Life Has No Meaning
Posted: Sunday, July 15, 2007
by Rachelle Disbennett-Lee, PhD
True Direction, Inc.
Many people spend a lifetime searching for the meaning of life. They ask the question, “What is the meaning of life?" Speaking scientifically, no scientific view on the meaning of biological life other than its observable biological function “to continue living" has been discovered. Truly the good news is that there is no meaning to life; and perhaps that isn’t the question one should ask anyway. There is a better question to ask that will lead to a more meaningful answer.
There is a great commercial on television that depicts a young man searching for answers. The commercial starts with the young man climbing a very long and steep stairway on a side of a mountain. He is searching for the answer to the key ingredient in the bottle of tea he is drinking. When he gets to the top of the stairs there is a house, and he knocks on the door. An older Asian man answers the door, and the young man asks him about the main ingredient in the tea. The older man answers without hestitation, and the young man is amazed. He asks, “How did you know that?" The older man replies, “It is on the back of the bottle." The younger man goes back down the stairs, repeating in a perturbed voice, “It’s on the back of the bottle, it’s on the back of the bottle." Like this young man, so many of us go searching for the answers that we already have. The answer to “What is the meaning of my life?" isn’t out there somewhere. There is no guru, book, seminar or degree that can provide the answer. Sure, seeking outside support and guidance can be helpful, but in the end it will be up to you to discover the answer from within.
Another important concept to understand is that even your own life has no meaning. It is up to you to give meaning to your life. You do that by discovering your passions and living your dreams. You alone give meaning to your life by how you live your life, your values and your actions. The question, “What is the meaning of my life?" is truly a starter question that leads to many other questions that concern passion, purpose, values and dreams. When you begin to put all of these concepts together, you form the answer to the meaning of your life.
This all seems really heavy, doesn’t it? And, perhaps, to a degree it is, but it need only be as heavy as you choose to make it. When you begin the journey to discover the meaning of your life, the answers will begin to appear. You will be guided and led in such a way that what you need will be provided. The answer to the question actually can’t be found, it must be discovered through the process of living life.
Coach Rachelle Disbennett-Lee, PhD is a human potential expert who has supported thousands of people in becoming wealthier, healthier and happier by providing daily motivation, information and inspiration through her award winning e-zine, 365 Days of Coaching. For her free report, “How to create more Wealth, Health and Happiness by Tapping Into the Power of Daily Action" go to http://www.365daysofcoaching.com/daily_action.htm
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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)Rachelle, This article is awesome! Yes, we make meaning where there is none. That's what I tell my patients all the time when they ask "why me?" Thank you for your contribution. Many may not understand the significance of what you are saying - but I do.
Let me get this straight, "your own life has no meaning. It is up to you to give meaning to your life. You do that by discovering your passions and living your dreams." So, something meaningless gives meaning to itself? That's not exactly logical, is it? And I am supposed to do this out of my passions and dreams. Some people's passions and dreams have substance, most do not. So most people are just plain out of luck it would seem. Indeed, I would submit that all passion and dreams are given substance through the action of people who are focused upon purpose. What is passion but the lust of a one night stand, unless one's vision is focused beyond the horizon? The welfare rolls and default student loan rosters are full of those who had dreams but not the substance of purpose-driven action. I'm sorry, but this article is fluff. Sounds good, but really doesn't make sense.
Rachelle, a very good article indeed. What many fail to realize is everything is essentially useless unless put to its intended purpose(use). Everything is good and clean it's ab-use that makes things unclean. What you say about the meaning of ones' life is the same. We can choose to just exist or make a contribution, whether negatively or positively, good or bad. It's what we do that gives meaning to our lives otherwise we're as useless as a knot on a log. Well actually, knotty pine looks great on log cabin walls and some furniture. A great perspective and quite simplistic, really.
As with all of Rachelle's writing, she is right on.
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