The Meaning of Life

Why do people ask, "What is the meaning of life?" That's always the deep question that everyone wants answered. Well I'm here to tell you that it's a crock. There is no answer to that question because it's a dumb question to ask.

Why, you ask me? Well, for starters, the meaning of life is, well, life. It's one of those irreducible problems; if you try to take it apart, it doesn't mean the same thing. It's a complex phenomenon, to throw out a nice buzz word. Chunks of life aren't meaningful without the context, and the context is the rest of life.

The question, I know, is shorthand for various questions people want to ask but don't feel like phrasing. "What is the purpose of life?" is a good one. "What should I be doing with my own life?" is a slightly more personal question. But both of those, and the others I can't be bothered to write down, are asking a definite question: what are we supposed to do? It's a good question; sometimes I myself wish someone would answer that question for me. Many people hear answers to that question which probably aren't right. Many others spend their entire lives searching for the right answer. It's definitely not an easy question to answer.

But it isn't, "What is the meaning of life?" Our purpose doesn't have anything to do with life's meaning. That's probably what most people want to ask when they ask, "What is life's meaning?" but they should ask the right question. It's like asking, "What is the meaning of a stone?" Stones are. They may have purpose. But they don't really mean anything, unless they're in a work of art or the only meaning you're looking for in a stone is: stone.

We seek understanding; we're curious. But life's meaning is not just something we can't understand because we're too stupid. It's something we already do understand: life. The meaning of life doesn't imply direction (that's purpose). Nor does it demand comprehension. It's just life.

Philosophers, start your engines.