![]() ![]() For the meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. In an attempt to formulate a single definition of meaning, one may ask what the essence of meaning is? But a single generic answer to this question is not possible to find. While pondering about what makes life meaningful, several perspectives in the literature could be found, especially in the literature covering philosophy and existential psychology. Yalom (1980), in an empirical research confirmed earlier clinical observations that to live without meaning, goals, or values provokes considerable distress (Yalom, 1980). Meaning in life is not just a theoretical or philosophical construct, but it has a bearing on human health and well being (e.g., Jung, as cited in Jaffe, 1970) asserted that absence of meaning is related to psychopathology. ![]() Bruner (1990) put it more bluntly, noting that without meaning systems “we would be lost in murk of chaotic experience and probably would not have survived as a species in any case” (p. Frankl (1978) aptly pointed out, a firm sense of meaning is essential for optimal human development. In life we find meaning through a sense of purpose which makes life worthwhile. It is only through meanings that we make sense of our existence. Meanings are at the core of our experience and also at the core of whatever we do. Human beings are the only beings that can put their own existence into question and the biggest quest in an individual’s life is to find meaning and purpose and the questions about meaning of human life are age old. Do we really need to have meaning in life or can we just live our life without even pondering on these questions? How does it matter to know the essence of life when we can actually live without even wondering about such questions?
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