It Is This, and Nothing More

What is the meaning of life? To answer the question "What is the meaning of Life?"

This might seem glib or witty, yet many people believe this without realizing they do--they're the people looking for any meaning they can find. But only by believing it can you feel its subtle tragedy.

Others tap into the universe with religion, or transcend it with art. Some construct a levee against it with politics, or are oblivious to it inside of love or pleasure. They alone have solved the riddle, "What is the meaning of all this stuff?" They might prattle about "mysteries", but only because it's conventional to do so. Really, it hardly seems a riddle at all.

Those who perceive that meaning arises from merely answering the question undo themselves. One eye is always wandering in a different direction, toward a higher meaning. "Have I got it yet? Can I answer yet?" They cannot pursue something for its own sake. Their faith is stunted. Once you know the meaning of living is to answer the question "What is the meaning of living?", then it's nearly impossible to do so.