What is the meaning of life?

A READER WRITES: “You keep on referring to the philosophy of Epicurus, the philosophy of Socrates, the philosophy of Nietzsche and so on. But what is your own philosophy? What do you think is the meaning of life? I want answers. I want to know what you think yourself. Don’t fob us off with ‘Hegel says ….’”

BB SAYS: My answer is embarrassingly simple. This is because I think that the answer to your questions is quite simple. So if you are looking for something devastatingly exciting, revelatory and original then I’m afraid you will not find it here.

So what is the meaning of life? The purpose of human life is happiness. This is what all human beings aim to achieve. Happiness and Joy are a by-product of certain human activities. So happiness is an activity rather than a state. The activities that bring us happiness and joy are based on our human nature – we are happy when we exercise various human faculties. I divide our human nature into three key components.

1.
Bodily life. Human beings are animals. We have the characteristics of mammals: sleeping, resting, breathing, eating, drinking, sex, reproducing, moving our bodies (dancing, running, climbing etc), sensory perception, growth. Participating in these activities brings us joy. Also, we are tool using animals, so making things can also bring us joy.

2.
Social life. Human beings are social animals. We live in groups. We live with other people. So social activities bring us joy. These include: love, friendship, family, parenting, laughing with others, helping other people. As well as being co-operative animals we are also competitive animals. We seek status in our social groups – via popularity, influence, wealth, fame or power. The pursuit and attainment of these things can also bring joy. But social status is a zero-sum game. There is only a fixed amount to go around. More for one person means less for another person. This “zero-sum” characteristic means that the quest for status is in many respects the most problematic part of human nature, since it leads to conflicts of interest, in a way that the others do not.

3.
Contemplative life. Human beings have evolved exceptionally large and complex brains. We are contemplative beings. We are curious animals, and the acquisition and discovery of knowledge is a joyful experience for us – whether in the form of science, psychology, history, philosophy and so forth. We also have aesthetic experiences (nature, art, music, literature) – so these are also a source of joy. Meditation, spirituality and religion are also components of this contemplative aspect of our nature, and they can also be a source of joy and happiness for many people.

Now whilst the basic structure of human nature is the same for nearly every human being, there are variations. Some people are more intellectual and contemplative, some are more religious and spiritual, some are more artistic and creative, some more sociable, some more competitive amd ambitious, some are more active, and some are more sensory and focused on the pleasures of the body. So each human being should work out what type of person he or she is, and act accordingly in order to live the most joyful life s\he possibly can. Thus the dictum: Know Thyself.

Do YOU have a problem? Leave an anonymous comment, or send your problem in confidence to brianbarrington@gmail.com