Fear, Loathing and that Thing We Call Meaning
If you ask an author why they write for a living, or why they approach a blank piece of parchment at the same time every day sipping a whiskey, scribbling away clouded thoughts of emotion crafted into a narrative–they’ll tell you they live for the story. A writer’s lust is found by invoking an emotional response from their audience by gracefully saluting the power of the written word.
An artist will regurgitate a similar response, because the world is their portrait. They see through the eyes of the paint-crusted brush. A daily internal debate, perhaps after a puff of marijuana, includes pondering whether art reflects life, or if life simply reflects art. They are rooting for the former, while stoned enough to believe the latter.
And, the bold internet entrepreneur who wants to solve big problems, improve lives, make money and inch the world forward. They don’t oppose authority, because in their eyes, they are the authority. They want to embrace emerging technology and leverage tribes. They love building communities, top ten lists and any sort of marketing paradigm.
The teachers are for the kids, the politicians are for the people and the scientists are for the truth. The same trite stories scale across every industry.
We all see the world through our own eyes, because that’s how we create meaning. I only mock it because it’s true. It’s part of being, or playing, the necessary part to win.
My issue with the flimsy meaning anecdotes is that they are a mask rather than a reflection. Feeling meaningful isn’t the same as seeking meaning. If the meaning exists, then you shouldn’t need to say it, let alone reason it. And if someone takes your word for it, you’re simply bullshitting a bullshitter. The shortcuts are masturbatory.
The funny thing about the quest for meaning is that even though we all strive for it, it boils down to perspective. You could be selling cigarettes or robbing banks and still be convinced you’re doing meaningful good for the world if that’s how you see it. Meaning exists, but it needs to be measured against how we perceive reality.
In an email exchange I had with Philalawyer, he appreciatively denied the slightest bit of inspirational credit I nodded his way. He stressed to me that:
The thoughts were already in your head. All a writer does is reflect it for you. My guess is you had the concepts banging around in your skull already and the writing helped you articulate it.
Viktor Frankl said that the path to finding meaning is by helping others find meaning, and I think Frankl’s attitude and Philalawyer’s comment sums it up. If you want to find meaning, or whatever it is you’re looking for, stop searching for a way to make sense of it.
And if it sounds like a game, that’s because it is. It’s okay to not always be right; just make sure you’re never wrong.
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Addiction: Entrepreneurship As A Coping Mechanism | alex j. mann (.com) added these pithy words on Nov 09 09 at 10:02 amAdd a Comment