I don’t have an objection to the usage of that word. I do not relate to the usage of that word. I think that people probably do get whatever they mean by “meaning” from religion or politics or whatever, so I don’t think “objection” is the right word.
...
Actually, now that I’ve thought some more let me step back and clarify.
The context of what we’re talking about here is people wanting meaning, getting it from things outside of themselves, and then corrupting themselves and the things outside of themselves in pursuit of this meaning. Religion, politics, whatever. People “believing” in these things because in some way it makes them have a point to their life.
What it is that I do not relate to is this overridingly deep wanting to have meaning, not so much the meaning itself. Particularly so deeply that you’ll corrupt things (subconsciously?) you care about just to fill this lack of meaning in your life. (Of course, maybe I’m doing this and just don’t realize it!)
That I have a point to my life seems only somewhat important to me but way, way less important than what the point is. Maybe this is one of those things where I’m having-a-point-to-my-life privileged to the point that I just can’t understand?
(This is somewhat paradoxical...wouldn’t you need to have a point to your life to care about what the point is?)
It is almost always posited as being nearly completely subconscious in operation, but your description of how you reacted to Michaelangelo’s David is exactly it.
However, all that being said, this sentence, if it’s an accurate representation about what “meaning of your life” is, makes me question if I even know what it means to have a point to your life.
It’s not apparent to me how this relates to having a meaning to your life. Is it that having those feelings becomes the point of your life? That does not sound good or appealing to me. It sounds like addiction or wireheading. I cannot think of any way in which any regular definition of “meaning” or “point” matches having a feeling of awe.
The feeling is what’s known as a peak experience (I think that’s the term). This is not hedonism (so the wireheading bit is understandable, but completely off topic.) Basically, at certain points feeling an immense joy is a part of what people seek, but that isn’t why they find meaning to be so important -you have such experiences when you find something that is immensely meaningful to you. It can be anything, but it has to be that important to you. You have the experience because it is meaningful; it isn’t meaningful because you experience that. The theory is that you will always seek such things, though perhaps ineffectually, and often subconsciously. Even if you were changed to not feel the joy that goes along with it, you would still seek such things.
I don’t have an objection to the usage of that word. I do not relate to the usage of that word. I think that people probably do get whatever they mean by “meaning” from religion or politics or whatever, so I don’t think “objection” is the right word.
...
Actually, now that I’ve thought some more let me step back and clarify.
The context of what we’re talking about here is people wanting meaning, getting it from things outside of themselves, and then corrupting themselves and the things outside of themselves in pursuit of this meaning. Religion, politics, whatever. People “believing” in these things because in some way it makes them have a point to their life.
What it is that I do not relate to is this overridingly deep wanting to have meaning, not so much the meaning itself. Particularly so deeply that you’ll corrupt things (subconsciously?) you care about just to fill this lack of meaning in your life. (Of course, maybe I’m doing this and just don’t realize it!)
That I have a point to my life seems only somewhat important to me but way, way less important than what the point is. Maybe this is one of those things where I’m having-a-point-to-my-life privileged to the point that I just can’t understand?
(This is somewhat paradoxical...wouldn’t you need to have a point to your life to care about what the point is?)
However, all that being said, this sentence, if it’s an accurate representation about what “meaning of your life” is, makes me question if I even know what it means to have a point to your life.
It’s not apparent to me how this relates to having a meaning to your life. Is it that having those feelings becomes the point of your life? That does not sound good or appealing to me. It sounds like addiction or wireheading. I cannot think of any way in which any regular definition of “meaning” or “point” matches having a feeling of awe.
The feeling is what’s known as a peak experience (I think that’s the term). This is not hedonism (so the wireheading bit is understandable, but completely off topic.) Basically, at certain points feeling an immense joy is a part of what people seek, but that isn’t why they find meaning to be so important -you have such experiences when you find something that is immensely meaningful to you. It can be anything, but it has to be that important to you. You have the experience because it is meaningful; it isn’t meaningful because you experience that. The theory is that you will always seek such things, though perhaps ineffectually, and often subconsciously. Even if you were changed to not feel the joy that goes along with it, you would still seek such things.