THE MEANING OF LIFE

The Meaning of Life

APA Research Paper

The Meaning of Life

Introduction

The critical response of Socrate for “ The meaning of life” refers to the idea that individuals are strongly motivated to find meaning in their lives, that is, to be able to understand the nature of their personal existence, and feel it is significant and purposeful. Life feels meaningful to people when they can satisfactorily answer the big questions about their lives, such as who am I, why am I here, what is truly important to me, what am I supposed to do with my life. That finding meaning in life is considered a fundamental motivation by some means that human beings must perceive a sufficient amount of meaning in their lives. In other words, feeling that one's life is significant, comprehensible, or purposeful may be necessary for human psychological functioning (Baumeister, 2005).

Discussion

The critical response of Socrate attempting to understand what makes life meaningful had been the task of artists, theologians, and philosophers. Following World War I, some influential philosophers asserted that life is inherently meaningless. They believed that there was no higher purpose to the universe, and therefore people were all alone in trying to figure out what their individual lives were all about. However, people will go to great lengths to defend their ideas of what life is really all about. In other words, they firmly hold onto their life meanings. For example, many people strive to defend specific religious, moral, or scientific beliefs in the face of contradictory opinions or beliefs. From this observation, several psychologists proposed that people must be motivated to find meaning in their lives (Audi, 2005).

Socrate said that people innately strive to accomplish the purpose of their lives, particularly through participation in social activities. He proposed the need for self-integration in later life. ...