Meaning of Life
What is the meaning of life? Here you go!
The question itself is a bit poorly phrased, since we aren't just trying to find a definition for the word "life".
The actual questions and answers alluded to by the "meaning of life" are outlined below.
Where did we come from?
"Where did we come from?" is always answered by a creation story, and metaculture is no different. Science answers this question with the Big Bang theory and Evolution.
Why are we here?
The question of "why are we here?" is incorrectly considered by many to be outside the realm of scientific inquiry.
The notion of meaning or purpose often implies the existence of a conscious being to whom our existence is meaningful. Otherwise the answer to "why are we here?" tends to reduce to "we're here because we aren't not here". But it is possible to come up with a meaningful answer to this question without a supernatural actor given the right perspective on the issue.
We are here because the self-organizing principles of matter and logic mean that any sufficiently large explosion of matter and energy will inevitably give rise to self-aware beings capable of asking this very question. It is the destiny of existence itself. A different universe of matter with different laws of physics might result in a totally different type of intelligent being, but that being will always arise and ask itself "why?"
Either that or the alternate universe will collapse on itself before that happens and nobody will be there to ever know it ever existed in the first place. If a universe collapses in the void and it never evolved intelligent life to observe it, was it ever there? Nevermind.
The point is that our existence as intelligent, evolved beings isn't a 1 in a quintillion chance, it is an inevitability. The universe insists that you be here. And if you prefer, that inevitability can also be seen as the will of the divine, being carried out in the interactions of every atom in the universe.
What is the purpose of our existence?
The purpose of human existence is the pursuit of happiness and well-being. This is taught to us by our neurons and their relentless attempts to make our bodies do things that lead to survival and reproduction. Our purpose is to do what our neurons tell us to do, as well as it can be done. And happiness is the meterstick by which we measure our success.
How do I find personal meaning in my own life?
Finding personal meaning is harder in a universe where no supernatural being is there to tell you what that is, but not that hard. Everyone is able to find something that inspires them, something they enjoy that makes the world a better place for themselves or those around them. It is up to each individual to find out what that is and pursue it.
For some people their work is meaningful. Others have jobs they hate but families, friends or hobbies they love. Some find meaning in charity, others in creativity. Some people are leaders, others are just doing their part to keep society running. All are capable of finding meaning and joy in life.
Meaning is not something you sit down and contemplate until you find an answer. It is something you cultivate within yourself through your ongoing goals, actions, and reflections. It is both a journey and a destination.
We have been given a gift that few clumps of matter ever receive--consciousness. The meaning of life is to make the most of it.
How do we do that? Evidence-Based Best Practices!
What you probably don't want to do is fall down the JP and JC rabbit hole that the YouTube algorithm will try to send you down if you search for these questions.
Benefits of having meaning in your life
There are many documented benefits to health and cognition that come with having a purpose. Many of these are related to the god concept, which is closely tied to your concept of purpose and meaning.
The quintessential book on this topic, Man's Search for Meaning, details how the ability to find purpose can mean the difference between life and death in the face of extremely dire situations like genocide.
This podcast on Cultivating Your Purpose from Hidden Brain has a great discussion of the importance, methods, and psychological benefits of finding meaning.
Finding meaning in monetized video content
This video really makes this point (except for the best practices part). Just keep in mind the fractal vision of the universal god concept when it refers to god.
Bit of a woo disclaimer needed for this one, but any discussion of the search for meaning should include a little Jung.