Evidence from Meaning

Let’s watch this clip.

  • Do you think people can thrive without meaning or purpose in life?
  • What things in your life give it the most meaning?

 

Research shows that feelings of meaninglessness are linked to a range of health issues including apathy, anxiety, depression, and addictions. But if the universe exists by pure accident, then our lives are inherently meaningless. Yuval Harari, a historian and acclaimed author, asserts:

"The best bet as a human is to realize that you are just a collection of molecules and everything you think and do is only meaningful because you and other humans have ascribed meaning to it.”
Yuval Harari
Historian and Author of ‘Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind’

 

If that’s the case though, it makes no sense for us to desire meaning so deeply—or to be so unhealthy without it. 

  • Why do you think humans cannot thrive without meaning?