“What’s the meaning of life?
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The meaning of life, or the answer to the question: "What is the meaning of life?", pertains to
the significance of living or existence in general. Many other related questions include: "Why
are we here?", "What is life all about?", or "What is the purpose of existence?" There have
been many proposed answers to these questions from many different cultural and
ideological backgrounds. The search for life's meaning has produced much philosophical,
scientific, theological, and metaphysical speculation throughout history. Different people and
cultures believe different things for the answer to this question.
The meaning of life can be derived from philosophical and religious contemplation of, and
scientific inquiries about existence, social ties, consciousness, and happiness. Many other
issues are also involved, such as symbolic meaning, ontology, value, purpose, ethics, good
and evil, free will, the existence of one or multiple gods, conceptions of God, the soul, and
the afterlife. Scientific contributions focus primarily on describing related empirical facts
about the universe, exploring the context and parameters concerning the "how" of life.
Science also studies and can provide recommendations for the pursuit of well-being and a
related conception of morality. An alternative, humanistic approach poses the question,
"What is the meaning of my life?" Questions
Questions about the meaning of life have been expressed in a broad variety of ways,
including: What is the meaning of life? What's it all about? Who are we? Why are we here?
What are we here for? What is the origin of life? What is the nature of life? What is the
nature of reality? What is the purpose of life? What is the purpose of one's life? What is the
significance of life? What is the value of life? What is the reason to live? What are we living
for? These questions have resulted in a wide range of competing answers and explications,
from scientific theories, to philosophical, theological, and spiritual explanations.
Scientific inquiry and perspectives Many members of the scientific community and
philosophy of science communities think that science can provide the relevant context, and
set of parameters necessary for dealing with topics related to the meaning of life. In their
view, science can offer a wide range of insights on topics ranging from the science of
happiness to death anxiety. Scientific inquiry facilitates this through nomological
investigation into various aspects of life and reality, such as the Big Bang, the origin of life,
and evolution, and by studying the objective factors which correlate with the subjective
experience of meaning and happiness.
Psychological significance and value in life Researchers in positive psychology study
empirical factors that lead to life satisfaction, full engagement in activities, making a fuller
contribution by utilizing one's personal strengths, and meaning based on investing in
something larger than the self. Large-data studies of flow experiences have consistently
suggested that humans experience meaning and fulfilment when mastering challenging
tasks and that the experience comes from the way tasks are approached and performed
rather than the particular choice of task. For example, flow experiences can be obtained by
prisoners in concentration camps with minimal facilities, and occur only slightly more often in
billionaires. A classic example Sociology examines value at a social level using theoretical
constructs such as value theory, norms, anomie, etc. One value system suggested by social
psychologists, broadly called Terror Management Theory, states that human meaning is
derived from a fundamental fear of death, and values are selected when they allow us to
escape the mental reminder of death.
Alongside this, there are a number of theories about the way in which humans evaluate the
positive and negative aspects of their existence and thus the value and meaning they place
on their lives. For example, depressive realism posits an exaggerated positivity in all except
those experiencing depressive disorders who see life as it truly is, and David Benatar
theorises that more weight is generally given to positive experiences, providing bias towards
an over-optimistic view of life.
