The meaning of a person’s life is everything for which he lives on earth. But not everyone really knows what makes them live. Every thinking person has a moment when he is faced with the question: what is the meaning of a person’s life, what goals, dreams, desires make people live, overcome all life’s trials, go through the school of good and evil, learn from mistakes, make new ones, and so on. Various sages, outstanding minds of different times and eras tried to find the answer to the question: “what is the meaning of human life?”, but no one, in fact, came to a single definition. The answer is individual for each person, that is, what one individual sees as his meaning of existence may not interest another at all, due to differences in individual characterological characteristics.
The meaning of a person’s life lies in the value he perceives, to which he subordinates his life, for the sake of which he sets life goals and realizes them. This is a component of the spiritual meaning of existence, which is formed independently of social values and constitutes an individual human value system. The discovery of this meaning of life and the creation of a value hierarchy occurs in each individual in his reflections, based on personal experience.
Social science sees the purpose and meaning of human life as fully realized only in the case of the necessary conditions of society: freedom, humanism, morality, economic, cultural. Social conditions should be such that a person can realize his goals and develop, and not become an obstacle to his path.
Social science also sees the purpose and meaning of a person’s life as inseparable from social phenomena, so an individual may know what his goal is, but society may not share it and in every possible way hinder its implementation. In some cases this is good when it comes to the goals that a criminal or sociopath wants to achieve. But when a private small business owner wants to develop, and socio-economic conditions slow him down, and he is not allowed to express his opinion, this, of course, does not in any way contribute to the development of the individual and the implementation of his plans in life.
The pressing question about the meaning of human life
What is the meaning of life? Probably, it will not be possible to find an exact answer to the question, since each person sees the world from his own point of view and thinks according to his views and preferences. To answer such a difficult question, first of all, you need to understand your purpose in this life.
The meaning of a person’s life will change throughout his life’s journey, since he will constantly be faced with different goals and tasks. They are mainly related to the level of residence and age of the individual.
For example, when a person becomes an adult, his goal is to earn as much money as possible in order to get on his feet and start a family and feed all its members. But when, by the age of forty, he already has all this, he is pursued by a new “mission” - to get on his feet and provide for his children. By the age of sixty, many people take care of their significant other, maintain their health and live for their own pleasure.
Aztec philosophy
The highest meaning of life for the Aztecs was to live in harmony with nature. Such a life allows one to continue energy and form new generations. This energy was called "teotl" and was not a deity, but something like the Jedi Force. Teotl fills the world, all our knowledge and extends beyond knowledge.
In teotl there are polar opposites that fight each other and thereby maintain balance in the universe. Neither life nor death is bad - they are just part of a cycle. The Aztecs believed that it was best to stay in the middle, not striving for wealth and using what you already had wisely. This was a guarantee that the children would receive the world in the same condition as their fathers.
Is it possible to live without a goal in life?
Some people do not understand the meaning of life and therefore live without it. But such individuals lack internal motivation and are unlikely to achieve anything in their lives. After all, if a person does not set goals for himself, it is difficult for him to strive for an ideal life. If a person does not understand what the meaning of his life is, he becomes weak and it is very difficult for him to achieve and achieve something.
If a person does not understand what his meaning in life is, then it is very easy to manage him and make decisions for him, since often such people do not have their own opinion. As a result, individuality suffers, and he ceases to manifest himself as a person.
According to psychologists, those people who do not see the purpose of their lives often become drunkards, become depressed or commit suicide. To prevent this from happening to you, you need to make goals, plans in your life and understand why you live on earth.
How to calm down
According to the creator of the doctrine of stress, G. Selye, stress is the aroma and taste of life. It should not be avoided because complete freedom from stress means death.
In order to calm down, you need to learn how to properly organize your rest. Changing activities helps a lot. If a person is engaged in intellectual work, then on the weekend he should go in for sports or go out into nature.
You can also resort to auto-training: “I am completely relaxed, a pleasant warmth spreads throughout my body. My pulse slows down and becomes even. I relax, my pulse is slow.”
You should also get a massage. It helps improve blood circulation and increase muscle tone.
Meditation also helps you calm down
The purpose of man from a philosophical point of view
Perhaps philosophy is the first science that studies what the meaning of life is. But even here there are disputes, since each philosopher has his own point of view, which he is ready to defend.
Philosophers constantly strive for some ideals and create their own models of behavior. The most popular postulates about the meaning of human life are the following:
1. In ancient philosophy there were the following thoughts:
- Aristotle saw the meaning of human life in obtaining happy emotions;
- Epicurus considered the meaning of human life to be pleasure;
- Diogenes saw meaning in life only when it came to peace of mind.
2. In the philosophy of the Middle Ages, when thinking about what the meaning of human life is, they answered this way: this is the study of the lives of descendants and following their examples.
3. But philosophers of the twentieth century saw the meaning of human life in something else. And here too there are disagreements:
- irrationalists believed that the meaning of human life lies in the fight against death and suffering;
- existentialists argued that the meaning of a person’s life depends only on himself;
- and positivists do not consider this a problem as such.
Tibetan philosophy
These teachings are common in Tibet and other parts of the Himalayas. Very similar to classical Buddhism, Tibetan philosophy believes that the meaning of life is the end of earthly suffering. The first step to this is understanding the world. By understanding the world, you can come to the knowledge necessary to end suffering.
Philosophy provides the opportunity to choose the “Path of Small Opportunities,” on which a person is primarily concerned with his own salvation from the world, or the “Path of Greater Opportunities,” on which a person helps others. The true meaning of life is found in practice. Tibetan philosophy is also memorable because it offers its followers precise instructions on behavior.
Goals in human life from a religious point of view
No matter what era of time a person talks about, people have always tried to understand their purpose and determine what the meaning of human life is. Religion has also devoted a lot to this problem. It is safe to say that people who lived a hundred years ago and those who live today have completely different goals, since the world does not stand still and is constantly changing. Those customs, traditions and foundations that were fashionable many years ago are unlikely to be appreciated today by modern youth.
If we talk about religion, Christianity is most concerned about the question of the meaning of human life. If we consider this topic at a religious level, then we cannot help but talk about such concepts and definitions as God, Jesus, the Fall, and the salvation of the soul. Many people are concerned about this problem and this trend will continue for several years.
Epicureans
Epicurean philosophy is often oversimplified. According to Epicurus, everything consists of tiny particles, including the human body, which is made up of particles of the soul. Without soul particles, the body is dead, and without the body, the soul is unable to perceive the outside world. Thus, after death, neither the soul nor the body can continue to exist. After death there is no punishment, no reward - nothing. This means that a person needs to focus on earthly affairs.
Particles of the soul are capable of experiencing both pleasure and pain. Therefore, you need to avoid pain and enjoy. What we can't control (unexpected death) we just have to accept.
This doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. Even if robbing a bank brings some pleasant experiences, a true epicure remembers that feelings of guilt and anxiety can lead to greater discomfort later. Epicureans are also committed to friendship, the most pleasant, safe and reliable feeling that can be available to a person.
“Spiritual elite” of the meaning of life
To understand what the meaning of human life on earth is, you need to consider another point of view, which is called the spiritual elite. The meaning of this elite can be called that people should save everything that surrounds them and attract humanity to everything spiritual and cultural. For example, Nice said that the meaning of human life is that it is necessary to give birth to geniuses, thereby increasing the culture of your country and continuing your family. Jaspers also spoke about this, who believed that people should be an example for each other. The meaning of human life, in his opinion, was also to rid the world of orphanhood by doing a good deed for children. And all children should grow up in full-fledged families.
Social function of the individual
People depend on each other to satisfy their individual needs. Against this background, communication and interaction between people is established.
A social function is an assignment to a specific person from society. It depends on the characteristics of the distribution of labor: the teacher is responsible for teaching, the physician is responsible for treatment, the entrepreneur is responsible for organizing production.
Sociologists judge the functions of a particular individual not by what he does or intends to do, but by what consequences for society flow from these actions.
If an individual refuses to perform his functions or the results of his activities have a negative meaning, we are talking about dysfunction.
By fulfilling his functions, a person becomes necessary for others. Against the background of the social division of labor, social statuses and roles are formed. “Cells” appear, each of which is responsible for performing an important social function.
Hedonism and human destiny
Hedonism also studies what the meaning of human life is. And his answers to this question are not very different from other sciences. The founders of this movement can be called Aristippus and Epicurus, who argued that in life a person should experience only positive emotions, and if something negative happens, it has a bad effect on life as a whole.
They also argued that all living things on earth are drawn to enjoy and take everything from life. In other words, their theory is to create beauty on earth.
But there were many objections according to this trend. As scientists say, hedonists see the meaning of human life only in the pursuit of happiness and nothing else. To some extent this definition is correct. But on the other hand, as practice shows, a person who commits an action does not always think whether it is good or bad. After all, most often, a person first does something, and only then thinks about what he did, and it doesn’t matter whether he committed a bad or good deed. Sometimes people even deliberately do things that are associated with torment, suffering and even mortality - in order to punish each other.
It is worth understanding that each person is individual, and what seems positive to one may bring a lot of grief and disappointment to another.
Kant considered the definition of hedonism conditional. And when asked what the meaning of human life is, he answered differently. Kant believed that the destiny of man lies in the desire to develop good will. This is the only way to achieve perfection.
Find the meaning of life. How can any of us do this?
You can find the meaning and purpose of your existence based on the question:
What value can I see in my life?
After all, it is the awareness of what is happening AS VALUABLE that fills our existence with meaning.
Again, I want to emphasize an important nuance: it is necessary to see what is valuable in YOUR life. At the same time, throwing out false stereotypes from your head, imperceptibly hypnotically instilled by the media and society. Also, it is worth saying goodbye to the expectations of relatives. Because all this will not allow you to meet YOUR meaning.
3 values that ANYONE can see will help us. He will see it if he wants. Provided that you look closely at your existence.
1. The meaning of life is in our experiences
This refers to experiencing oneself in relationships with loved ones. This is love, friendship. These are feelings, emotions. Also, spiritual, intellectual, and aesthetic experiences are very important and beautiful. Especially from simple moments accessible to all of us.
Nowadays they write and talk a lot about exactly this - learning to see the simple beauty that surrounds us. At some point, wisdom sets in and a person becomes able to fixate on his experiences. It is then that one can say that “I love life, I love the world.”
2. The meaning of life is creation
Oh, everyone doesn't have to be a great composer, architect, or astronaut. Each of us necessarily creates something small and quite accessible. For example, borscht cooks deliciously. Raises a child. Or, he can do something that most people can’t. Well, and most importantly, he builds his own life.
All these are acts of creation. Our task is to understand that EACH of us is a creator in some way. And every person can succeed in this. The most important thing is to stop belittling your achievements and skills. You need to see them!
3. The meaning of life is in suffering
A very interesting point that is not always immediately clear. I first understood its meaning from the words of a woman, a hospice employee.
She said that their dying people are divided into two categories. The first category dies with severe negative emotions. The second category is people who, until the end of their days, want to show others how they can remain human while dying. These people demonstrate fortitude, resilience and positivity. Until their death they live Life.
Also, as a striking example, I will cite the well-known Nick Vuychich. A man without arms, without legs, who proved to the whole world that suffering can be overcome. Even in this situation.
I’ll also give the example of the singer Madonna. She was interviewed in which she said: “I am very grateful to all those who caused me pain and suffering. To everyone who betrayed me. After all, it was by getting up from my knees every time that I became even stronger. It was thanks to them that I became who I am now.”
How to find the meaning of your life?
On the meaning of human life according to Unitarianism
The question of what the meaning of life is was also studied by the theory of Unitarianism. The main representatives of this theory can be called the philosophers Mill and Bentham. Bentham saw the meaning of human life in beauty and in receiving pleasure from it. But he understood that a person can become happy and have pleasure only if he avoids all torment and suffering, and this is very difficult to achieve. In his opinion, it was possible, using a mathematical formula, to calculate how happy a person is or, conversely, dissatisfied. As Mill argued, the meaning of human life lies in happiness. But as he said, for a person to be happy, not only he, but also all the people who surround him must experience positive emotions.
Nihilism
Most often, the word “nihilism” is associated with the predecessors of the Russian revolutionaries of the early 20th century, but this term is much more complex. Nihilism—from the Latin hihil (“nothing”)—believes that such things as “value” or “meaning” do not exist in nature, and therefore human existence has no meaning.
Nietzsche believed that the spread of nihilistic beliefs would eventually lead to people ceasing to do anything at all. This, as we see, did not happen, but nihilism as indifference to what is happening still remains popular.
L. N. Tolstoy's reasoning about the purpose of man
L.N. Tolstoy in his works often touched upon the question: what is the meaning of human life. And the writer’s head was completely filled with his decision. After much thought, Tolstoy realized that the purpose of human life lies in the self-improvement of the individual. As the writer argued, in order to live correctly and honestly, you need to constantly fight both with yourself and with the world around you.
For your information, L.N. Tolstoy is not only an amazing and talented writer, he is also an outstanding philosopher. He owns many quotes and popular expressions. He believed that before you understand what the meaning of life is, you need to understand what life is. It was this definition that he interpreted in his works. But he devoted most of the pages to studying this issue in his epic novel War and Peace. It is after reading it that many people begin to think and understand what life really is.
How does the process of self-realization work?
How to find yourself and your purpose in life: what does it mean and where to start
Not everyone can boast that they managed to realize their aspirations. A person can have a well-paid job, a high rank in society, and still remain dissatisfied.
This happens when life priorities were initially set incorrectly, or the wrong path was chosen to achieve a goal. So that one day the realization of the meaninglessness of further existence does not come, a person must learn to realize himself.
To evolve, you need to start small. Whatever goals loom ahead, you need to go towards them in small steps, living each new day meaningfully. Psychology offers several rules for self-realization:
- Every morning you should start with the question “what can I do today to take one step closer to my goal”;
On the way to the goal
- the emotional attitude is important, and it must be positive;
- you need to learn to approach a problem creatively; the ability to break stereotypes will help a person not to merge with the system, while remaining a “cog” of it;
- Every time you encounter problems or complex tasks, you need to learn to see perspective in them;
Important! Life will be filled with meaning if you reject the existence of dead-end situations, replacing them with a “system of opening doors.”
- there is no need to complain about problems and failures, or worry about global cataclysms; Negative conversations and thoughts affect the subconscious, which can lead to incorrect reasoning about making sense of life;
- summing up your day will help you evaluate small achievements and understand whether you are moving in the right direction.
Having found mistakes in your actions, it is never too late to correct them. The main thing is not to despair and not to “give up.” Even a negative result of the day is a small experience for which you need to thank yourself.
The reward can be anything: going to the cinema, to a disco, reading an interesting book, delicious ice cream, etc. This encouragement is well-deserved, because the basic principle has been fulfilled - to be in action, and not waste time on empty reasoning.
What literature says about the purpose of humanity
The role of literature in a person’s life is difficult not to appreciate, because books have been able to educate more than one generation, many people learn from them, look for their ideals in them and find their favorite heroes. But unfortunately, lately people very rarely think about books. But thanks to them, you can live real emotions and feel the fate of the heroes.
Many works contain reflections on the purpose of humanity. As statistics show, writers most of all agree that the goal of human destiny lies in the eternal. As Ecclesiastatus states, the meaning of human life lies in something meaningless and a constant rush to get somewhere. He says that love, understanding and happiness have nothing to do with this reasoning.
People are looking for the answer to this question in both domestic and foreign literature. Very often, writers in their works show what a person’s goal really is, and not just assumptions. At the same time, the works end on a bitter note, but no matter how sad it is, it is there that we can observe how people really live. After all, often when a person searches for the purpose of his life, it ends tragically for him. Sometimes, trying to achieve the truth, a person has to face cruel injustice and thereby suffer.
What is the meaning of life: the most popular answers to this question.
There is no meaning to life or it doesn’t matter what it is.
Is there a meaning to life?
Yes, many people believe that searching for the meaning of life is a meaningless exercise. Their version is not without foundation.
They believe that the meaning of life is needed by a person who does not want to develop, grow, build his life, do important things, and spends his time on all sorts of nonsense, like searching for an answer to the question of what is the meaning of human life.
Everything would be fine, but why then are there so many seekers? Why do so many of us have a gaping emptiness in our souls that we can’t fill in any way and we keep looking for something and asking ourselves, fate, and higher powers. Why is there always something missing to fill this void...
All our important matters, all our worries, all this running, business, work, why can’t they fulfill the role of filler? Why do you feel so uneasy, despite your successes in life, despite your seemingly obvious and so necessary realization? Why do we still ask what is the meaning of life?
Is success the most important thing in life?
Yes, because although we hide from death, from its inevitability, we still understand that human life is temporary and finite, and even including ordinary logic, we can notice that all our external goals essentially mean nothing, because tomorrow they will only dust in space time.
We can remember the great rulers of this world.
They built empires, seized lands, fought, fought for power and their greatness. And what? There is no trace left of many of these empires, times have changed, and only book dust preserves the memory of them.
Yes, some of them were able to have a significant influence on the course of history and on the drawing of the political map of the world. And we see what we see largely due to their actions. But what difference does it make to us?
What difference does it make to a newly born person? He came into this world and saw it like this. If then in history, everything would have turned out differently, a new person would have seen everything differently, and would have known the world differently, not knowing that it could have been something else. Like this? OK. Differently? Okay, because he doesn’t know that it’s any different. He sees it as what it is.
Maybe we live in a world that could be many times better, but we don’t know this, because the world is what it is now. Or maybe things could have been much worse. Or maybe it couldn’t...
What is the meaning of life, when even the life of great rulers was more likely just their game in this life than something truly worthwhile.
Try to realize the size of the Universe and its infinity.
Our planet inside this immeasurable nowhere and never ending space is nothing at all. She is not even a speck of dust, which is too huge to compare with the Earth in the Universe. The history of our planet is only a moment.
A person is looking for the meaning of his life, trying to somehow cling on, justify his existence here, otherwise he can simply step into the abyss.
But no, we live, give ourselves significance, importance, build a career, business, constantly do something while we can. But all the same, in moments of silence, in moments of loneliness, something aches in the soul, something is not right, something is wrong, why is it all...
What to do when you feel bad?
The meaning of life is in religion.
Find answers in religion
This meaning is a logical continuation of the previous one. Religion, of course, in itself, should not be the meaning of life.
Rather, it may be what this religion carries within itself, the essence of it that resonated within you. What filled that empty space that always reminds us of itself.
There is nothing wrong with that, but how many people come to religion simply because there is something here that fills their emptiness. What gives the answer to this already tired question: what is the meaning of life, why does a person live in this world.
That is, it is simply a tool for filling holes that we could not patch on our own. What I'm saying is that few people find true meaning in religion. Who was able to penetrate deep and really find there the essence of his life, meaning and essence, and not just a justification for his existence. Not just an answer to a question.
An example from life.
I somehow found myself on one of the Christian forums and tried to start a dialogue there. You have no idea what started. But I didn’t raise any sensitive topics that could hurt anyone’s feelings, I just simply asked people’s opinions. Everything was perceived as an attack, as a danger, and the attack began on me.
I didn’t immediately understand what it was all about. There was a lot of bile, some kind of even hatred or something, many tried to express pity that I was asking something, which means I don’t understand the essence of religion deeply enough, if I can ask something that should never be asked under any circumstances.
Only with one or two members of the forum did something resembling a dialogue happen, from which I could take something away for myself. Everyone else perceived the person with a non-standard question as an enemy invading their lands and encroaching on their property.
This means that people are not confident themselves, they are afraid to open the emptiness again. I sincerely believe that Christianity, like many other religions, can be what really makes a person enlightened or something, opens his eyes and teaches him to look at the world differently, helping him in life, making him better and, most importantly, giving him his life is awareness, giving an answer to the question of what is the meaning of life.
But when religion is just a hammer and a nail, then it is nothing more than just an unconscious attempt to hide. Just one way to come up with the meaning of life. But as soon as someone seems to encroach on it, you begin to aggressively defend yourself, because you are afraid that someone will be able to deprive you of it.
Is there a God? How do I understand true faith in God? How to feel your soul?
Have a blast.
Money, sex, alcohol.
Have fun while you can . Probably, today this meaning of life is more popular than ever, thanks to the huge number of opportunities that have opened up.
100 years ago sex was not so accessible, there was no such development of technology and technology. And of course there are so many entertainment venues, shopping centers, restaurants, clubs. So much available alcohol, tobacco, drugs. You have everything, you just need money.
And the person decides that the meaning of life lies in money, which can be spent on satisfying ever-increasing needs and satisfying passions. Why, when there is a lot of money, a person is still not satisfied with life - in this article.
I don’t want to say that people have become weaker, there are simply more temptations, which makes it much more difficult to resist them than centuries ago. Therefore, there are more and more people who ask themselves why they need to resist at all. There is only one life and I do what I want with it, especially if I like it that way.
The result of such a life is emptiness. Moreover, it is growing and more and more depressing.
There is actually nothing to fill it with, so a person turns, for example, to the aforementioned alcohol, which allows one to forget and receive a portion of illusory pleasure.
The meaning is in family and children.
A man lives for the sake of his children.
What is the meaning of life? Many will answer this way. If you really choose the meaning of life, then this one, you see, is not so bad.
When there is peace, tranquility, mutual understanding, common interests and hobbies in a family, when there is love, then life becomes happier and more joyful.
This is important, no doubt. But whether this should be the meaning of a person’s entire life, I’m not sure.
Such a mother, who has seen her whole life in a child, and then he suddenly grows up and leaves home for his own life, is left alone with himself and, without exaggeration, can lose this very meaning of life.
We'll have to look for a new one. Well then, grandchildren can come to the rescue if everything goes well, and if the children often bring them to their grandmother.
Where is mother-grandmother here anyway? Where exactly is this person?
If you imagine that children, seeing that they need to devote their entire lives to children, will continue this path. Then it turns out that everyone sees the true meaning of life in their children, those in theirs, and those in theirs, but no one sees themselves here.
You give your life to a child, for what? So that he would also give his life to his child?
Parents undoubtedly must love and educate their children. But is it worth becoming so attached to them that later, when they leave home, you don’t see continuation and meaning in your own life.
Then it turns out that such mothers-in-law or mothers-in-law poke their nose too far into the relationships of people who do not need this nose at all, because these are adults who want to build their own lives.
We are helpers to our children, we open this world to them, we teach them what we consider necessary to teach, but in no case should we prevent them from being themselves and living their own lives, carrying the dharma for which they were born.
And if we see meaning in children, then this should not be the only answer to the question of what is the meaning of life. You need to see it somewhere else, if we talk about when there are many meanings and you can choose them.
Career and business.
The meaning of life is to realize oneself in work, in building a business. Here it is important for a person to feel his importance, significance both in the eyes of himself and those around him.
In this case, business is preferable; it can be passed on to children if they have a desire to do it. There will come a time in your career when you will be asked to leave and make room for someone else. And there is a pension where you as a specialist are no longer needed.
And the meaning of life is lost. The question is, why did all this happen, why were you born, for this? To end up being of no use to anyone. Why did you run around, strive to work for a promotion, for the sake of your reputation, why all this fuss, if everything is like this.
What's the point?
Even business remains empty vanity at the end of life. But business can also be given a deeper meaning.
The meaning of life is service.
You can build a business in service. How is that?
For example, do not indulge in alcohol, cigarettes, or fast food. These are obvious examples. This is a business for money.
This type of activity does not apply to this point, it is higher, to money. I'm talking about what really helps people, makes their lives better, without harming others or nature.
Right away, farming of natural products, which are almost not available in stores today. Healthy food cafes, wind power, solar power, other non-traditional ways of creating energy. An enterprise for processing waste into what people need, training courses on meditation, pranayama.
Then this is the meaning of service. There is an article about karma right here.
The point is to travel and experience the beauty of the world.
He was born to travel the world
. Some people are satisfied with what they see outside their window and don’t want to go anywhere else. There is a warm shelter, there are loved ones nearby, in the evenings there is a book, TV, communication and you don’t want anything else.
But there are also those for whom this is not enough, who are looking for the meaning of life and find the answer in traveling and discovering new countries and cities. Who can’t live without travel, without flights, without learning new things day after day. Who every moment is drawn to the mountains, to the sea, and maybe somewhere where an ordinary person cannot go - to hard-to-reach wild places. Who never ceases to admire the beauty of this stunning world.
Such a person wants to die on a journey, wants to admire and admire until his last breath.
Some may say that this requires a lot of money, but this is not always the case. There are a lot of examples on the Internet of traveling on a small budget, when the main thing is desire. Today the world is open, it takes intention, decision and action, and everything is in your hands.
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In development.
A person struggles with his fears, weaknesses, passions, learns, strives to become better. In addition, you can develop your body by working out on exercise machines, running, and so on. You can grow and develop as a specialist in one or more areas of activity.
I would still combine personal development with spiritual development. Maybe it’s easier for me to do this, because I openly accept the existence of the human soul and God.
Personal development in isolation from the spiritual is not much different from meaning in business and career. Basically, why develop the body if it will still become old, flabby and die. Why build a business if you leave this Earth and this business will never be yours again.
Therefore, I would complement business with service, and personal development with spirituality.
The importance of spiritual development.
In the final part of the article, before I say what the meaning of life is, that it lies in this or that, I must definitely mention a few words about who a person is and how I see myself in this world. Otherwise the answer will not be entirely clear.
Option 3
(425 words) The meaning of life is a personal matter for each person. We decide for ourselves who to be and what to do, we ourselves determine the goal and direction towards it. There are no standards, instructions or guidelines for life. Everyone finds their own purpose and follows it. There are as many options as there are people on earth. This is proven by numerous examples from books.
Thus, the main character of the work A.I. Kuprin's "Garnet Bracelet" found its meaning in life in love. However, his feeling is different from what is commonly considered love. His affection is unrequited and hopeless, but very strong. Zheltkov lives only to send letters to his beloved and catch a glimpse of her on the street. He is content with this and does not impose his company on the woman. Georgy has long come to terms with the fact that she is a noblewoman, and he is a simple telegraph operator, that she is married, and he will never be able to start a family. Loyalty to his beloved became for him a sentence to loneliness, but he got used to this too. But when Vera’s brother and husband forbade the hero to send letters and at least somehow show his emotions, he made a completely logical decision - he left a life devoid of meaning. His destiny was love, which occurs “once in a thousand years.” His choice has nothing to do with what people usually mean by the meaning of existence. But each of us has our own goals, and it is impossible to bring them to a common denominator.
The purpose of Luka, the hero of Maxim Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths,” looks no less original. A wandering old man comes to the shelter and gives hope to the depressed people for a new life, for positive changes. “Girl, someone needs to be kind... you need to feel sorry for people! Christ felt sorry for everyone and ordered us to do so... I’ll tell you - it’s time to feel sorry for a person... it happens well!..” - Luke says about himself. Throughout his entire stay in the Kostylevs’ house, he exhorts, instructs, gives advice, listens attentively and sympathetically to the stories of the beggars. He gives each of them an incentive to fight fate or accept it. He recommends to Vaska Pepl that he and Natasha go to Siberia and give up the business of thieves. He convinces the actor that he needs to stop drinking in order to get into a free hospital for drunkards and be healed forever. He talks with Anna about God and promises her rest in paradise. Luke lives and travels to support people and sow hope, faith, and love in the world.
Thus, the meaning of life is individual for each of us, because there are no identical people in the world. As a rule, a person finds a calling in love in one form or another, because this is the best and brightest thing we have. However, the choice of others will not always be clear and close to us. We are limited by our own experience and cannot embrace all the diversity of the world.
The meaning of life, ideas of great people
So, the question of finding the meaning of existence is eternal, like life itself. What answers does history and philosophy give us? Main definitions:
- “Live to live, not to exist!” (Omar Khayyam).
- “Human improvement is the meaning of life” (M. Gorky).
- “The whole meaning of life lies in the endless conquest of the unknown” (E. Zola).
- “Life is a struggle for immortality” (M. Prishvin).
- “The meaning of life is in only one thing - in struggle” (A. Chekhov).
- “Only a life lived for the sake of others has meaning” (Einstein).
- “The meaning of our life is continuous movement” (Ya. Kolas).
The statements of great people about the meaning of life make it clear: there are several approaches to the question. Some people find it in service and caring for others, others in struggle, others in knowledge, development, and discovery of the unknown. And only the desire to leave a mark behind oneself, to get closer to immortality, unites. After all, we are all mortal, will our descendants remember us, what words will they use to remember us?
There is a desire to do something useful: scientific discoveries, beautiful paintings, write books, music. After all, personality is manifested in one’s creations and in one’s deeds. We remember artists, sages, leaders, but even an ordinary person can go through an interesting, eventful path, and be an example for posterity.
Happiness and the meaning of life are categories that worry the minds of many, because happiness is also different. It can be external - pleasures, acquisitions, or internal - a state of mind. And yet they are united by a purpose that allows them to realize goals, fill their days with meaning, and enjoy their favorite activities.
How to understand the meaning of life? Feel what your soul is reaching for?
Imagine complete freedom, no need to earn money, no restrictions, what would you do? Maybe they would help other people, teach, write books or create? Everyone has invaluable experience, special talents, skills, and the need for self-realization. At a certain stage, you can start transferring experience, teaching or writing information on well-known topics.
This is one of the ways to realize your potential; you can give lectures, conduct trainings, train staff, and transfer knowledge to junior colleagues. It's always nice to feel useful. And over time, you can raise the bar and set new goals.
A well-known expression: “the meaning of life is in life itself.” What does it mean? In search of happiness and purpose, it is important not to forget to live, enjoy the opportunity to see the sun, and communicate with loved ones. It is the concentration of attention on the positive side, the ability to feel the world in all its colors that helps you feel joy and bring goodness.
Stages of life
At each stage of life, a person has new goals and objectives. Any passed age stage of personality development determines further steps and forms a plan for achieving success in the next stage. Depending on how successfully each stage of life is overcome, the individual develops a feeling of fullness of life, a sense of self-confidence and satisfaction with the path traveled.
Infancy (first year of life)
At the beginning of life, the main task of an infant is to develop basic trust in others. After all, it is this criterion that will allow an already matured person to feel confident in the future and perceive the world as a safe and stable place, which is favorable for further development. The degree to which a child develops trust in other people directly depends on how his mother treats him.
There is an opinion that newborn babies do not understand or realize anything. This is wrong. Of course, they will not be able to remember the first years of their life. But most of the information will be fixed on an emotional level.
Early childhood (2–3 years of age)
At the second stage of life, the individual strives to achieve partial independence and self-control. The child tries to abstract himself from parental care and learn to understand the world.
He learns to eat, dress and shower independently, allowing his mother to be present, but not allowing direct participation. Encouraging such actions builds confidence, self-esteem and importance, self-control and self-respect in the child.
Preschool age (4–6 years)
This stage of life carries with it the formation of preliminary goals and objectives for future life. It is at the age of 4–6 years that a child first thinks about choosing a profession and begins to realize that he is treated as an adult, meaningful person.
Those who succeed are those who feel that their independent actions are encouraged by their elders, and their decisions are respected and not ridiculed. The child must learn to be responsible for his words and actions, and understand that every decision will one way or another affect his future life.
The poet Lev Iovlev wrote: “When a man is driving his cart, what gives him strength is the understanding of why and where.”
School age (7–12 years)
At this age, children’s abilities for logical thinking and self-discipline increase, as well as the desire to interact with others within the framework of permitted rules and regulations. The young personality is absorbed in trying to figure out where everything comes from and what it is needed for. This life stage forms an understanding of one’s own usefulness and competence.
The child realizes opportunities and seeks his place among his peers. There is an interest in further development and training. It is at this stage that the growing individual needs the attention of his family. After all, it is parents who help children find important personal and social goals that can have a positive impact on society. And the feeling of necessity builds confidence in yourself and your future.
Youth (13–19 years old)
Adolescence is one of the most difficult stages in personality development. The young man is faced with a huge number of social demands and does not understand which direction he should move now. The main task is to form all the information available by this time about oneself and one’s capabilities into a single whole and include it in a full-fledged picture of social life.
A successful way out of a youth crisis is keeping your own promises and wishes related to your future life. Parents and close friends can provide enormous assistance in this, who will push a person to decisive action with their loyalty, faith and support.
