@simpleD: that was a very concise and targeted explanation. Well done!
I will say the same thing, but using other words, for what it’s worth.
Meaning is made by each person. That is, there is no objective meaning. It is all subjective. Humans take in information through their senses, and try to use that information in order to pursue their own goals. When we are babies, it’s to get fed and to stay warm. As we grow older, our goals become more and more sophisticated.
Meaning is a catch-all word that we use to unite all the elements of experience. I like to think of it like this. We all have this model of our experience in our heads. It contains information about how people relate to each other, and how people related to the environment. We use this model to predict what will happen if we behave one way or another.
It can help us to have a motivating force in making choices in response to what the world throws at us. This motivating force, as applied to our actions in the world is also known as meaning. Sometimes people attribute a supernatural import to this motivation, or to the idea of what meaning in life should be.
Sometimes people are nihilistic about meaning. They think that because it is arbitrary, and we all can choose it for ourselves, and there is no objective universal meaning; therefore there is no meaning. People who think this, and then try to behave as if they can do anything are quickly brought back to earth as they are thrown in jail, or executed.
Meaning is in reference to everything around us, including people. It is constrained by the will of others, as well as by the environment. It’s the same as with freedom. Meaning, in the end, I think, is about constraints. Without constraints nothing would be impossible. That would be nihilism. With constraints, we gather meaning out of our efforts to navigate those constraints to achieve our own ends.
Composing members:
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Composing members:
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