this post was submitted on 01 May 2025

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122

How do you find meaning in life? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 4 months ago by possiblyaperson@sh.itjust.works to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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What do you keep living for? Is there a specific person, goal, or idea that you work for? Is there no meaning to life in your opinion?

Context: I've been reading Camus and Sartre, and thinking about how their ideas interact with hard determinism.

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[–] steeznson@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

I'm not religious or spiritual so I'm a pure hedonist. I work so that I can maintain a comfortable life for my wife and I with vacations and other treats. In my 30s but not very interested in having children; might be tempted to adopt in my 40s but will need to see where I am at that point in my life.

Essentially the goal is to be happy as a clam (that is a strange phrase now I consider it). It would be nice to author something to leave my name for future generations but I kind of get that from contributing to open source projects when I get the chance.

[–] Broadfern@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Meaning: try to do no harm, give love where I can, and hopefully leave the world a little better where I touched upon.

Why I keep living (bit of a TW):

My own death doesn’t really bother me, but the logic follows that one’s passing radiates pain outwards to those who are still alive. So, to minimize pain to my loved ones, especially my animals who wouldn’t know why I was gone.

Also experiencing video games.

[–] possiblyaperson@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Yeah I think I'm in the same boat as you here to be honest, as I can still acknowledge that a negative emotional impact on those I care about also negatively impacts my emotions, so that provides me with some grounding in the topic. Loose grounding though, especially if you take the idea that there is no meaning to its limits.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 months ago

Do you have memories as a kid where it was pure fun and no expectations? I honestly think that there are 4 types of personalities that people lean towards:

Dogs, dog owners, dog guardians and cats

The dogs just want to have fun, work hard for their owners and play in the back yard.
The dog and cat owners can be cruel, great, fun, abusive, etc., but always have rules that the dog is constantly trying to guess what they are. The cat doesn't care.
The dog and cat guardians are gudes to everyone around them
The cats are what everyone knows about cats.

The dogs and the dog/cat guardians look for meaning in their life.

[–] Broadfern@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

That’s fair.

I’m of the worldview that while technically there is no “meaning,” doesn’t mean there’s no effect (even if it’s infinitesimal). Just because there’s no purpose in pushing a ball across a table, it still moves when you touch it.

It also places, in philosophical framing, that humans are the creators and arbiters of the concept of our own “meaning.” The fact that we ask of it, and in some cases find there is no such thing from external forces, suggests that it comes from us. However you go from there is the beauty of the notion.

Bit of a side tangent lol but thank you for sharing and engaging :) /gen

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[–] kelpie_returns@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

Meaning is something imposed on reality by consciousness, not something necessarily inherent to existence itself. I am here because here is where I am. What that means to me is that I should have a good time while the opportunity persists because all evidence seems to insist that the chance will not last forever.

So, eat. Be merry. Protect that which moves me and those who can not protect themselves. Help others to do the same. That's the meaning of life to me.

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago

I'm looking forward to lunch tomorrow

[–] hash@slrpnk.net 3 points 4 months ago

The closest thing to meaning I believe in is derived from evolution. Meaning for me is to lift myself and those around me.

[–] letsgo@lemm.ee 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Ecclesiastes is a good read. I found "Everything is meaningless" to be very liberating. The book does go on to say what is good: to love God of course, but also to eat, drink and enjoy your work. But the whole thing is worth a read.

[–] galanthus@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Well, Camus and Sartre are not exactly about finding meaning, but dealing with the world with no inherent meaning.

No advice here, but I suppose it would be rather difficult to argue for objective meaning of life under atheism, which seems prevalent here on lemmy, so I would consider the feasibility of the existentialist project, in creating meaning or living with the condradiction between our desire of meaning and the meaningless world.

[–] Bunbury@feddit.nl 3 points 4 months ago

I currently live to make life a little better for animals and other people. And when I have time left over I use creative outlets to create stuff.

[–] systemglitch@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

Life is for two things. 1. Experience 2. Love.

I think I won at life.

[–] squinky@lemm.ee 2 points 4 months ago

The purpose of life is not served by fretting about what its purpose is.

It’s a bit like sitting on a roller coaster rubbing your chin and wondering how to monetize the experience. Just put your hands up and scream. It’s nice.

[–] shadow_figurine@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

i only do what i want to do, no more or less

[–] WhatSay@slrpnk.net 2 points 4 months ago

It feels like a paradox to me: the meaning of life is to find meaning in life.

[–] jwiggler@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 months ago

I don't think there is meaning. I've never read Camus or Sartre and don't really know what determinism is (quick read on Wikipedia, I think I agree with it?), but

I keep living because it makes me feel good for the most part, and because the thought of dying makes me feel bad for the most part.

[–] ImmersiveMatthew@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 months ago

For the meaning in life to is explore and play with my best friend…my wife. Even my career has switched to something that feels more like play than a grind for a corporation who enjoys the lion’s share of my labour.

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