Category: Meaning of Life

The idea of Will and the privilege of choice is the central topic for Schopenhauer. He thinks that an individuals character is molded by a blend of genetic and environmental circumstances. For Schopenhauer, it is critical, because the surroundings in which an individuals life outlines itself mainly by the way the individual looks at it. This point of viewpoints toward the fact that an individuals character is the utmost factor in happiness.

This isnt too far-off from several current findings in psychology indicating at a checkpoint for persons happiness, apparent, for instance, in the fact that individuals who recover from devastating injuries or win the lotto both go back to their previous level of self-stated fulfillment throughout the interval of only several months. Schopenhauer believes that it is the individual who has the power to choose his or her attitude towards life situations, and he undoubtedly believes that there is always a choice for everyone (Schopenhauer and Taylor 371).

Will should relentlessly be considered the ultimate reality and the basis of all life including our own. This can be explained by the fact that we, humans, are in charge of anything that happens throughout the lifetime. The phenomenon of purposelessness, also known as meaninglessness, is one of the most debatable issues. Speaking of the purposelessness, the crucial component of this point of view is the emptiness within a person. On this issue, Schopenhauers opinion connects with Frankls. The individuals are the prisoners of the situations that Frankl has called the existential vacuum (Frankl 130).

It is rather interesting that the Mayans considered that our existence is only an illusion, where the reality is represented by our own Will. Such an assumption actually sounds reasonable if we reconsider the fact of our very existence and admit that an individual is only a container for the Will, which is the true representation of the human. This point of view eventually reflects the fact that one cannot comprehend the meaning of life away from the meaning of misery because misery is an unavoidable feature of an individuals reality (Nietzsche and Fritzsche 210).

Being a carrier of the Will means to suffer on many levels, but that is the ultimate purpose of human life. Another point made by Schopenhauer is that the Will as the continuation of life with no higher or intelligent purpose is possible but seems pretty ignorant, as an individual always has the ultimate ability to choose where to go, what to do, and what to live for. Lifes meaninglessness is most probably the same for both human beings and different life forms.

For instance, we can take Mitch from Tuesdays with Morrie as a perfect example of an individual who got lost into materialistic stuff and led a meaningless life (Albom 18). In the end, all of Morries lessons deliver an extensive message that each individual should throw away the values imposed by society and nurture his or her own values. The only difference (and, in fact, a significant one) between human beings and different life forms is in the fact that an individual is able to get out of the meaninglessness slump, while any other life forms are not.

In his work, Schopenhauer claims that the overcoming of death is the most important point of religion. It is an important statement, as you cannot make up for anything the existential void caused by the loss. In this case, Schopenhauer connects with Grey, who believes that there is a very high possibility that after death, one still will not be fully aware that the people he or she lost are not alive to any further extent (Grey 1).

This statement actually raises the question of whether there is immortality as the continuation of the life of the species and if it lies behind everything we do. It is important to understand that this theory is consistent with the definition and the purpose of Will, as an individual is the Will itself, not just a spiritual singularity locked up in a human body.

If we speak of the sexual love as of an example of the Will as the perpetuation of the species, it is critical to remember that the desire to continue the family line has been an unconscious expression of sympathy towards an individual from the ancient times. In most cases, we, as an intelligent race, should consider this expression to be based on an unconscious drive to continue life. On the other hand, Schopenhauer evidently hints at the key idea of his works, which proclaims that there is always the choice and, at long last, it is all about the individuals Will and authority of choice. It is quite possible that we would not continue life if we were only driven by the unconscious sympathy towards one another, but the current situation in the world is quite opposite to what Schopenhauer proclaimed.

After carefully reexamining most of Schopenhauers statements, one may come to the conclusion that Schopenhauer was such a convinced pessimist that he believed we exist in the foulest of all probable worlds and contentment is a delusion. Schopenhauer might be pointing out what is true, but he does it in such a strict manner that he leaves the reader nothing but puzzled by his cynical view of the world we are living in. For him, there is no escaping from the individuals egoism. Schopenhauer explains it, stating that people are self-centered as they are effortlessly thrilled and insulted without any difficulty. Their views can be bought and traded for the proper price.

Schopenhauer thinks that for this exact reason the friendship is habitually driven by egocentricity. In his opinion, exhibiting your intellect makes you extremely disliked because people do not like to be retold of their lowliness. Schopenhauer expects an individual to admit that the world is jam-packed with stupid people, they cannot transform, and neither can the individual.

The Idea of Beauty and a more general attitude toward overcoming our individual Will is consistent with the Fleischackers view of things. The idea is that other people cannot enlighten you  therefore, you must enlighten yourself. A perfect society is perfect only when it permits the liberty of self-expression (Fleischacker 16). The meaning behind all this is that one can see that enlightenment is an ethical act, but in the case of Schopenhauers point of view, it is certainly an ethical responsibility.

To create meaning in the face of all this implies the understanding of the Will phenomenon and the acceptance of immortality as of the ultimate means of existence. We need to take a more realistic view of life so that we could adopt Schopenhauers ideas where it is possible, but we should not turn to the pessimist side in order not to lose the meaning of our lives.

Works Cited

Albom, Mitch. Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Lifes Greatest Lesson. New York: Random House Large Print, 2010. Print.

Fleischacker, Samuel. What Is Enlightenment? London: Routledge, 2013. Print.

Frankl, Viktor E. Mans Search for Meaning. Boston: Beacon, 2006. Print.

Grey, Julienne. My Mother Is Not a Bird. New York Times. N.p. 2015. Web.

Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, and Peter Fritzsche. Nietzsche and the Death of God: Selected Writings. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin, 2007. Print.

Schopenhauer, Arthur, and Richard Taylor. The Will To Live. New York: F. Ungar Pub. Co., 1967. Print.

The meaning of life is one of the questions that have attracted the attention of many philosophers as well as writers. Two different views on this issue are expressed by Richard Taylor and Susan Wolf.

According to Richard Taylor, a person can subjectively determine whether his/her life is meaningful. In this case, perceived enjoyment and satisfaction can be the main criteria that an individual should consider. In contrast, Susan Wolf disagrees with this statement and calls for a more objective interpretation of meaningfulness. So, it is necessary to compare and evaluate these approaches.

Richard Taylor believes that a certain activity can be called meaningful if a person finds it satisfying or engaging. Additionally, an individual should focus on his/her subjective experiences in order to evaluate the quality of his/her life. In order to illustrate this argument, the author refers to the famous myth of Sisyphus, who perpetually rolls a stone up the hill. To a great extent, this myth symbolizes meaningless and endless labor, which does not bring any results.

However, this interpretation can change dramatically if one assumes that Sisyphus finds this activity satisfying or desirable in any way (Taylor 323). Additionally, the author urges the readers to remember that in many cases, peoples lives can be compared to the labor of Sisyphus. For example, one can speak about people who designed and constructed ancient temples or palaces that eventually turned into ruins (Taylor 332). It is rather difficult to suppose that they perceived their lives as something meaningless.

More likely, they assumed that they created paragons of beauty, and the meaningfulness of their actions could hardly be questioned. In this way, the author wants to show that the source of meaning lies within the individual perception of a person. These are the main details that can be distinguished.

In turn, Susan Wolf adopts a different approach to this question. According to her, a persons life can be called meaningful if he/she actively and successfully engages in projects that promote positive values (Wolf 8). In this context, the word project can be described as any goal-directed behavior (Wolf 8). In turn, the word

positive implies that a certain value is recognized and accepted by other people (Wolf 10). In other words, the activities of a person should bring certain benefits to other people.

Therefore, unlike Richard Taylor, Susan Wolf believes that one should look for a more objective evaluation of a persons life. Additionally, according to her interpretation, meaningfulness does not necessarily imply that an individual is happy. Moreover, in many cases, his/her actions can be questioned from an ethical viewpoint. These are the main elements of her approach.

Overall, I tend to support Richard Taylors views on this issue. In my opinion, the meaningfulness of a persons life should be based on subjective interpretation. At first, it is important to mention that in many cases, a person can suffer from frustration and depression provided that his/her behavior does not reach the accepted standards of success. This is one of the problems that originate from Susan Wolfs approach. Admittedly, people should be engaged in activities that promote the welfare of other individuals.

In this way, a person can make his/her life much more fulfilling. Nevertheless, it is not permissible to set the standards of meaningfulness. The approach developed by Susan Wolf is based on the premise that a person can accurately estimate the effects of his/her actions. This task is critical for determining if a certain activity promotes positive values. However, sometimes, a person cannot easily do it. Furthermore, other people may fail to appreciate the value of a persons work.

For example, the attempts to develop non-Euclidian geometry were deemed to be useless at the least at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Furthermore, mathematicians engaged in such activities were often regarded as insane because very few people could see the implications of their work (Restivo 103). If they tried to follow the line of reasoning proposed by Susan Wolf, they would have come to the conclusion that their life and work had been meaningless.

However, later, it turned out that hyperbolic geometry could benefit various areas of science, especially physics. Apart from that, the approach adopted by Susan Wolf does not include such a notion as happiness, which seems to be critical for the meaningfulness of any life. This is another reason why Richard Taylors interpretation seems to be more plausible. Finally, such a notion as success is often subjective, and it is difficult to measure it.

On the whole, this discussion shows that there are different approaches to the questions about the meaning of life. It is more appropriate to consider the subjective interpretation of this issue because this approach helps a person discover happiness. Admittedly, other people may not agree with this subjective assessment.

However, this evaluation has to be accepted if a persons activities do not adversely affect the lives of other individuals. In contrast, Susan Wolfs approach implies that there are certain objective standards. However, there are many cases when these standards are not applicable. These are the main aspects that can be singled out.

Works Cited

Restivo, Sal. Red, Black, and Objective: Science, Sociology, and Anarchism, New York: Ashgate Publishin, 2011. Print.

Taylor, Richard. Good and Evil, New York: Prometheus Books, 2000. Print.

Wolf, Susan. The Meaning of Lives. Philosophy UMass. Web.

For centuries on end, people have been trying to cognize and comprehend the essence of their existence in the world. The mystery of the meaning of life has been representing an everlasting challenge for those who give it a thought and philosophers have been striving to solve the riddle of the purport of life, each in his way, never achieving an answer which could be universal for the whole humankind. Among the seekers of the sense of life was the American metaphysician Robert Taylor, whose essay The Meaning of Life addresses the title issue in a thought-provoking way that involves a negative proof: in his search for meaningfulness Taylor goes from meaninglessness to meaning, and the latter is claimed to be dual thus dividing into subjective and objective meaning.

Contemplating the meaning of life, Taylor assumes that initially, life does not possess a meaning bestowed from without it comes from within, from living beings themselves, depending on what value they ascribe to their activities (28). The whole process of existence is compared by the philosopher to the famous legend about Sisyphus, who rolls endlessly a heavy stone up the hill  an activity never ceasing and leading to no result. The absence of result constitutes, according to Taylor, the absence of any objective meaning to Sisyphuss activity, as his labors come to nothing (21). Does this mean that Sisyphuss life, and in a broader sense, all life on earth is devoid of meaning at all? Answering this question, Taylor provides a ray of hope by stating that however senseless ones activities may seem from an objective point of view, still, meaningfulness could make an appearance on condition that Sisyphus attaches personal importance to what he is doing, e.g. is driven by a strange irrational impulse, a perverse desire to do something [objectively] pointless (22). As soon as Sisyphus himself feels a desire to do precisely what he has been doomed to do due to objective circumstances, his activities and life, on the whole, acquires a mission and meaning of his fate (Taylor 22). Thus develops the concept of subjective meaning, which can be described as the personal importance ascribed by the doer to his activities.

Continuing his development of the subjective meaning idea, Taylor envisages the whole range of diverse forms of life that are involved in ex fact meaningless (i.e., devoid of objective meaning) actions that nevertheless constitute the meaning of life to those who accomplish them. Luminous worms inhabiting caves in New Zealand spend months in the damp environment, only to transform into an insect living a couple of days and dying after having laid a portion of eggs which in their turn will repeat the endless cycle of existence; fish and birds cover immense distances and overcome obstacles on the way, simply to ensure their future generations will do the same; people involved in daily activities mainly directed at establishing and perpetuating home and family (Taylor 23-24). All living beings take pains to achieve certain minor goals, most of which are transitory as upon accomplishment one sets forth for the next aims (Taylor 24). Thus, Taylor concludes, the point of any living things life is, evidently, nothing but life itself (24).

Advancing from such definition of purpose and meaning of life, assuming that most activities are more appearances than perpetual achievements and judging them from the long-term perspective, Taylor arrives at the idea that if life since a value is nothing but itself then it can acquire no objective meaning, as it is quite impossible to create or attain something that would last long enough to be called objectively meaningful (24-25). Moreover, objective meaning is not only unattainable; it is also undesirable because even pursuing an activity which as a result has an accomplishment everlasting and perpetual, having achieved the desired goal one is left to rest and forever enjoy the result  and that would mean eternal boredom with lack in the meaning of existence expressed in constant strive for new accomplishments (Taylor 26).

However, at this point, Taylors contemplations become vague and lack grounding, as there emerges a question of what it long enough according to the philosopher  a lifespan of a nation, a millennium, or eternity? The essay never answers it, as well as it does not reveal the judge who should estimate the value of achievements against an objective scale. For certain large groups of living beings, one activity constitutes objective meaning (or, rather, objective necessity); others see the objective meaning in something else. Taylors theory finds itself at a dead end: in fact, there cannot be any sufficient definition of objective meaning as it is unknown who should formulate the objective meaning of life if everything created by people is characterized by a high level of subjectivity. For one thing, whether a vast accumulation of subjective opinions results in the emergence of objective one is dubious; for another thing, the necessity for objective meaning is questionable, as if it does not reflect the interests and values of certain individuals, then it is no longer objective for them.

Being a fatalist, Taylor relies on the idea that human actions and decisions have no influence on the future and making a change is quite impossible as life is merely going with some cosmic flow (qtd. in Ryerson). The value and meaning of things are considered such in so far as things are to be done and one possesses the will to accomplish them (Taylor 28). In saying so and adding the consideration that even worms are carrying on their seemingly meaningless activity with determination and will that impart value and meaning to that activity, Taylor evokes another problematic issue of whether all living beings possess a will and a conscious understanding of what should be done (27). If by will Taylor means instinct, then the meaning of worms activity becomes objective, as instinct is an objective quality conferred on animals by nature. Humankind still possesses insufficient knowledge of the presence of will in animals to fully and comprehensively answer that question.

For all their imperfections, which are inevitable in any theory produced by the human mind, Taylors views on life and its meaning still possess a core of good sense. Due to peculiarities of human nature, which is subjective in most cases, it appears quite impossible to establish any objective values, meanings, or other qualities of life: one can think of speculative concepts, but anyway they would be a product of the subjective mind. Thus it appears reasonable to seek the answers to the major issues of existence in the sphere of subjective, which is successfully done by Taylor. To his contemplations on the meaning of life consisting in life itself, it remains to add that there can exist a borderline case between objective and subjective meaning: when ones activities are valued not only by oneself but also by others, life acquires an objective meaning formed by the accumulation of subjective opinion.

Works Cited

Ryerson, James. Consider the Philosopher. The New York Times. 2008: MM34.

Taylor, Richard. The Meaning of Life. Life, death & meaning: key philosophical readings on the big questions. Ed. David Benatar. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2004. 19-28.

Introduction

People are expecting a lot from young people in the current world. Young people are often challenged to take up responsibilities and be critical influencers of political, social, and economic causes in the contemporary society.

It is apparent that young people are faced with a lot of challenges because the contemporary society poses innumerable challenges to an extent that they cannot take up responsibilities and shape the society as expected of them. Young people are increasingly worried about the contemporary society and the projected future society they will inherit and become critical decision makers in the society.

This reignites the memories of the early years of the 20^th century, especially the 1920s when critical developments in the world, like the post World War I, brought a lot of challenges.

At that time, most countries were confronted with the task of meeting economic needs, as well as ensuring the safety of their citizens who remained vulnerable due to the effects of the war and immense competition among states. This paper presents critical views about creation of meaning in life.

Critical questions to ponder

As a lot of young people strive to make meaning in their lives today, it is important to explore a number of questions to gain the true sense of the term meaning. Is meaning a subjective or an objective term? What constitutes meaning in the lives of people in the contemporary society? The other question that needs to be answered concerns the state of the society today.

This entails social, political, economic, and environmental orders and how they shape peoples mental orientations. What leakages exist in the current political, economic, environmental, and social realms? How do they affect peoples orientation and preparedness to take up responsibility now and in the near future? Are there certain needs and expectations that must be met for people to make meaning out of their lives?

What is meaning in life?

In simple terms, meaning implies making sense or significance. Martos, Thege and Steger (2010) observed that meaning can be derived from two critical aspects of believe; whether people actually believe and how people believe. Also, the pattern of relations between an individual and other people in the society is critical when carrying out an implicit measurement of meaning.

This brings in the religiosity aspect of life. George and Park (2013) noted that meaning goes hand in hand with purpose. Significance in life is attributed to the ability of a person to meet his goals and aims in life. Social support is critical in the development and fulfillment of goals in life.

Schnell (2009) and Steger, Frazier, Oishi and Kaler (2006) observed that one critical aspect of the well-being of people in the society, which comes out in the humanistic theories that are utilized in counselling psychology, is peoples perception of meaning in life. The perceived meaning in life is a complex issue that can only be comprehended through assessment of different factors that contribute to distress in people.

Kinnier, Kernes and Tribbensee (2003) observed that people must aim at making critical contributions in the society. The three authors observed that making a contribution in the society is one of the most important ingredients of making meaning in life. On the other hand, Kray et al. (2010) observed that creation of meaning by an individual is a process. Meaning is created from important life events that a person engages in.

Events emanate from a counterfactual reflection of past happenings where the constructs of reality are developed. This motivates a person to take part in an event. The meaning of life results from synthesis of past successful events and projection of the probability of succeeding in future. This is referred to as nostalgia (Routledge et al., 2012).

Needs and meaning in life

As noted earlier, the most critical question in the contemporary society concerns how meaning can be reinvigorated and reconstituted in the lives of people. According to Stillman and Baumeister (2009), meaning in life can only be attained through fulfillment of four main needs.

These are: Sense of purpose in life, feelings of efficacy, value, and a sense of positive self worth. A look at these needs implies that meaning in life is a psychologically oriented process.

A sense of purpose in life comes from synthesis of past events and the subsequent projection of future happenings. The modern world is confronted with a lot of challenges that range from degradation of the environment to vices like corruption, mismanagement, and the quest for personal gain. These vices have been inherited from former generations by the contemporary generation.

This depicts a scenario where there is a blurred vision about the future due to the threats that are likened to the prevalence of a lot of vices in the contemporary society.

Most of these vices keep evolving throughout generations. This justifies the high levels of frustration among the youth and adults. This group of people has a diminished level of optimism about the future due to the unethical happenings in the society (Stillman & Baumeister, 2009).

Whether people can control their destinies is also an issue of concern in the modern world. The feeling of efficacy is attained when people feel that they can impose controls on what takes place in their lives. However, the conditions that prevail in the world have made people wander as they seek to confront one challenge after the other.

The challenges range from relation factors to physical threats like environmental degradation and climate change, the fear of terrorism and war, and the increasing inflation rates that makes it hard for people to fulfill their needs.

Therefore, people only focus on securing their needs. People increasingly seek for psychological support because of increase in distress over the inability to meet their needs, or respond to different forces in the society (Maddux, 2000).

According to Stillman et al. (2009), there is an increase in social exclusion in the contemporary world. This makes it hard for people to realize the need for positive self worth. Stillman and Baumeister (2009) noted that people often search for ways of ensuring that they are admirable, good, and worthy. However, these virtues cannot be justified by individuals themselves. On the contrary, the virtues have to be justified by other people.

Unfortunately, most people are swayed by life events to an extent that they lack time to assess fellow individuals. According to Twenge (2003), the increase in levels of distress and pressure to meet needs and control events results in a state of meaninglessness in the society.

This, in turn, makes it hard for people to focus on certain worthy courses. People still remain lonely in their minds and souls, irrespective of the perceived higher level of interaction that has been facilitated by technology and globalization (Baumeister et al., 2005). This implies that social exclusion cannot be merely looked at from the physical sense, but it should also be viewed from mental and emotional perspectives (Stillman et al., 2009).

Enhancing the experience of meaning in life

It is quite difficult to enhance the level at which people experience meaning in their lives due to the amount of iterative forces that play out in the minds of people. The future is quite uncertain as people keep struggling to make ends meet. However, creation of meaning can still be attained amidst the countless challenges that people face.

A study that was conducted by Stillman (2010) denoted that social inclusion is critical in as far as attainment of feelings of efficacy and a sense of meaning in peoples lives are concerned. Development of effective social interactive platforms was found to be a critical path to the creation of meaning in life. Meaning in life is attained when a person seeks to engage others in matters that are affecting him or her.

In this way, it is easy to get diverse views on how to attend to the issue at hand. Social capital can be attained through embracing relationships at personal, family, communal, and national levels. This encourages exploration of socio-economic, cultural, and political factors that cause strains in the society (Lin et al., 2013).

Challenges that exist in the environment, like creation of social classes that depict social boundaries, depletion of resources that are critical for pursuing goals and meeting needs, and deterioration of the state of economic and political security, are causes of disintegration and exclusion.

These bar people from embracing social inclusion. Consequently, this makes it hard for people to experience meaning in life. However, these challenges can also pull people together (Lin et al., 2013).

Practical steps to enhancing experience of meaning in life

Enhancement of meaning in life is in itself an active process. It requires the active participation of an individual for the individual to enhance his or her meaning in life. Therefore, enhancement of meaning in life begins with comprehension of the environment in which an individual dwells in.

Environment here means the social, economic, cultural, and political attributes of the society and the forces that emanate from within the society. Environment also means how the above attributes influence human abilities to meet their needs and shape the society.

This is one way of attaining self-inclusion. Self-inclusion is one of the denominators of understanding the society and setting and attaining goals. This, in turn, helps in control destiny.

The second critical step in enhancing the experience of meaning in life is the embrace of social integration. According to Stillman et al. (2010), it is important for people to create meaningful interactions. It is easy to enhance a deeper reflection of the society in such interactions.

Reflection is critical in driving away the fear and anxieties that infest the minds of people. Consequently, people result in the development of seemingly practical mechanisms of driving away the anxiety and fear. This means that people are able to control their destinies.

The other thing that can enhance meaning in life is deciding to live courageously. Courage in this sense means that an individual should not focus on embracing personal security at the expense of setting goals and developing plans to guide in the achievement of the goals. Courage is the best solution for confronting fear and anxiety since fear limits a person, but courage keeps one going (Hicks & Routledge, 2013).

References

Baumeister, R. F., Dewall, C., Ciarocco, N. J., & Twenge, J. M. (2005). Social exclusion impairs self-regulation. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 88(4), 589-604.

George, L. S., & Park, C. L. (2013). Are meaning and purpose distinct? An examination of correlates and predictors. Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(5), 365-375.

Hicks, J. A., & Routledge, C. (2013). The experience of meaning in life: Classical perspectives, emerging themes, and controversies. Dordrecht: Springer.

Kinnier, R. T., Kernes, J. L., & Tribbensee, N. E. (2003). What eminent people have said about the meaning of life? Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 43(1), 105-118

Kray, L. J., George, L. G., Liljenquist, K. A., Galinsky, A. D., Tetlock, P. E., & Roese, N. J. (2010). From what might have been to what must have been: counterfactual thinking creates meaning. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 98(1), 106-118.

Lin, K., Xu, Y., Huang, T., & Zhang, J. (2013). Social exclusion and its causes in east Asian societies: Evidences from SQSQ survey data. Social Indicators Research, 112(3), 641-660.

Maddux, J. E. (2000). Self-efficacy: The power of believing you can. (in press). In, Snyder, C. R., & Lopez, S. J. (Eds). Handbook of positive psychology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Martos, T., Thege, B., & Steger, M. F. (2010). Its not only what you hold, its how you hold it: Dimensions of religiosity and meaning in life. Personality & Individual Differences, 49(8), 863-868.

Routledge, C., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Juhl, J., & Arndt, J. (2012). The power of the past: Nostalgia as a meaning-making resource. Memory, 20(5), 452-460.

Schnell, T. (2009). The sources of meaning and meaning in life questionnaire (SoMe): Relations to demographics and well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(6), 483-499.

Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., & Kaler, M. (2006). The meaning in life questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(1), 80-93.

Stillman, T. F., & Baumeister, R. F. (2009). Uncertainty, belongingness, and four needs for meaning. Psychological Inquiry, 20(4), 249-251.

Stillman, T. F., Baumeister, R. F., Lambert, N. M., Crescioni, A. W., Dewall, C. N., & Fincham, F. D. (2009). Alone and without purpose: life loses meaning following social exclusion. J Exp Soc Psychol., 45(4), 686-694.

Stillman, T. F., Lambert, N. M., Fincham, F. D., & Baumeister, R. F. (2010). Meaning as magnetic force: evidence that meaning in life promotes interpersonal appeal. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 000(00), 1-8. doi: 10.1177/1948550610378382

Twenge, J. M. (2003). Social exclusion and the deconstructed state: time perception, meaninglessness, lethargy, lack of emotion, and self-awareness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(5), 409-423.

Donald Barthelmes short story The School seeks to explain the meaning of life based on death. He is a post-modernist author whose work tends to be deceivingly simple yet potent and intuitive. Barthelme presents his short story, with a feeling of happiness and liveliness yet his main aim is to give an account of death. He explains through fiction the meaning of life, though the story is presented in a strange manner. Towards the end of the story, the aspect of human death is presented, although through a series of losses that occur and cause major concern when people start to die. The story is based on the school environment that is characterized as jovial, rowdy, and routine because the children are active and lively.

Death among humans is presented systematically. At first, death takes away an orphan, who could not be saved. The death of the first person marks the beginning of losses as experienced by real people. It progresses to parents and grandparents and finally comes to take away the life of the kids following the demise of Tony Mavrogordo and Matthew Wein (Barthelme, 2014). The last event of death is caused by an intruder who knifes Billy Brandts father. Even though Barthelme provides a series of deaths in the story, by using Edgar as the older character, he does not provide an explanation why death occurs. The kids are left with questions lingering as to why death occurs.

Edgar, as any other children, is not sure of what may take place to a person the moment they pass on. It is at this point that the story takes an odd turn. Barthelme drifts away from offering a narrative that could be dealt with in actuality but in its place starts to address greater philosophical inquiries. The hyperbolic stiffness of the childrens discourse only serves to lay emphasis on the strain of expressing such enquiries in real life that is the crack between the occurrence of death and the capacity to understand it.

Barthelmes story does not draw any support from religion or philosophy as has been expressed for a long time. Numerous philosophers have described life, albeit from different perspectives. For instance, Aristotle based life on the human purpose, Aquinas explained life based on beauty, and Kant looked at life based on the utmost good. According to Jones (2020), Koheleth, who is thought to have written the book Ecclesiastes in the Bible, perceives life as futility and compares it to the pursuit of wind. Jones (2020) states that the Anglo-American-Australasian philosophers explain the meaning of life in the form of the organized effort to pinpoint what people think regarding this topic or what they are referring to by talking of lifes meaning.

In general, Barthelmes story explains the meaning of life through death. The story presents a series of deaths though people are greatly affected when the first person dies. Ultimately the children at school are disturbed by the events. They try to seek for an explanation from the teacher, Edgar, but he also seems not to understand death. In philosophy the meaning of life is explained in various ways but not in the form of death. Barthelmes description is therefore unique, although it could as well be understood that his view on the meaning of life ends with death. Once death occurs there is no more life.

References

Barthelme, D. (2014). The School.Electricliterature. Web.

Jones, J. (2020). The meaning of life according to Simone de Beauvoir.Openculture. Web.

Life is a journey filled with many questions, some of which are never answered. One of the major questions that many people ask themselves is concerning the purpose of their lives. This question has led many individuals to travel long distances searching for the meaning of life. In his journal Philosophy and the Meaning of Life, Robert Nozick uses a traveler searching for life to demystify various typical answers on the topic.

The protagonist travels to the Himalayas mountains, where he meets a sage he believes has answers to the meaning of life. However, after a long pause, the sage states, Life is a Fountain (Nozick, 2018). After traveling for a long, the traveler did not expect this answer. Nozick (2018) criticizes the response offered by the sages by arguing that they are individuals who have detached themselves from the world and speak nonsensical words. Nonetheless, he argues that maybe there is more to the answer given to the man. In reaction to the mans disbelief in the meaning of life, the sage says, You mean its not a fountain (Nozick, 2018). This issue raises the question of why the man questioned the answer offered to him, yet he had traveled the mountains believing that is where he would get the answers. If he knew so much about the meaning of life, then there was no need to take that long quest. This shows that people seek answers concerning the purpose of life, yet they fail to believe what they are told about life.

A sage is a person who disengages themselves from the rest of the world, looking for enlightenment. If Nozicks claims are valid, why do many people seek council from the sages? Thus, it is wrong for Nozick to conclude that they speak nonsensical words without factual evidence since these are individuals who are believed to pose high levels of wisdom.

Reference

Nozick, R. (2018). Philosophy and the Meaning of Life. In E. Klemke & S. Cahn, The Meaning of Life (4th ed., pp. 197-199). Oxford University.

In all eras, all across the world, people thought about the problem of life and death. Death has always been a mystery to humans because no one has yet returned from behind a veil, and they cannot tell about what will happen after. Many philosophers attached their meanings to death, and humanity created fundamental beliefs to explain it. Blackburn refers to an idea called the Wisdom of Silenus:

The dead, beyond it all, are to be envied. Death is a luxury. Best of all not to have been born, but once born, better quickly dead (Blackburn, 2021)

The idea itself sounds incredibly depressing if you do not consider the peculiarities of the worldview of the people of the past because Aristotle, born in 384 BC, first described the idea itself. When thinking about this idea, it is difficult to take any specific point of view about it because the meaning of life primarily lies in the process of a lifetime; making any goal the meaning of life is not the best idea. After achieving it, a person will be left with spiritual emptiness. Thus, one can conclude that the meaning of life lies in the process of the lifecycle itself. And given that the meaning of life means a goal, death can be considered a luxury. After all, a person is inclined to strive for luxury in connection with the ordinary human greed inherent in each.

Given the above, death is a limitation that adds color to a persons life. After all, if people were not mortal, there would be no special meaning in life, and soon a person would write himself out, losing the motivation to live; small things and accomplishments would become less and less significant. In addition, in some cases, death is the only way to end the suffering of a terminally ill person. If this were not so, voluntary euthanasia would never have appeared.

Summarizing all my thoughts about this statement, I can conclude that it is frighteningly accurate. After all, life, for the most part, consists of turmoil and suffering, and many people spend their whole lives trying to find peace. But following this idea, vacation awaits us all at the end, and therefore we need to live as brightly as possible: achieve goals, fall in love, rejoice in general, and live life to the fullest.

References

Blackburn, S. (2021). Ethics: A Very Short Introduction (2nd ed., pp. 66-98). Oxford University Press Academic UK. Web.

Socrates’ Worldview

The goal of this paper is to accumulate and examine the views of Socrates according to four of the eight fundamental questions. Excerpts from Defence of Socrates, Euthyphro, and Crito by Plato will be used in this essay. The text from Defence of Socrates, Euthyphro, and Crito will be shortened for in-text citations to eliminate confusion and unnecessary information. All statements and original ideas in this paper have been formulated using these sources.

Condition/Problem

Most people are further predisposed to become corrupt rather than doing what is morally right. Corruption comes naturally, while virtue takes time and effort, two things that most people are not willing to give. An excerpt from Defence of Socrates explains this, “…I have now been overtaken by the slower runner: while my accusers, adroit and quick-witted as they are, have been overtaken by the faster, which is wickedness. And so I take my leave, condemned to death by your judgment, whereas they stand for ever condemned to depravity and injustice as judged by Truth” (39a-b). It is likely that for most people, it is easier to avoid and dislike changes, then to adjust to revisions, and that is why they naturally become evil and corrupt. This type of attitude is dangerous for the community as a whole, as the developing youth are going to testify this, and acquire these equivalent responses.

To expand upon the fact that the young are learning from their elders, they are in turn being corrupted by their intellectual superiors, as well. Socrates says, “…the people they question… say that there is a nasty pestilence abroad called ‘Socrates’, who is corrupting the young. Then, when asked to just what he is doing or teaching, they have nothing to say, because they have no idea what he does… they resort to the stock charges against all who pursue intellectual inquiry…’” (Defence of Socrates 23c-d). It’s a typical condition for people to accept what others believe, but when elders have one and only one view on a certain matter and projects that view onto the younger generations, that’s not what’s best for society as a whole. People need to examine situations for themselves, acquire their own opinions, and thrive on their own. How is the world supposed to evolve and adapt to change if we don’t allow the inexperienced to have an opinion?

Overall, the problem that seems to influence all others is that everyone is selfish. They think about how something will affect them and their lives, but not how it concerns others. This is prominent in Crito when Crito says, “…I shall suffer more than one misfortune: not only shall I lose such a friend as I’ll never find again, but it will look to many people, who hardly know you or me, as if I’d abandoned you…” Socrates later responds, “But why should we care so much, my good Crito, about what most people believe? All the most capable people, whom we should take more seriously, will think the matter has been handled exactly as it has been” (44b-c). Although Socrates is the one in jail, the one who was on trial, and now the one being put to death, Crito is very concerned for his own misfortune. He is being greedy. And, when Socrates reveals to him that only the people who should know, understand, Crito responds by saying how valuable “popular opinion” is. People are selfish and self-obsessed, two things that Socrates believes are the worst of evils.

Morality

Although a majority of characters may not agree with Socrates’ morals, he doesn’t give up on them. In Defense of Socrates, Socrates describes, “…if you suppose that a man with even a grain of self-respect should reckon up the risks of living or dying, rather than simply consider, whenever he does something, whether his actions are just or unjust, the deeds of a good man or a bad one’” (28b-c). Even through all Socrates’ distress, he still manages to stay true to himself. This is further demonstrated when he states, “…my one and only care was to avoid doing anything sinful or unjust” (Defence of Socrates 32c-d). He continuously values and stands by his actions. As he was on trial, he defended himself with honor and integrity, never becoming overly upset by the circumstances in which he was put in. Rather than worrying whether people see you as an honorable or immoral person, if you stay faithful to yourself and your morals, you have nothing to be ashamed of.

Another example of Socrates’ view of what an ideal person would be is to worry about yourself, and ultimately, they will see you for who you genuinely are. As described in Defense of Socrates, “…the most honourable and easiest way is not the silencing of others, but striving to make oneself as good a person possible. So with that prophecy to those of you who voted against me, I take my leave” (39d). Throughout Socrates’ life, he was isolated. He learned to accept that not everyone is going to approve of you and want you to succeed. If you worry about yourself and strive to be as good a person you can be, you have trusted your morals. Fight for yourself and don’t give up.

Furthermore, people need to learn to accept matters for what they are, it’s the most beneficial. This quote confirms how Socrates has accepted his fortune, “…nothing can harm a good man, either in life or in death; nor are his fortunes neglected by the gods. In fact, what has befallen me has come about by no mere accident; rather, it is clear to me that it was better I should die now and be rid of my troubles. That is also the reason why the divine sign at no point turned me back; and for my part, I bear those who condemned me, and my accusers, no ill will at all…” (Defence of Socrates 41d). Some may think of death as being the most immoral thing in the world. However, Socrates thinks of it as something that was meant to be. He has accepted the fact that he will die, and yet manages to think of it in a way that helps him. The ideal person is one who takes what comes at them with grace and doesn’t break their character over something that they have no control over.

Purpose/Meaning

For some, finding a purpose in life can be rather hard. Socrates, however, seems to know his mission and will do anything and everything to serve that objective. It appears as though Socrates views his role on earth is to be a server to God’s wishes. He reveals in Defense of Socrates, “… I am, in fact just the sort of gift that God would send to our city, you may recognize from this: it would not seem to be in human nature for me to have neglected all my own affairs, and put up with the neglect of my family for all these years, but constantly minded your interests, by visiting each of you in private like a father or an elder brother, urging you to be concerned about goodness” (31a-b). He sees serving God as his occupation. This is furthermore explained when he says, “I realized, with dismay and alarm, that I was making enemies; but even so, I thought it my duty to attach the highest importance to the god’s business; and therefore, in seeking the oracle’s meaning, I had to go on to examine all those with any reputation for knowledge” (Defence of Socrates 21e-22a). Although he has enemies, because of his duty to God, he won’t stop because he thinks he was sent to help those who hate.

Additionally, in contrast to Socrates’ beliefs, many other souls don’t believe there can be a purpose for everything. Socrates is being accused of “…being a busybody, in that he inquires into what is beneath the earth and in the sky, turns the weaker argument into the stronger, and teaches others to do the same’” (Defence of Socrates 19b-c). It’s very common for people to stay to themselves and only observe the superficial world. As his accusers stated, he looks beyond the surface and strives to continue his education by looking continually to find new ways to think. To Socrates, purpose can be found in everything, no matter how big or small, you just have to seek it out.

Not only is there purpose in everything, but Socrates believes that every person has a purpose in life and a reason they exist, no matter what their personal life is like. For example, Socrates has displayed a numerous amount of times that his desire is to serve God. Serving God seems as though it is a very big responsibility, and Socrates thinks that is the reason for his personal struggles, “Because of this occupation, I have had no time at all for any activity to speak of, either in public affairs or in my family life; indeed, because of my service to the god, I live in extreme poverty” (Defence of Socrates 23a-c). It is shown that no matter what walks of life you come from, in Socrates’ case, a lack of family life and extreme poverty, you can find your purpose. It might not be exactly what you were looking for, but if you’re serving your purpose, you will have lived the exact life that you were put on earth to have.

Death

Death can be a scary thing. Not many people can say that they are comfortable with the fact that they are going to die eventually. Probably because they don’t know when the end of their life will come. Will it be ten years, ten months, ten days? And that is what frightens many people. However Socrates views death very differently, “No one knows, you see, whether death may not in fact prove the greatest of all blessings for mankind; but people fear it as if they knew it for certain to be the greatest of evils. And yet to think that no one knows what one does not know must surely be the kind of folly which is reprehensible. On this matter especially, gentlemen, that may be the nature of my own advantage over most people” (Defence of Socrates 29a-b). He doesn’t understand why we, as humans, are fearful of death. Also, he considers that, “…what has befallen me is a blessing, and that those of us who suppose death to be an evil cannot be making a correct assumption” (Defence of Socrates 40b-c). Some may object and say that the only reason he’s okay with it is that he knows when his time will come.

Additionally, he seems to think of death as a healthy thing that happens to human beings. Socrates explains, “And let us also reflect upon how good a reason there is to hope that death is a good thing. It is, you see, one or the other of two things: either to be dead is to be nonexistent, as it were, and a dead person has no awareness whatever of anything at all; or else, as we are told, the soul undergoes some sort of transformation, or exchanging of this present world or another. Now if there is, in fact, no awareness in death, but it is like sleep–the kind in which the sleeper does not even dream at all–then death would be a marvelous gain” (Defence of Socrates 40c-d). Another reason people are afraid of death is due to the fact that they don’t recognize where the universe is headed. Socrates is strangely okay with the concept of no longer existing on this earth because he believes that wherever he might go can’t be that bad. Saying that dying is like going to sleep, but not dreaming doesn’t seem too bad. Also, the possibility of being modified from a present world into another seems as though you get another shot at life. What could be so bad about that?

Critique of Socrates’ Worldview

Socrates believes that he is one of the wisest of people, because of his service to God. It seems as though his entire life revolves around him, as he has stated before, “…because of my service to the god, I live in extreme poverty.” He has even gone as far as to say, “I shall never give up practicing philosophy, or exhorting and showing the way to any of you whom I ever encounter, by giving my usual sort of message.” However, after he was sentenced to death, he seemed rather content and somewhat excited, that his life was going to end. Socrates was given a choice; either admit to the crimes for which he didn’t do and go to jail, or be sentenced to death. If he was so certain that his duty on earth was to help others through the assistance of God, then why would he choose to die? Why did he think death was more appealing than his service to the divine being. Even if he were in jail, he still had the potential to help people.

Additionally, Socrates alludes to the fact that selfishness presides in everyone. When Crito explains how Socrates’ death will affect him and his life, Socrates says, “But why should we care so much, my good Crito, about what most people believe? All the most capable people, whom we should take more seriously, will think the matter has been handled exactly as it has been.” If Socrates cares to examine problems within society and determines that selfishness is among the top, why would he knowingly do something that he identifies as a problem? By choosing to die, he is wronging all those who he could have helped. What made him think that his life was less important than it was?

Works Cited

1. Platón , and David Gallop. Defence of Socrates, Euthyphro, and Crito. Oxford University Press, 2008.

Throughout his life, Leo Tolstoy pursued perfection in everything he did. He sought to achieve his desires in different fields. He joined Kazan University but left three years later when he established that it did not fulfill his desires. He also joined the army but left as the violence was too much for him. He opted for a simple life in the country. He then ventured into creative writing and the author’s successful books. His literary work brings him fame. Although Tolstoy was wealthy, successful, and famous for his literary works, he fell into depression. He lost his motivation despite having a great family around him. Although others perceived him to be happy, he fell to an emptiness that led him to question the meaning of life. In his autobiography, “A Confession,” he details his falling into depression and his pursuit of the meaning of life. Tolstoy determines that the meaning of life cannot be found through rational sources like Philosophy and Science, but in Faith, which is irrational.

Tolstoy grew up in the Russian Orthodox Christian faith. However, in his late teens, he started questioning some of the teachings he got as a child growing up in the faith. He stopped believing in most of the things he learned as a child. He stopped praying as well as taking communion. Despite the changes in his faith, Tolstoy still believed in God. However, he did not know which kind of God he thought. The belief in God is what later guides him in his search for the meaning of life. He leans back to faith when other sources fail to provide the solutions he was seeking about the meaning of life. Therefore, although he changed his beliefs, his faith from his upbringing plays a crucial role in helping him find the solution to the meaning of life.

Tolstoy describes his crisis as an arrest of life. During that period, he lost his sense of life. He did not know what to do about and with his life. The feeling of dejection kept repeating, with the frequency increasing over time. The increased bouts of arrests of being led to his main questions about the meaning of life. The items that kept replaying in his mind were Why? Well, and Then? The questions guided his reflections on the meaning of life. It was during a period when he was courting. The idea of death was due to his loss of enthusiasm for life. The things that gave him the motivation to live no longer had the same effect, and he felt the need to accept and embrace death.

Although Tolstoy asked several questions about life, they all meant the same thing. They sought to find the importance of living and the things he did in his life. He tried to determine the benefit of his life to both himself and others. He questioned the need to live while death was inevitable. He also pondered on the fate of his achievements and accomplishments. He further asked the need to wish for or do anything as well as have desires. All the questions he had sought to find his purpose in life. He was questioning the reason for his existence and his life. Tolstoy argues that an individual cannot purport to explore the meaning of the universe without first establishing the meaning of his/her life.

In his pursuit of the answer to his question, Tolstoy first turned to Philosophy. However, he established that Philosophy does not answer the question. Instead, Philosophy asks questions that refine and clarify his question. He studied different philosophers and found no definite answer in their teachings. For instance, he finds that Socrate’s view is that a true philosopher seeks death, as the life of the body impedes a philosopher’s quest to seek the truth. The Buddha teaches that life is the greatest of evils, while Solomon’s view about life is that it is all vanity. The philosophers emphasized how life impeded an individual’s ultimate purpose. They did not provide the answers Tolstoy was seeking. He wanted to know how his life had a meaning when he would suffer, die, and be forgotten.

Although Tolstoy consulted Philosophy and Science to find answers to his crisis, he did not find any. Both Philosophy and Science provided rationality in thought. They both provided answers about finite things. However, they could not provide answers on the infinite. Therefore, it was impossible to find solutions to his questions as it would involve using the finite to explain the infinite. Rationality fails when defining the infinite using the limited. To comprehensibly find the solutions he sought, he had to explore a different source. He resorted to faith, an irrational source of knowledge. Unlike the sciences and philosophy, religion was predominant among the masses of men. It did not apply the rules of rationality that both science and philosophy used. Faith involves relating to an Infinite Being. While science fails to connect the finite and the infinite, faith finds this connection through an individual’s belief in God. Tolstoy argues that the truth is faith. He settles that faith in God guides a person’s life. An individual can derive the meaning of their life from their faith in God, service to others, love, unselfishness, and work. He concludes that most of the things that people pursue, such as wealth, power, status, and fame have no contribution to the meaning of life.

The realization that his answers lay within faith conflicted with Tolstoy’s beliefs. He had already rejected teachings on religion, such as the creation in six days, the Trinity of God, as well as angels and devils. He found himself in a position where rational thinking negated life while faith negated reason. Analytical knowledge placed life as evil and meaningless, while faith required the renunciation of purpose for one to understand life. Since rational thinking failed to provide answers, Tolstoy had to settle for the irrational knowledge of religion. Where reasonable understanding was unable to make sense, only faith could provide solutions.

Tolstoy’s crisis reflects what many people undergo. Although most people start as ambitious and enthusiastic individuals, there are points in life where the enthusiasm dies away. It becomes difficult to motivate them, and they find little joy in what they do. Questions about their existence start to arise, affecting them mentally. Tolstoy found himself in such a situation despite having what would constitute a happy life. He was healthy, happy, had a good loving wife and children, had the respect of neighbors and friends, was famous, and had praises from strangers. However, that did not stop him from feeling dejected.

Similarly, people find themselves in situations where they feel dejected despite what surrounds them. Outwardly, they may seem happy. However, their outward happiness is a cover for their inner struggles. Most people in such situations struggle with identifying their purpose. They lose their drive, and things that motivated them no longer have the same effect.

The pursuit of the meaning of life is about rediscovering yourself. As Tolstoy found out, it is impossible to find the meaning of life without first understanding your purpose in life. A person must first understand the meaning of their life before understanding the meaning of life in general. To do this, one must establish the things that drive him/her. As Tolstoy puts it, the purpose of life can be found in faith through service to others, love, unselfishness, and work. Therefore, an individual must first examine their confidence in their pursuit of answers about the meaning of life. Being able to determine the things that bring sense to an individual’s experience helps him/her find joy and happiness in his/her life. It allows individuals to attain fulfillment and satisfaction in their life.

The mental health of an individual is essential. In “A Confession,” Tolstoy goes through periods of poor mental health. He even contemplates suicide, although he avoids situations that would increase the risk of suicide. For instance, he says that although the thought of suicide occurred to him naturally, he made every effort to avoid it. He hid ropes from himself to avoid hanging himself when alone and avoided going out to hunt with a gun to prevent turning the gun against himself. Although he was afraid of life, he still did not want to die. Many people face a similar dilemma in life. Sometimes, the pressures of life become too much, and individuals find no joy in life. They slide into depression, which affects their view of the meaning of life. For some, suicide becomes an attractive solution. The pain of living may exceed their desire to live and lead them to actualize their desire to end their life. That may explain the spike in suicide cases in recent years. A combination of life pressures and a lack of a meaning to life drives people to the edge. Also, some succumb to their suicidal thoughts. Tolstoy’s conscious attempts to avoid situations likely to allow an individual to harm himself/herself is a plausible strategy. By avoiding conditions that increase the risk of self-harm, an individual buys time to find solutions to their crisis.

On a personal level, I have faced times when I have felt low. At such times, I lack the motivation to do anything. My life feels dull, and I derive no joy, even in the most desirable things. It becomes hard to be motivated when you derive no pleasure or pleasure from anything. Such was Tolstoy’s dilemma. Having everything you need, yet not enjoying the moment. Having been in a similar situation, I find that Tolstoy’s solution would work for me. Rather than seek solutions in sources that lack, the best solution would be to reflect inwards. Self-discovery allows one to understand his/her deepest interests and desires. Such desires should fuel his/her drive and motivation to work towards something meaningful. I find it easy to relate to Tolstoy’s solution due to my Christian background, which is based on faith in God. Although science may provide some answers to my crises, the solutions have their limits as they work with the finite. I was reflecting on the infinite bridges, the gap where science is lacking.

Tolstoy’s story is a clear illustration of what life is. It presents a contrast in terms of the meaning of life. For instance, although Tolstoy is wealthy and famous, he does not find the meaning of life in his wealth and fame. He also does not find it among the learned. Instead, he finds it among the simple masses. The dull masses understand the meaning of life better than the wealthy and educated. That implies that individuals should not seek the meaning of life in superficial things such as fame and wealth. Instead, real joy and happiness are found in faith in God.

Tolstoy’s reflections led him to an important realization. Although his life had everything that people consider as prerequisites to happiness, he found himself in a crisis. He lost his purpose in life and toyed with the idea of suicide. However, he started reflecting on the meaning of life and realized that the answers lay within him. He had to discover what life meant to him first before he could understand the meaning of life.

Similarly, many people face situations in life when things no longer make sense. Although they may boast some achievements, they still feel empty and desire more from life. Such feelings affect one’s mental health. It is, therefore, essential to seek answers about one’s meaning of life, as Tolstoy did. The understanding of an individual’s purpose in life would drive his/her desires. It would act as a great motivation to enjoy life.

One quote that stuck out to me stated by Henry Adams was ‘An educator influences time everlasting; he can never tell where his impact stops.’ This quote helps express the bond and connections between Mitch and Morrie, our main characters in the novel. ALS, which is short for Amyotrophic sideline sclerosis and known as Lou Gehrig’s disease is a type of nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function. This disease is very rare nonetheless since only about 5,000 cases are diagnosed every year. Some disheartening results of this disease are shortcomings and squandering ceaselessly of the muscles. The reason is obscure, but scientists make discoveries every year. The shortcoming as a rule advances to include the muscles of breath and gulping which leads to most people only being told that they have maybe 3 to 5 years to live. At the point when somebody is determined to have such turmoil, it turns their life in obscure ways, and you can either deal with it decidedly and be solid and live through it, or let it squander your life away. In the novel Tuesdays with Morrie written by Mitch Albom, our main protagonist Morrie Schwartz has onset ALS, regardless though this resilient old man doesn’t let the hurdles of life affect him negatively. Determination like this within a character has shown me that when life gets the best of us, we can’t just lie down and cry. You have to dust yourself off and keep a positive attitude regardless of what’s going on around you.

The main effect ALS has on the body is that it assaults vital motor neurons. These neurotransmitters allow the brain to communicate with the rest of the body to complete all voluntary, and involuntary actions. ALS causes neurodegeneration throughout the body which leads to other neurotransmitters without a message to receive. Subsequently, one’s muscles begin to deteriorate since they physically can’t move on their own. After onset, almost all muscle activity is affected throughout the body. Although this disease is known to attack the body’s neurotransmitters, individuals with this disease remain in control of their five senses. This is another reminder that you can’t take things in life for granted because one day you might not have them. I’m sure no one wishes for this disease, but to persevere through it makes you a strong individual.

This story gives a great feeling of empathy and astuteness for Morrie. Seeing things like this within the book reminded me to be sympathetic to others because everyone has a problem that they’re going through. Once Mitch came across his old professor from many years ago, he began to attend the first of many Tuesday classes at Morrie’s home. These classes were intended to fill people with the philosophy of Morrie’s life. Morrie was an educated man of many trades who enjoyed all the simple things life had to offer. His greatest lessons were those that revolved around life and how it changes, I found this character to remind me a lot of my grandpa. Coming up in his era things weren’t the smoothest, and after all he’s been through, you can see how he used his wisdom to better himself as a man.

As the two begin to meet more Morrie encourages Mitch to disregard the main social aspects around him to rather go in search and create his own. This reminds me of my parents giving me advice on life throughout my childhood. They always told me to be myself regardless of what others thought and taught me to always make the right decisions. If you put positive energy into the world, you’ll receive it back.

Morrie believes that today’s society is egocentric and that it’s based upon rapacity. Though he believes Mitch has the wit to avoid these problems in the world. Morrie goes on to talk about ageism and how death is a natural part of life.

The pink hibiscus plant had great connections to Morrie throughout the book. Once I noticed a connection between the two figures it reminded me of my connection with cabbage white butterflies. On the day of my grandmother’s funeral on the way to her burial, we were surrounded by a few white butterflies. I felt as if God left a representation of my grandmother’s spirit and love, and when I see those butterflies every spring I know she’s watching over me. Sadly, all life ends at some point, we just all wish the day would never come. Morrie shows us that even when you’re dealt a terrible hand, you just have to keep playing your cards as best as you can until you can’t.

In the little time that they had with each other, Morrie taught Mitch a great deal about life. Growing up there was no one closer to me than my grandma. The wisdom that Morrie gives Mitch also reminds me of my grandmother keeping me in line as a kid. My connections with this story made it more interesting to read than before and I didn’t find it enticing at all. I felt like Mitch in some aspects while reading this because, like Morrie I too had elders looking out for me, and trying to give me useful knowledge. I was taught to stand out, give it my all, and go the extra mile. Lessons like these that I’ve been taught are also much like the lessons that Mitch learned.