How to Live A Good & Meaningful Life Draft 2

Living an entire life pursuing the meaning of life, then we die.
Pursuing happiness, pleasure, love, with the purpose of discovering the meaning of life will leads a person to be satisfied in his life once he has identified it, or so it is communicated by popular culture. It is believed that living a life meaningfully is one of the toughest tasks to accomplish. It is not complicated to add meaning into something, but it is when we want that meaning we gave to makes us happy. Even though most of the people live their lives with many meaningful aspects around them, they continue on searching for the meaning of life. People believe that they do not know complete happiness due to all the negative aspects in their families, their neighborhood, their world. By feeling limited it becomes difficult to find "something" that would make a person happy for being alive everyday. Popular culture gives an interpretation on how a person should be living his life and people interpret it as a "goal" that must be accomplished in order to live their lives meaningfully. We are being shaped in a certain way by popular culture as we "live" our lives. It is inevitable to live under culture but, people believe in freedom and search for something around them that would make them happy even if it contradicts culture. Therefore a person lives his entire life along with other people searching for the meaning of life. A great amount of time is invested into finding the answer, but in reality, Is there even a meaning that must be pursued?

My own perspective on having a good life is by being present and unreasonable and live as possibility. I believe that we, people are perfect just the way we are, so there is nothing to improve. We being perfect makes everything around us perfect so we can be present of everything we have and live happily just with whats so. My perspective is very unfamiliar in popular culture. My perspective on how to have a good life was shared to me through an education that does not associate with media. Therefore in my opinion, popular culture is the opposite of how to be in order to live happily.

There are approximately 6.8 billion people in the world with 6.8 billion different opinions and perspectives. There is no right or wrong answer to the question of how to live a good and meaningful life. It is very subjective matter and if anything does work for someone to be complete in life then so be it. I personally found a way of living powerfully in this world, but I do not inted to enforce it into anyone, however i intend to share some of what those around me, that share a similar point of view, have to say about how to have a good life to compare it to what popular culture says on the same matter.

"I don't let anything stop me, I do everything i say i would, and If i don't I ll come back to it to restore my integrity in the world" -Kitty McMillen, Communication: access to power participant.

"Have great relationships, specially with family and speak your mind which is a great relief"
-Rula Aslanis, Communication: access to power participant.

"Honesty with themselves, be present to inauthenticity, share with those around you, go beyond any place they've gone before that brings fear and discomfort, take risks!"
-Olivia Ascencio, Self expressions and leadership program participant.

Corporate media indeed contributes greatly into whats we believe or think is right or wrong. We are taught that we need to improve so that we get accepted into society. We have representations on how a beautiful woman is supposed to look or how happy and complete we can be with money. People live their lives "trying" to become better or wealthier or skinner so that one day in the future they can achieve happiness, and if they don't they keep on "trying" until they die. What is the meaning of this?

To represent this popular culture's message I have analyzed the song "Lip Gloss" by Lil mama
"This song is an example of what Popular Culture tells us what is to "look good" and be part of "the popular group" I found this message directly to young women who, in my opinion, struggle the most to stand out or be noticeable. "my lip gloss is poppin, my lip gloss is cool" is a constant message in the song that could be interpreted as a method of being the center of attention. This could be a commercial or advertiesment of beauty products, so that women feel motivated into purchasing cosmetics. The message given by pop culture is that if a person does not look good (looking good as the girl in the video, that is the definition of looking good in pop culture)
he/she will not fit in society. In the video the girl appears as the center of attention as the other students follow her for looking so attractive. The lip gloss was a way of her having a "break-through" in her school, because before having it she did not have what it takes to be part of the popular group, as she described. The song says "what you know bout me, what cha, what cha know bout me" and what we know about her is that her lip gloss is popping and that she is cool. The lyrics do not mention anything about personality or any feelings relating to what she is experiencing. In other words we know nothing about how a person that looks good is supposed to "be or feel" rather that being the center of attention. The lyrics contradict itself with the video. In the video the girl is portrayed as an inspiration and has many followers that support her change. However, the lyrics describe her as an individual that is outstanding and the "followers" in the song are those who are attracted to her with sexual purpose. In conclusion the specific message of this song is "I can upgrade you show you how to use nice things with nice flavors" People need "upgrade" to be somebody in this world, according to popular culture".

Another example would be the movies shown in Life doesn't have to be Meaningless class. The movie "She's all that" is another representation of how women are supposed to look in order to be accepted. The story line of this movie is based on High school life, and the typical well known social groups are shown. Among the popular group (the cheerleaders and the football players) there is a guy that began a relationship with a girl from the outcast group. This girl was consider a loser and it was until she went to the salon and wore make up that she was first recognized by those around her. The guy eventually fell in love with her after she "exposed herself". This distinctions make society follow especific examples of how to look and be in order to be accepted.

There is nothing that can be done about the impact we have received from the culture we live under. We learn whats right and wrong and act according to it.We do what we need to do to survive our lives from imaginary threats. Then we wonder why are we living the way we are living? why did my life turn out this way? why am i here?
We are living machines that automatically want to improve among society or complain about society. We live under the strong influence of our culture and we are expected to be in a certain way.We involve our senses, logic, feelings, thoughts, etc. into life situations. So, what?
and we ask philosophical questions, such as why am i here? or why is does the human mind react this way? in order to find the meaning in life. We are here because we are here and the world turned out to be this way because it turned out to be this way, there is NO answer but that in reality, and in reality there is no meaning in life, and that is a fact. So then what is right or wrong is nothing but a invention of some one's interpretation on life and we happen to follow it. We believe what we believe, but that does not mean that what we believe is reality.
My interpretation of life allows me to life happily, in other words there is no suffering in my life, from my past or my current life situation. Those around me are powerful people that live as an inspiration and do not live their lives according to popular culture.

"Life is a tale told by an idiot -- full of sound and fury, signifying nothing"
-William Shakespeare

-My own perspective on living a good life
-How my perspective relates to pursuing a meaningful life
-Other people's perspective on living a good life
-How other's perspectives relates to my own
-Relate general idea from both perspectives and connect to popular culture
-Examples to represent main idea (images, videos, lyrics, etc.)

ComMents oN otHer's vidEo Analysis

To Bao Lin:
You have a great analysis, i agree with you that popular culture is communicating the idea of hogw are we supposed to be and look. Specially when you said "people are filling the emptiness of their own life to make it meaningful" as an explanation of why people get easily influenced by these advertisments and apply it to their own lives, really cleared up your point of view on Pop culture.
DinLi

To Dylan
I find interesting what you said about "All you need is love" analysis. I do agree with you about the fact that these rich people are constantly singing "all you need is love" in order to be happy. Of course it is ironic if you put it this way, and my perspective on the video is slightly different now.
DinLi

To Andy S.
You give a clear definition on what the video was demonstrating (the girl looking good, the items used, social class,etc). Your analysis on the song's message connects to what you have been lately communticating about popular culture. This assigment was a great example to your lesson, and it also helps practice our analysis on messages given by society.
Lieb

Messages on the Good & Meaningful Life from Popular Culture

Lil mama "Lip Gloss"
This song is an example of what Popular Culture tells us what is to "look good" and be part of "the popular group" I found this message directly to young women who, in my opinion, struggle the most to stand out or be noticeable. "my lip gloss is poppin, my lip gloss is cool" is a constant message in the song that could be interpreted as a method of being the center of attention. This could be a commercial or advertiesment of beauty products, so that women feel motivated into purchasing cosmetics. The message given by pop culture is that if a person does not look good (looking good as the girl in the video, that is the definition of looking good in pop culture)
he/she will not fit in society. In the video the girl appears as the center of attention as the other students follow her for looking so attractive. The lip gloss was a way of her having a "break-through" in her school, because before having it she did not have what it takes to be part of the popular group, as she described. The song says "what you know bout me, what cha, what cha know bout me" and what we know about her is that her lip gloss is popping and that she is cool. The lyrics do not mention anything about personality or any feelings relating to what she is experiencing. In other words we know nothing about how a person that looks good is supposed to "be or feel" rather that being the center of attention. The lyrics contradict itself with the video. In the video the girl is portrayed as an inspiration and has many followers that support her change. However, the lyrics describe her as an individual that is outstanding and the "followers" in the song are those who are attracted to her with sexual purpose. In conclusion the specific message of this song is "I can upgrade you show you how to use nice things with nice flavors" People need "upgrade" to be somebody in this world, according to popular culture.

Kanye West feat. T-Pain - Good Life
By the name can tell that this song is a representation of what is a good life.
Both singers in the video use an amusing way (colorful and entertaining sentences or images saying "welcome to the good life") to drag the viewer's attention into the pop culture message. The typical well known good life by society; money and sex. The singer's perspective on the people who seems to disagree with his way of life is "Haters give me those salty looks (Lawry’s)50 told me go head switch your style up Ad if they hate let em hate and watch the money pile up" The society is economically divided and this division is strongly supported by everyone in the world, regardless of their social class. This message is direclty to people who is in the state of living their independent life, women and men. For men, the music video" shows how a "good life" is supposed to be. Living life on spree is outshining and gaining money from doing so. Also having possesions that would make a man's life satisfactory (cars, money, expensive clothes, travel to different places). As for women, In the video there is a good looking woman that is being "wanted" by the rich and good looking man. The message from this is that women with, by definition of pop culture, a body like that girl in the picture will get their way in the "world" of the good life. An interesting statement from the lyrics contradicts the video completely, "Havin money’s not everything but not having it is" so then what is having a good life if money is not completing the man who possess it? Once again this is the message that popular culture communicates to society in order to keep the world on a specific way of mind.

All You Need Is Love- The Beatles
This is a different point of view from what Pop culture tells us of what is what you need to live happily. All you need is love is a simple and repetitive song that communicates the message of...
"All you need is love, love, love is all you need" I find this message directly to all people in the world as an encouragement. The video shows the Beatles singing to people with signs that say all you need is love in different languages. The message displays all over the world. Although the video is not representing the song it is a way of showing that by singing to others is a way of demonstrating love. According to the lyrics "There's nothing you can do that can't be done" is to encourage people to leave their comfort zone and have the will of doing something for themselves to live happily. Love is the key to acceptance and acceptance leads to peace, that is a general message given by those who act against the usual and well known way of life that is given by popular culture. Media is a great business and it has succeed into having many people adopt their point of view as reality. What is it that makes people's point of view so different from each other if we all live under the strong influence of pop culture?
As shown in this song there is no description of how you are supposed to look, act, feel, live, be, posses, etc. It is simply saying what everyone can achieve regardless of where they stand in society. As the lyrics say "It's easy", according to this song which contradict the two previous songs, there is nothing that can stop someone from being happy. All you need is love is described as something easy to understand, but not easy to practice. In conclusion pop culture strongly communicates the way of living to people but is up to the people to decide wether they will follow it or not.

What do people around me say about living a life meaningfully?

By asking this question to those around me, I identified deep or superficial answers that depended on either positive or negative past experiences in their lives. Their answers also showed an influence from other people and the relationship formed with them, such as family, friends, lovers, etc. One person said that her meaning of life is happiness but another person said that there is no meaning for life, it is just what it is, and it being just that they can create anything that would be meaningful to them. Both answers are valid, even though one answer is more complex than the other one. While 2/3rds of the people I spoke to, indicate that living a life meaningfully depends on emotions, people, moments they enjoy, the other third had a different perspective of “A meaningful life”. People having different opinions and perspectives makes their answers to this questions drastically alternate. There is no wrong or right answer, even if their meaning of life does not complete them. Another pattern I identified by interviewing people that shared a similar point of view, was that life was empty and meaningless.

How is it that a life without meaning can make someone happy? Literally speaking, the word life is just a word. Therefore there is no meaning in the word life. However, they do have meaningful aspects in their lives, such as family, friends, their work, etc., but simply do not relate it with something else. Considering that emotions such as love, happiness, peace, etc. can be the most important factors of why people give meaning to a certain thing is a reasonable pattern that was shown by the people I interviewed. Another outstanding pattern is people's answer was the relationship between their social class and what was meaningful to them. People with low class situation found their families as the most meaningful aspect in their lives. Although none of the three people I interviewd

could answer what was that made their families meaningful they were determined. Another person, owner of a store, claimed that money was the most meaningful aspect because money was used to pay for things he wanted. The lower class people have their family or those around him more present at their situation and act according to it. The other people owning stores or business have a different perspective which involves financial issues, such as debts, rent, etc. Even if their priority is the same or very similar to the other people they did not have their family as present.

One of the people I interviewed said, "Living a life meaningfully makes a life worth living" This statement represents all people with all kind of perspectives. Everyone has something meaningful in their lives and they base their decisions and actions on what they have created.