The Meaning of Life

[caveman]

In recent weeks I have spotted posts here and there describing one's struggles with this concept. Some say this is the meaning of life, some say that is the meaning of life, some say there is no meaning of life and some say the meaning of life is whatever you make of it. This thread is not to suggest one particular meaning is the meaning of life, rather, this thread is suggest another way of thinking, another approach to life that is different.

For a while I was back and forth on the idea. I thought and stated in the past that the goal in life was to be happy. Then it was to love. Then it was to grow. Then there was no meaning of life other than what I chose it to be.

It wasn't until recently that I speculated that perhaps the idea of having a meaning to life was more or less a flaw in our language. Language heavily influences the way we think, and our language (perhaps anything coming from a Greek origin) often approaches the world in terms of opposites and meanings, amongst other things. Things are described as "hot" as compared to "cold", and things are labeled by their purpose. Looking around my room, there is a door, a wall, a roof, and a chair. Outside my window I see dirt, a fence, and a shovel lying in the grass. Many of the things I'm seeing and interpreting are heavily associated to their meaning - a shovel isn't an odd-looking collection of iron and tree branch, its a shovel because if I pick it up, I can use it to dig a hole.

What is the significance of this? The significance is this results in a problem for defining life. Because just like so many other things, we want to ascribe a purpose or an end goal to life. We often describe life as a journey to whatever purpose or place it's meaning calls for.

This is not to say, however, that "there is no meaning to life". To say that would to to remain in the same realm of thought that created this perplexity. Rather, I'd like to step back and think of life as something other than a process to an ends, something other than a journey. And perhaps instead, something more musical.

Music & Life