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.
"I do not find, for myself, that any steady sense of “meaning” can be provided by any cultural institution, or any religion, or any philosophy, or (what might be called) a dully “materialistic” Science. I am excited by a different vision of Science, which sees the emergence and making of order as the “center” of the universe." -Oliver Sacks
The Theory of Everything page gives an example of the meaning-making metanarrative about emergence and order that Sacks is alluding to in this quote.
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.
Far from being a cold, random process that is devoid of meaning, the simplicity and infinite beauty of cosmic complexification is absolutely full of wonder. As the most complex emergent property of the universe, intelligent beings have been instilled with the ability to understand and enjoy its benevolence. We know the universe is full of love because consciousness runs on it, and continues to exist because of it.
You can just as easily create an alternate metanarrative of cynicism, where the universe is full of hate, war, outrage, thieves, lies, and other bad stuff. The facts can fit either one depending on your perspective. It's hard to quantify which side is winning, since like the Yin and Yang it seems like both persist in equal balance. But it is also clear that despite some occasional setbacks, progress moves in the direction of future people having more knowledge, more freedom, more safety, and more wealth than previous generations. Cosmic complexification reinforces this notion.
It is also clear from our studies of psychology that the optimistic perspective is the one that leads to happiness. With all other things being equal, and considering the direction of progress and our evolved innate desire to move in that direction, we should choose the optimistic version of the metanarrative that the universe that created us is full of love for all conscious beings and wants us to be happy.
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 we find happiness in a late stage capitalism dystopia? Work to change it.
Having a deep sense of personal meaning in life is one of the best ways to find happiness, which is totally meta.
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.
How can meaning find the people who need it?
The people most affected by the crisis in meaning in modern society are the ones who don't even know to look for it, and wouldn't have time for it if they did. They are the ones caught up in addiction, consumerism, workaholism, and the constant demands of daily life under capitalism. They have abandoned religion a generation ago, without any replacement for the community that it builds. They buy therapy instead of building relationships, where questioning your belief system or building emotional connection are unprofessional, so the real answers can never be found.
The only way to reach the people who need it is to reach out. To talk to your friends who are taking a dark turn towards addiction, conspiracy theories, or hate. They may be annoying, but cutting them out of our life will only make more of them because it removes the one thing that can stop them--human connection. If the real people in their life won't talk to them then they will find other outcasts on social media and start to really cause problems.
There also needs to be an effort to build Secular Communities that can fulfill the role that the institution of religion has served in the culture, but without the supernatural authoritarianism. This will give those who no longer have faith a place to go to find meaning and community.
These communities, and others that want to address the crisis of meaning, need to be evangelical about their message. They need to get out and get in front of new people and start conversations. The good news must be spread. The people who need it most aren't going to come find it on their own, for if they do they are already well on their way, and aren't the ones who need it most!
Science Can't Lead to Meaning
This is a common argument made by religious apologists and philosophers that discards the decades of study made in the field of psychology about how we create meaning and what makes a meaningful life. it is one of the core topics of discussion and study within the field! To say that science can't tell us the meaning of life is ridiculous. The logic may be circular, in that science is telling us what we tell ourselves that the meaning of life is, but if you haven't noticed, so is everything! Understanding that is part of the puzzle.
This Isn't the Most Nuanced Take on This Subject
It doesn't need to be. It just needs to good enough to point in the right direction. A lot of philosophy has been written trying to parse the difference between finding meaning and finding happiness and whether happiness is really the goal of life. If it makes you happy to go down that rabbit hole then by all means go for it. If you find this explanation satisfying then you can move on with your life.
See Happiness and Meaning for more on the relationship between meaning and happiness.
If you want to see two people trying hard to give very nuanced takes on the crisis of meaning, this conversation between Alex O'Connor and John Vervaeke fits the bill. Does this conversation provide a clearer picture than the straightforward explanations presented here and in the videos below? For some it might. For others, it seems more like rumination than enlightenment. More nuance does not always lead to more clarity, and often trends towards reductionism when meaning thrives on holism.
Finding meaning in monetized video content
Emergentism is the general term for spirituality that is based on cosmic complexification, and most closely represents the metaculture perspective. This video addresses the science and religion worldview dichotomy and the crisis of meaning it has led to, and how to create a meaningful interpretation of science. Part 2
This video makes the same points about how to find meaning described here (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.