Meaninglessness
“Another way to see how the philosophic mind understands meaning is to look at what happens when meaning fails.”
Dennis Ford The Search For Meaning p-77
"All and all - all you are is another brick in the wall"
The Rock band Pink Floyd
"Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind." The rock band Kansas
"We are surrounded by modern, time-saving devices, but we never seem to have enough time. We are free to be the authors of our own lives, but we don't know exactly what kind of lives we want to "write."
Barry Schwartz The Paradox of Choice p-221
Dennis Ford The Search For Meaning p-77
"All and all - all you are is another brick in the wall"
The Rock band Pink Floyd
"Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind." The rock band Kansas
"We are surrounded by modern, time-saving devices, but we never seem to have enough time. We are free to be the authors of our own lives, but we don't know exactly what kind of lives we want to "write."
Barry Schwartz The Paradox of Choice p-221
A brief history on meaninglessness
“People both want and don’t want to talk about the presence of absence of meaning.”
Dennis Ford The Search for Meaning p-xix
Dennis Ford The Search for Meaning p-xix
There is perhaps nothing more unfortunate, yet common to the human experience than living a life without meaning. Many lead lives of momentary purpose by existing, working, having a sense of autonomy and helping others like children, family, friends and community. Yet, few of us can honestly look in the mirror and declare “I know my life has purpose” or put differently - in question form, "why is my life so pointless?" This is understandable. After all, as we have identified, the question of meaning is one that has frustrated the greatest minds throughout history. In trying to assess or discover the quality and nature of meaning it would probably be worthwhile seeking out examples of what lack, loss, or the absence of meaning in a life results in. What the characteristics of the thoughts and type of lives led by those who have suffered from loss of meaning and why even a slightly different perspective, or purpose for living may have made a big difference.
Perhaps one of the oldest historical records we possess from written history is found in the book of Job, a story of a man who loses everything; family, wealth and health. This loss seemed in no way of his doing and in desperation he directs his 'anguish' toward his maker stating; “Therefore, I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my soul. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that you put me under guard? When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions. So that I prefer strangling an death rather than this body of mine. I despise my life: I would live forever. Let me alone; my days have no meaning.”
Job 7:11-16
When his friends arrive to counsel him with their wisdom Job cries out from the depths being in light of the greatest of perhaps all tragedies. In the midst of state of pain and living a life in the peril of loss and suffering they consistently remind Job that suffering & loss come upon us for only one reason, our sin or error. However, the book goes on to offer a deep insight into the psychology of loss and the universal pursuit of meaning. Though man is very capable of bringing hardship upon himself there needs to be some understanding that life is in no way biased towards our success. Eileen Flannigan metaphorically explains life and hardship as so;
"while I can chart my own course in life, I don't control the sea around my little boat. I cant guarantee that I wont ever get knocked into the waves, though I can learn to swim in case I do. I've found that recognizing both my power and my powerlessness is useful when facing life's storms. (p-2)
"The restoration of Job comes as he recognizes his complete lack of significance and inability to understand things "to wonderful for me to know." (Job 42:3) The meaning of Job's suffering is later realized as he has many children, grandchildren to the fourth generation and gained more wealth than the first half of his life and passed on a great inheritance as well.
(Job 42:12-16) Another detailed examination of the subject of meaninglessness comes by way of a wise king named Solomon. His book Ecclesiastes is perhaps the oldest treatise we have on the subject of meaning. It is a much more philosophically and academic approach to the problem of meaninglessness that compliments the book of Job very well. As the king stated over three thousand years ago "All is meaningless"!
"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things."
Morrie Schwartz
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/meaningless.html#9CfFixvdLAgxIg6k.99
We can have purpose in life and satisfy the objectives, goals and activities associated with that pursuit. However, that in no way implies that we understand how of our lives possess the intrinsic value of being meaningful, that we could say with little doubt “I know what the meaning of my life is, I know that the reason why I get up day in day out will actually add up to something of value”.
Meaning like love is perhaps best understood in both in a qualitative as well as a quantitative sense. However, many of us really come to understand meaning and its importance, in its absence, or worse, when there is little hope of ever finding it.
If you identify strongly with this, there is hope.
Perhaps one of the oldest historical records we possess from written history is found in the book of Job, a story of a man who loses everything; family, wealth and health. This loss seemed in no way of his doing and in desperation he directs his 'anguish' toward his maker stating; “Therefore, I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my soul. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that you put me under guard? When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions. So that I prefer strangling an death rather than this body of mine. I despise my life: I would live forever. Let me alone; my days have no meaning.”
Job 7:11-16
When his friends arrive to counsel him with their wisdom Job cries out from the depths being in light of the greatest of perhaps all tragedies. In the midst of state of pain and living a life in the peril of loss and suffering they consistently remind Job that suffering & loss come upon us for only one reason, our sin or error. However, the book goes on to offer a deep insight into the psychology of loss and the universal pursuit of meaning. Though man is very capable of bringing hardship upon himself there needs to be some understanding that life is in no way biased towards our success. Eileen Flannigan metaphorically explains life and hardship as so;
"while I can chart my own course in life, I don't control the sea around my little boat. I cant guarantee that I wont ever get knocked into the waves, though I can learn to swim in case I do. I've found that recognizing both my power and my powerlessness is useful when facing life's storms. (p-2)
"The restoration of Job comes as he recognizes his complete lack of significance and inability to understand things "to wonderful for me to know." (Job 42:3) The meaning of Job's suffering is later realized as he has many children, grandchildren to the fourth generation and gained more wealth than the first half of his life and passed on a great inheritance as well.
(Job 42:12-16) Another detailed examination of the subject of meaninglessness comes by way of a wise king named Solomon. His book Ecclesiastes is perhaps the oldest treatise we have on the subject of meaning. It is a much more philosophically and academic approach to the problem of meaninglessness that compliments the book of Job very well. As the king stated over three thousand years ago "All is meaningless"!
"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things."
Morrie Schwartz
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/meaningless.html#9CfFixvdLAgxIg6k.99
We can have purpose in life and satisfy the objectives, goals and activities associated with that pursuit. However, that in no way implies that we understand how of our lives possess the intrinsic value of being meaningful, that we could say with little doubt “I know what the meaning of my life is, I know that the reason why I get up day in day out will actually add up to something of value”.
Meaning like love is perhaps best understood in both in a qualitative as well as a quantitative sense. However, many of us really come to understand meaning and its importance, in its absence, or worse, when there is little hope of ever finding it.
If you identify strongly with this, there is hope.