuit of meaning is deeply complex and unavoidably leads to the inclusion of a particular belief system scientific of religious. It is the goal of meaning tree to explore and consider the many branches of truth both from and the success of the modern scientific perspectives and the traditions of ancient spiritual wisdom as they relate to purposeful living, and the pursuit of meaning. However, it also aims at not pursuing a model that is strictly intellectual. A successful dialog would result in a more comprehensive perspective integrating the many aspects of truth into a coherent model for the personal pursuit of meaning.
.
Moreover it is our aim to do this without the need for institutionalized religious dogma or becoming wed to a religious belief system or a cold scientific world-view that sees the qualities of meaning as irrelevant. Rather using the merits of the scientific investigation coupled with the long standing, even ancient, spiritual truths of the Bible and other sources we may attain to a coherent dialog on how to pursue meaning and lead fuller lives.
The question of Meaning is not just a philosophical, psychological or even religious query. It is also not a question that responds or will be subject to a definition that is distinctly right or wrong. There really is no one meaning for 'meaning' in an academic or merely intellectual sense. However, this in no way implies that the question of meaning is unanswerable, that it is irrelevant, or that there is no point in pursuing its purpose, power & presence in our lives.