Friday Musings— The meaning

What's new with me

I bought 50 Masterpieces you have to read before you die (Vol. 1 and 2) on my Kindle, and now 300+ hours of evening delight await me! I've started A Room with a View by E. M. Forster, and am really looking forward to most of the novels on the list (some I’ve read before, but many I’ve been meaning to get to for years).

I paid less than two euros for both volumes. And while I often talk about the many things that feel broken or overwhelming in the world, it’s also worth pausing to notice just how amazing it is that so much culture and knowledge is now available to us for free (or close to it).

The meaning of life

Today I'm only sharing one article, but it's a good one. The author, while going through a challenging time in his life, decided to take on something ambitious but also very relatable, at least to me. He set out to recreate a project originally carried out by philosopher Will Durant in the 1930s, asking a wide range of people what they thought the meaning of life was.

(By the way, I love that he actually sent out physical letters, with envelopes, stamps, and all. I can’t remember the last time I did that!)

He received a surprising number of responses, which he collected in a book. Some of them are shared in the article.

I especially resonated with the woman who said she finds meaning in connections, and that reading is her “cubicle and treehouse” (you may have started to suspect I’m a bit of a bookworm). Another person described those moments when you feel fully alive, like you suddenly understand why you're here. I sometimes feel that too.

I also appreciated the answer that framed meaning as adding value to other people’s lives and learning from your own failures and the reflection that "meaning, purpose and fulfilment are not only different things, but moving targets, if they are targets at all".

If you do read it, let me know which answers stood out to you. And if you’ve ever tried to answer the question yourself. It doesn’t need to be the definitive answer. Maybe it’s just about asking ourselves: what gives life meaning right now?

Quote of the week ✍️ 

"Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it".  (Mary Oliver)

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you have any suggestions or insights, feel free to share them in the comments. And if you know someone who might enjoy my musings, please pass this along, I’d love to grow this community.

Until next time,

ML