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.