The Meaning of Life Is to Give Life Meaning

Feeling hollow? Existential philosophy is here to help.

Adam K. Erland
The Apeiron Blog

Photo by Joshua Rawson-Harris on Unsplash.

Perhaps, existential crisis is an inevitable part of the human condition.

Anyone reflective enough to spare a minute or two to question their existence and their reason for being; will begin to crave a sense of longing for a meaningful life — and the inability to fulfill this longing then causes a downward spiral of rumination.

Does that description resonate with you? Have you ever asked yourself:

  • Why do I exist?
  • What am I living for?
  • What do I want to do?
  • How should I spend this finite time?

It’s perfectly fine to not know the answers to these questions. However, approaching them from the wrong perspective may worsen your existential dread.

As it turns out, the cure to this perplexity is none other than meaning.

In this writing, we’ll explore how we can use existential philosophy to gain more clarity on the meaning of life. We’ll start with a simple premise:

The meaning of life is not something we find, but give.

Man’s Search for Meaning

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