【翻譯練習】人生的意義，就是火腿三明治
The Meaning of Life Is a Ham Sandwich
作者：Mark Manson
來源：https://observer.com/2017/03/the-meaning-of-life-is-a-ham-sandwich/
你知道這個問題。這個終極的問題。這個曾經讓你、讓我、讓人人徹夜未眠苦苦思索的問題。這個在我們脆弱的心靈中，同時留下驚疑和恐懼的問題。我們為何來到人世？我們來到人世有何目的？什麼才是人生的意義？
這個嘛，很幸運地，今天早上在健身房的時候，我搞懂了這些問題。我非常確定，人生的意義，就是火腿三明治。不不不，我的意思不是說正因為我餓了才得出這樣的答案，我會好好解釋的。在接下來八分多鐘的時間，我會說明這個騙你點進來看的標題是什麼意思，還有我得到這份領悟的來龍去脈。
首先，在我們適切地發問「什麼是人生的意義？」之前，必須先弄清楚更細微、而且更重要的部分：什麼是意義？
什麼是意義？(以及讓你很想在提問者臉上揍一拳的其他問題)
什麼是意義？這問題可能忽然令你陷入沉思，盡扯些玄妙難解的大道理。假如真是如此，我想請你先想一下火腿三明治，然後給我一分鐘時間聽我解釋，因為這很重要。
替某件事情賦予意義，這麼做到底有何意義？我們人類一直都在給人生中發生的每一件事情添加意義。
媽媽擁抱我的意義，一定是她愛我；老闆稱讚我的意義，一定是我辦事得力；明天會出太陽的意義，一定是我可以穿超酷的海綿寶寶背心上學去。
意義，是我們內心用來把兩種經驗或事件牽扯在一起的連結。發生了 X，接著發生 Y，所以我們覺得這當中的意義就是 X 導致 Y 的發生。後來又發生了 Z，於是我們百思不得其解，難以接受，所以我們覺得 Z 這件事實在太糟了。
大腦發明意義，就像狗在拉屎－－狗愛拉就拉，一點也沒意識到自己把地毯弄髒。大腦之所以發明意義，是想要解釋我們周遭環境為什麼會出現種種莫名其妙的狗屎。意義的發明很重要，因為我們覺得有了意義，便能預測和掌控自己的人生。
但是說實話，意義只不過是心靈隨機的產物。五十個人觀看同一場事件，卻會得出五十種不同的意義。這就是為什麼政治場上如此紛紛擾擾，為什麼法庭上目擊證人的說辭如此不可靠，為什麼你朋友有時成了最可惡的混蛋－－因為你剛跟朋友分享你心目中的意義，但他們認為的意義卻與你有著天壤之別。
人生的二種意義
大腦會快速建構出兩種不同的意義：
這樣看來，意義是大自然誘發人類產生動機的手段，演化利用這種方式來確認人類終於把大大小小的雜事搞定。意義是我們所有行動的推手。當某件事情具有重大的意義，譬如小孩病了或餓了，那麼我們不計一切代價也要設法解決這件事情。人類甚至經常極端到願意犧牲性命來換取某種崇高的意義感 (像是宗教、迄今的每場戰爭)。意義非常有效地激發了人類的動力。
相反地，當我們覺得人生缺少意義，當種種瑣事似乎再也無關緊要，當我們不明白事情怎麼會、或為什麼會發生在我們身上，這時候我們什麼也不想做了。我們癱在沙發上，百無聊賴地玩著手指，看著乏味的重播，然後一邊上網發文抱怨這些乏味的重播。
但是，重點來了 (而且我保證真的要解釋火腿三明治了)：意義是我們必須在人生中累積的一種資源。
意義不是獨立於我們之外的事物。意義不是某種有待探索的宇宙真理。意義不是一個將會永遠改變人生的靈光乍現時刻。
意義需要我們付諸行動。意義需要我們必須不斷地追尋和孕育，始終不渝。
意義好比心理健康的生命之水。沒有意義，心靈將會枯萎凋亡。意義也像水一般，在我們的人生中流動不息－－今天重視的事物，在幾年前不值一提；明天重視的事物，在今天並沒有相同的重要性。意義需要經常去尋找，為意義補充源頭活水。
如何尋找人生的意義
務實地說，人生的意義，就是去創造意義。
那麼，我們該怎麼創造意義呢？方法有二：
很多人藉由為自己設定目標來找尋人生的意義。他們想要升上主管、想買大車、想穿名牌鞋。這些目標給了他們早上掙扎著爬起來的理由，讓他們甘心為工作賣命。有了目標，他們才覺得生活總算有了重心，每天至少還有些事可以期待。
然而，目標有利也有弊，請謹慎看待目標這件事。
目標固然是培養動機的良好手段；問題是，目標本身也可能是隨機的、空洞的。
除非能夠針對充滿意義的目標說明其背後理由，否則目標幾乎維持不了任何長期的幸福或滿足感。
你應該看過，有些明星運動員退休後一蹶不振吧？或是有人好不容易賺到幾百萬，卻因不知道人生還有哪些事值得去做，結果陷入悽慘絕境，相信你也聽說過這種人吧？
目標的危險之處在於，當你為了目標努力時，這些目標所產生出來的意義，會在你終於實現目標的那一瞬間，那些意義全部灰飛煙滅。
這就是為什麼，所有膚淺的目標，像是成為億萬富翁、擁有勞斯萊斯、整形變成雜誌封面人物般的容貌，都只能迸發出空幻而短暫的幸福火花－－因為這些目標的意義就是空幻而短暫的。
你的目標必須具備更深刻的理由，否則時日一久，目標便將逐漸空洞，失去價值。
別忘了，唯有為了某些更偉大的目的，像是成立慈善機構、開創事業或預備轉職，而立志在所屬體育項目登峰造極的運動員，才能最美滿地安排退休人生。也別忘了，唯有為了更深層的理由而努力不懈的百萬富翁，才能在一一劃去目標清單上的項目後，依然感到心滿意足。
但是，有的目標其實不需要設定得那麼遠大、那麼動聽。
譬如，火腿三明治的目標。我餓著肚子，坐下寫出這篇文章。這是我人生中的一個問題。我下定決心，我得先把文章草稿生出來，才可以起身去做一份三明治。這樣的目標，就讓這一小時增加了些額外的意義。
而且你知道嗎？說不定我太太也餓了，我也可以順便幫她做一份。你知道的，既然活在這個世界上，我們就要把世界營造成更和樂美好的所在，反正隨便你去套用哪些冠冕堂皇的形容詞啦。
所以，什麼是人生的意義呢？嗯嗯，對我來說，現在，此刻，人生的意義就是火腿三明治。那麼，你呢？
You know the question. It's the ultimate question. The question that you and I and everyone has laid awake at night thinking about. The question that brings equal parts wonder and terror to our feeble minds. Why are we here? What is the point of it all? What is the meaning of life?
Well, fortunately, I figured it out while I was at the gym this morning. I'm pretty sure it's a ham sandwich. And no, I'm not saying that just because I'm hungry. There's an explanation here. I'm going to explain it, clickbait titles and all, in, oh, the next eight minutes or so.
First off, before we can even appropriately ask "What is the meaning of life?" we must first settle something more subtle and something more important. Namely, what is meaning?
What is Meaning? (And Other Questions That Make You Want to Punch Someone in the Face)
What is meaning? That may strike you as terribly navel-gazey and ultra-philosophical. And if that's the case, I invite you to think about ham sandwiches for a moment, and just stick with me for a minute. Because it's important.
What does it mean for something to mean something? As humans, we have a constant need to attach meaning to everything that happens in our lives.
My mom hugs me, that must mean that she loves me. My boss complimented me, that must mean I do good work. It's going to be sunny tomorrow, that must mean I can wear my super-cool SpongeBob tank top to school.
Meaning is the association that we draw between two experiences or events in our minds. X happens, then Y happens, so we assume that means X causes Y. Z happens, and we get really bummed out and feel awful, therefore we assume that Z sucks.
Our brains invent meaning the way dogs shit — they do it gleefully and not even realizing that they're ruining the carpet. Our brains invent meaning as a way to explain all the crazy shit that is going on in the world around us. This is important, as it helps us predict and control our lives.
But let's be real: meaning is an arbitrary mental construct. Fifty people can watch the exact same event and draw fifty different meanings from said event. That's why there's so much arguing in politics. That's why eyewitnesses are so unreliable in court. That's why your friends are sometimes the biggest assholes — because that meaning you just shared, to them, meant something completely different.
Types of Meaning in Life
Our brains slap together two different types of meaning:
Cause/Effect Meaning: You kick the ball, the ball moves. You tell your friend his hair is ugly, your friend slaps you in the face. You do X, and with reliable certainty, Y will result.
We all need Cause/Effect meaning to survive. It helps us predict the future and learn from the past. Cause/Effect meaning primarily involves the logical parts of our brain. Science, for instance, is the constant search of more and more Cause/Effect Meaning.
Better/Worse Meaning: Eating is better than starving. Making money is better than being broke. Sharing is better than stealing. Better/Worse meaning has to do with the nature of our values — what we perceive to be most important and useful in our lives.
Better/Worse meaning relies mostly on the emotional parts of our brains. Generally what makes us feel good is what we immediately assume to be "good" or "better."
Both forms of meaning evolved in our brains to help us survive. For thousands of years, humans needed to remember where certain food could be found, how various animals would respond when hunted, how weather patterns change and how to read the terrain. They also needed to know what would gain them acceptance within their tribe, what would curry favor from friends and earn approval from that sexy guy/gal in the loin cloth over yonder.
So in that sense, meaning is nature's tool for motivation. It's how evolution made sure we got shit done. Meaning drives all of our actions. When there is great meaning attached to something, like our child is sick and starving, we will go to insane lengths to make things right. People will often even go as far as to give up their lives for some grand sense of meaning (see: religion, every war ever). Meaning is that effective at moving people.
Conversely, when we feel we lack meaning in our lives, when shit just doesn't seem to matter, when there's no clarity on how or why things happen to us, we do nothing. We sit on the couch and twiddle our thumbs and watch lame reruns while complaining on the internet about lame reruns.
But here's the kicker (and I swear I'm going to get to the ham sandwich): meaning is a resource that we must cultivate in our lives.
Meaning is not something that exists outside of ourselves. It is not some cosmic universal truth waiting to be discovered. It is not some grand 'eureka' moment that will change our lives forever.
Meaning requires action. Meaning is something that we must continually find and nurture. Consistently.
Meaning is like the water of our psychological health. Without it, our hearts and minds will shrivel and die. And like water, meaning flows through us — what is important today is not what was important years ago; and what is important tomorrow will not be the same as what is important today. Meaning must be sought out and replenished frequently.
How to Find Meaning in Your Life
In a very real sense, the meaning of life is therefore to create meaning.
So how does one create meaning? Two ways:
Solve Problems. The bigger the problem, the more meaning one will feel. The more work you do towards that problem, also the more meaning you will feel. Solving problems basically means finding ways to make the world a slightly better place. Can be as simple as fixing up your aging mother's dilapidated house. Or as complex as working on the new great breakthrough in physics.
The point here is not to be picky. It's easy, when we start thinking of how insignificant we are on a cosmic scale of the universe, to start thinking there's no point in doing anything unless we're going to save the world or something. This is just a distraction. There are tons of small, everyday problems going on around you that need your attention. Start giving it.
Help Others. This is the biggie. As humans, we're wired to thrive on our relationships. Studies show that our overall well-being is deeply tied to the quality of our relationships, and the best way to build healthy relationships is through helping others. In fact, some studies have even found that giving stuff away makes us happier than giving stuff to ourselves. Go figure.
As such, it seems to be a "hack" in our brains that helping out other people gives us a greater sense of meaning and purpose. Just the fact you can say to yourself, "If I died, then someone is better off because I lived," creates that sense of meaning that can propel you forward.
The Trap of Setting Goals
A lot of people find meaning through setting goals for themselves. They want the corner office, the big car, the fancy-pants shoes. It gives them a reason to wake up in the morning, a reason to bust their ass at work. It gives them something that makes them feel important and something to look forward to every day.
But goals are a double-edged sword. You have to be careful.
Goals are good tools for building motivation. The problem is that, by themselves, they are arbitrary and empty.
Unless there's a why behind the goal full of meaning, the goal itself will provide little long-term happiness or satisfaction.
Ever see star athletes flounder after retirement? Or a guy who finally made his millions become deeply miserable because he doesn't know what else to do with his life?
Goals are dangerous because the meaning they provide when you're working towards them is the meaning that is taken away once you achieve them.
This is why all the superficial stuff like make a billion dollars, or own a Rolls Royce, or get your face plastered on the cover of a magazine all lead to a type of happiness that is shallow and short-lived — because the meaning is shallow and short-lived.
There has to be a deeper reason for your goals. Otherwise, the goals themselves will be empty and worthless in the long-run.
Notice that it's the athletes who aspire to be the best at their sport for some greater reason — to build a charity, to start a business, to transition into another career — who handle retirement the best. Notice it's the millionaires who spent their life working towards a deeper cause that remain content once all of their goals are checked off the checklist.
But some goals don't even have to be big and sexy.
Take a ham sandwich. I sat down to write this article hungry. That's a problem in my life. And I promised myself I'd pump out this draft before going and making myself a sandwich. That gave this hour some extra meaning.
And you know what? Maybe my wife's hungry and I can make her one too. You know, make the world a better place and all that shit while I'm at it.
So what's the meaning of life? Well, for me, right now, it's a ham sandwich. What will yours be?
作者：Mark Manson
來源：https://observer.com/2017/03/the-meaning-of-life-is-a-ham-sandwich/
你知道這個問題。這個終極的問題。這個曾經讓你、讓我、讓人人徹夜未眠苦苦思索的問題。這個在我們脆弱的心靈中，同時留下驚疑和恐懼的問題。我們為何來到人世？我們來到人世有何目的？什麼才是人生的意義？
這個嘛，很幸運地，今天早上在健身房的時候，我搞懂了這些問題。我非常確定，人生的意義，就是火腿三明治。不不不，我的意思不是說正因為我餓了才得出這樣的答案，我會好好解釋的。在接下來八分多鐘的時間，我會說明這個騙你點進來看的標題是什麼意思，還有我得到這份領悟的來龍去脈。
首先，在我們適切地發問「什麼是人生的意義？」之前，必須先弄清楚更細微、而且更重要的部分：什麼是意義？
什麼是意義？(以及讓你很想在提問者臉上揍一拳的其他問題)
什麼是意義？這問題可能忽然令你陷入沉思，盡扯些玄妙難解的大道理。假如真是如此，我想請你先想一下火腿三明治，然後給我一分鐘時間聽我解釋，因為這很重要。
替某件事情賦予意義，這麼做到底有何意義？我們人類一直都在給人生中發生的每一件事情添加意義。
媽媽擁抱我的意義，一定是她愛我；老闆稱讚我的意義，一定是我辦事得力；明天會出太陽的意義，一定是我可以穿超酷的海綿寶寶背心上學去。
意義，是我們內心用來把兩種經驗或事件牽扯在一起的連結。發生了 X，接著發生 Y，所以我們覺得這當中的意義就是 X 導致 Y 的發生。後來又發生了 Z，於是我們百思不得其解，難以接受，所以我們覺得 Z 這件事實在太糟了。
大腦發明意義，就像狗在拉屎－－狗愛拉就拉，一點也沒意識到自己把地毯弄髒。大腦之所以發明意義，是想要解釋我們周遭環境為什麼會出現種種莫名其妙的狗屎。意義的發明很重要，因為我們覺得有了意義，便能預測和掌控自己的人生。
但是說實話，意義只不過是心靈隨機的產物。五十個人觀看同一場事件，卻會得出五十種不同的意義。這就是為什麼政治場上如此紛紛擾擾，為什麼法庭上目擊證人的說辭如此不可靠，為什麼你朋友有時成了最可惡的混蛋－－因為你剛跟朋友分享你心目中的意義，但他們認為的意義卻與你有著天壤之別。
人生的二種意義
大腦會快速建構出兩種不同的意義：
- 因果意義：你踢球，球移動。你跟朋友說他髮型很醜，他賞你一巴掌。你做了 X，然後必然而然會得到 Y 的結果。
每個人都需要因果意義才有辦法生存，透過因果意義，我們從過去吸取教訓，並預測未來發展。因果意義主要涉及大腦的邏輯活動，例如科學就是在不斷地尋找更多更多的因果意義。 - 好壞意義：有得吃比挨餓來得好。賺錢比破產來得好。分享比偷竊來得好。好壞意義跟我們價值觀的本質有關－－我們覺得人生中什麼才是最重要的、最有幫助的。
好壞意義主要取決於大腦的情感活動。一般來說，讓我們感覺良好的事物，我們會立刻給予其「好」或「比較好」的定義。
這樣看來，意義是大自然誘發人類產生動機的手段，演化利用這種方式來確認人類終於把大大小小的雜事搞定。意義是我們所有行動的推手。當某件事情具有重大的意義，譬如小孩病了或餓了，那麼我們不計一切代價也要設法解決這件事情。人類甚至經常極端到願意犧牲性命來換取某種崇高的意義感 (像是宗教、迄今的每場戰爭)。意義非常有效地激發了人類的動力。
相反地，當我們覺得人生缺少意義，當種種瑣事似乎再也無關緊要，當我們不明白事情怎麼會、或為什麼會發生在我們身上，這時候我們什麼也不想做了。我們癱在沙發上，百無聊賴地玩著手指，看著乏味的重播，然後一邊上網發文抱怨這些乏味的重播。
但是，重點來了 (而且我保證真的要解釋火腿三明治了)：意義是我們必須在人生中累積的一種資源。
意義不是獨立於我們之外的事物。意義不是某種有待探索的宇宙真理。意義不是一個將會永遠改變人生的靈光乍現時刻。
意義需要我們付諸行動。意義需要我們必須不斷地追尋和孕育，始終不渝。
意義好比心理健康的生命之水。沒有意義，心靈將會枯萎凋亡。意義也像水一般，在我們的人生中流動不息－－今天重視的事物，在幾年前不值一提；明天重視的事物，在今天並沒有相同的重要性。意義需要經常去尋找，為意義補充源頭活水。
如何尋找人生的意義
務實地說，人生的意義，就是去創造意義。
那麼，我們該怎麼創造意義呢？方法有二：
- 解決問題：問題愈重大，意義感也愈強。在問題上投入的心力愈多，得到的意義也會愈豐富。基本上，解決問題表示你在想辦法把這個世界變成稍微好一點點的地方。解決問題，可以簡單到像是幫年邁母親修理她破舊的房屋，也可以複雜到像是窮盡腦汁鑽研物理學上的偉大新發現。
解決問題的要點是別去挑剔問題的輕重。當我們開始思考自己在浩瀚無垠的宇宙中是多麼微不足道的滄海一粟，我們很容易就會覺得除非挺身拯救世界之類的，否則似乎做什麼也沒有幫助。這只是讓你分心的一件事。每天還有數不盡的小問題出現在我們身邊，需要我們關注。開始注意這些小事吧。 - 熱心助人：這相當重要。人類往往必須仰賴人際關係才能生存。研究顯示，我們整體的幸福安樂，與我們人際關係的品質息息相關，而打造健全人際關係的最佳辦法，就是幫助他人。事實上，數份研究甚至指出施比受更快樂。很不可思議吧。
如此看來，助人帶給我們更富足的意義感和目的感，這似乎是大腦所施的巧妙術法。光是自思「假如我死了可不妙，有人會因為我活著而過得更好」這件事，就能創造出足以驅使你起身行動的意義感。
很多人藉由為自己設定目標來找尋人生的意義。他們想要升上主管、想買大車、想穿名牌鞋。這些目標給了他們早上掙扎著爬起來的理由，讓他們甘心為工作賣命。有了目標，他們才覺得生活總算有了重心，每天至少還有些事可以期待。
然而，目標有利也有弊，請謹慎看待目標這件事。
目標固然是培養動機的良好手段；問題是，目標本身也可能是隨機的、空洞的。
除非能夠針對充滿意義的目標說明其背後理由，否則目標幾乎維持不了任何長期的幸福或滿足感。
你應該看過，有些明星運動員退休後一蹶不振吧？或是有人好不容易賺到幾百萬，卻因不知道人生還有哪些事值得去做，結果陷入悽慘絕境，相信你也聽說過這種人吧？
目標的危險之處在於，當你為了目標努力時，這些目標所產生出來的意義，會在你終於實現目標的那一瞬間，那些意義全部灰飛煙滅。
這就是為什麼，所有膚淺的目標，像是成為億萬富翁、擁有勞斯萊斯、整形變成雜誌封面人物般的容貌，都只能迸發出空幻而短暫的幸福火花－－因為這些目標的意義就是空幻而短暫的。
你的目標必須具備更深刻的理由，否則時日一久，目標便將逐漸空洞，失去價值。
別忘了，唯有為了某些更偉大的目的，像是成立慈善機構、開創事業或預備轉職，而立志在所屬體育項目登峰造極的運動員，才能最美滿地安排退休人生。也別忘了，唯有為了更深層的理由而努力不懈的百萬富翁，才能在一一劃去目標清單上的項目後，依然感到心滿意足。
但是，有的目標其實不需要設定得那麼遠大、那麼動聽。
譬如，火腿三明治的目標。我餓著肚子，坐下寫出這篇文章。這是我人生中的一個問題。我下定決心，我得先把文章草稿生出來，才可以起身去做一份三明治。這樣的目標，就讓這一小時增加了些額外的意義。
而且你知道嗎？說不定我太太也餓了，我也可以順便幫她做一份。你知道的，既然活在這個世界上，我們就要把世界營造成更和樂美好的所在，反正隨便你去套用哪些冠冕堂皇的形容詞啦。
所以，什麼是人生的意義呢？嗯嗯，對我來說，現在，此刻，人生的意義就是火腿三明治。那麼，你呢？
You know the question. It's the ultimate question. The question that you and I and everyone has laid awake at night thinking about. The question that brings equal parts wonder and terror to our feeble minds. Why are we here? What is the point of it all? What is the meaning of life?
Well, fortunately, I figured it out while I was at the gym this morning. I'm pretty sure it's a ham sandwich. And no, I'm not saying that just because I'm hungry. There's an explanation here. I'm going to explain it, clickbait titles and all, in, oh, the next eight minutes or so.
First off, before we can even appropriately ask "What is the meaning of life?" we must first settle something more subtle and something more important. Namely, what is meaning?
What is Meaning? (And Other Questions That Make You Want to Punch Someone in the Face)
What is meaning? That may strike you as terribly navel-gazey and ultra-philosophical. And if that's the case, I invite you to think about ham sandwiches for a moment, and just stick with me for a minute. Because it's important.
What does it mean for something to mean something? As humans, we have a constant need to attach meaning to everything that happens in our lives.
My mom hugs me, that must mean that she loves me. My boss complimented me, that must mean I do good work. It's going to be sunny tomorrow, that must mean I can wear my super-cool SpongeBob tank top to school.
Meaning is the association that we draw between two experiences or events in our minds. X happens, then Y happens, so we assume that means X causes Y. Z happens, and we get really bummed out and feel awful, therefore we assume that Z sucks.
Our brains invent meaning the way dogs shit — they do it gleefully and not even realizing that they're ruining the carpet. Our brains invent meaning as a way to explain all the crazy shit that is going on in the world around us. This is important, as it helps us predict and control our lives.
But let's be real: meaning is an arbitrary mental construct. Fifty people can watch the exact same event and draw fifty different meanings from said event. That's why there's so much arguing in politics. That's why eyewitnesses are so unreliable in court. That's why your friends are sometimes the biggest assholes — because that meaning you just shared, to them, meant something completely different.
Types of Meaning in Life
Our brains slap together two different types of meaning:
Cause/Effect Meaning: You kick the ball, the ball moves. You tell your friend his hair is ugly, your friend slaps you in the face. You do X, and with reliable certainty, Y will result.
We all need Cause/Effect meaning to survive. It helps us predict the future and learn from the past. Cause/Effect meaning primarily involves the logical parts of our brain. Science, for instance, is the constant search of more and more Cause/Effect Meaning.
Better/Worse Meaning: Eating is better than starving. Making money is better than being broke. Sharing is better than stealing. Better/Worse meaning has to do with the nature of our values — what we perceive to be most important and useful in our lives.
Better/Worse meaning relies mostly on the emotional parts of our brains. Generally what makes us feel good is what we immediately assume to be "good" or "better."
Both forms of meaning evolved in our brains to help us survive. For thousands of years, humans needed to remember where certain food could be found, how various animals would respond when hunted, how weather patterns change and how to read the terrain. They also needed to know what would gain them acceptance within their tribe, what would curry favor from friends and earn approval from that sexy guy/gal in the loin cloth over yonder.
So in that sense, meaning is nature's tool for motivation. It's how evolution made sure we got shit done. Meaning drives all of our actions. When there is great meaning attached to something, like our child is sick and starving, we will go to insane lengths to make things right. People will often even go as far as to give up their lives for some grand sense of meaning (see: religion, every war ever). Meaning is that effective at moving people.
Conversely, when we feel we lack meaning in our lives, when shit just doesn't seem to matter, when there's no clarity on how or why things happen to us, we do nothing. We sit on the couch and twiddle our thumbs and watch lame reruns while complaining on the internet about lame reruns.
But here's the kicker (and I swear I'm going to get to the ham sandwich): meaning is a resource that we must cultivate in our lives.
Meaning is not something that exists outside of ourselves. It is not some cosmic universal truth waiting to be discovered. It is not some grand 'eureka' moment that will change our lives forever.
Meaning requires action. Meaning is something that we must continually find and nurture. Consistently.
Meaning is like the water of our psychological health. Without it, our hearts and minds will shrivel and die. And like water, meaning flows through us — what is important today is not what was important years ago; and what is important tomorrow will not be the same as what is important today. Meaning must be sought out and replenished frequently.
How to Find Meaning in Your Life
In a very real sense, the meaning of life is therefore to create meaning.
So how does one create meaning? Two ways:
Solve Problems. The bigger the problem, the more meaning one will feel. The more work you do towards that problem, also the more meaning you will feel. Solving problems basically means finding ways to make the world a slightly better place. Can be as simple as fixing up your aging mother's dilapidated house. Or as complex as working on the new great breakthrough in physics.
The point here is not to be picky. It's easy, when we start thinking of how insignificant we are on a cosmic scale of the universe, to start thinking there's no point in doing anything unless we're going to save the world or something. This is just a distraction. There are tons of small, everyday problems going on around you that need your attention. Start giving it.
Help Others. This is the biggie. As humans, we're wired to thrive on our relationships. Studies show that our overall well-being is deeply tied to the quality of our relationships, and the best way to build healthy relationships is through helping others. In fact, some studies have even found that giving stuff away makes us happier than giving stuff to ourselves. Go figure.
As such, it seems to be a "hack" in our brains that helping out other people gives us a greater sense of meaning and purpose. Just the fact you can say to yourself, "If I died, then someone is better off because I lived," creates that sense of meaning that can propel you forward.
The Trap of Setting Goals
A lot of people find meaning through setting goals for themselves. They want the corner office, the big car, the fancy-pants shoes. It gives them a reason to wake up in the morning, a reason to bust their ass at work. It gives them something that makes them feel important and something to look forward to every day.
But goals are a double-edged sword. You have to be careful.
Goals are good tools for building motivation. The problem is that, by themselves, they are arbitrary and empty.
Unless there's a why behind the goal full of meaning, the goal itself will provide little long-term happiness or satisfaction.
Ever see star athletes flounder after retirement? Or a guy who finally made his millions become deeply miserable because he doesn't know what else to do with his life?
Goals are dangerous because the meaning they provide when you're working towards them is the meaning that is taken away once you achieve them.
This is why all the superficial stuff like make a billion dollars, or own a Rolls Royce, or get your face plastered on the cover of a magazine all lead to a type of happiness that is shallow and short-lived — because the meaning is shallow and short-lived.
There has to be a deeper reason for your goals. Otherwise, the goals themselves will be empty and worthless in the long-run.
Notice that it's the athletes who aspire to be the best at their sport for some greater reason — to build a charity, to start a business, to transition into another career — who handle retirement the best. Notice it's the millionaires who spent their life working towards a deeper cause that remain content once all of their goals are checked off the checklist.
But some goals don't even have to be big and sexy.
Take a ham sandwich. I sat down to write this article hungry. That's a problem in my life. And I promised myself I'd pump out this draft before going and making myself a sandwich. That gave this hour some extra meaning.
And you know what? Maybe my wife's hungry and I can make her one too. You know, make the world a better place and all that shit while I'm at it.
So what's the meaning of life? Well, for me, right now, it's a ham sandwich. What will yours be?
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